New Year's Traditional Foods

Black Bun

This is a traditional pastry often eaten at the end of the year at the Scottish Hogmanay at the turn of the new year. Some of my ancestors lived in Scotland for some time and they may have added some things to the recipe.

INGREDIENTS FOR PASTRY

• 3 cups flour
• ½ cup lard
• 6 Tablespoons butter or margarine
• A pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• Cold water

INGREDIENTS FOR FILLING

• 1 pounsd raisins
• 1 pound currants
• 2 ounces chopped, blanched almonds
• 2 ounces chopped mixed peel
• 1.5 cups plain flour
• 1/4 cup soft brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon each of ground ginger, cinnamon, baking powder
• One generous pinch of black pepper
• 1 Tablespoon brandy
• 1 large egg, beaten well
• Milk to moisten

DIRECTIONS

• Grease an 8-inch loaf tin.
• Rub the fats together and into the flour and salt in a large bowl.
• Mix in enough cold water to make a stiff dough.
• Roll the pastry and cut into six pieces, using the bottom, top and four sides of the tin as guide.
• Press the bottom and sides in, pressing the overlaps to seal the pastry.
• Mix raisins, currants, almonds, peel and sugar.
• Sift in the flour, all spices and baking powder and mix together using the brandy and3/4 of the the egg and add enough milk to moisten.
• Pack this filling into the pastry and cover with remaining pastry, pinching edges and using milk/egg to seal. Lightly stick the surface with a fork and make four holes all the way to the bottom of the pan with a skewer. Depress the center a bit.
• Brush the top with milk/egg.
• Bake in a pre-heated oven at 325 degrees F for 3 hours.
• Test with a knife and if it comes out clean it's down.
• Cool in the pan and carefully turn out onto a wire rack.
• Cool completely before storing until Hogmanay.

Here's another good recipe form the Scottish-Irish-English side of the family. I substitute other fruits for persiommons at times. I even used sweet potatoes once and the cookies were moist and good.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup margarine
• 1 cup shortening
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups mashed persimmons
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 4 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon apple pie spice
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups raisins or dried cranberries
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• 2 capfuls of brandy or vanilla
• 1 small can drained pineapple
• 1 small shredded apple or carrot or both

DIRECTIONS

• Cream margarine, shortening and sugar.
• Add persimmons, eggs and vanilla and beat well.
• Stir together flour and next 6 ingredients.
• Add to batter; mix well, adding more flour, if batter is much too thin.
• Stir in raisins and nuts.
• Drop by teaspoons 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-15 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack.