Scottish Black bun Recipe

How to make a Scottish Black Bun

• Start this recipe a few days in advance by soaking the raisins, currants and mixed peel in the orange oil and whisky. Give everything a good mix and either put in a jar or in a bowl with a cartouche. Give it a mix each day and let it develop for anywhere from 1-3 days or longer if you have the time.
• Once you’re ready to bake, make your pastry. Rub the lard and butter into the flour and baking powder until it resembles breadcrumbs. Bring together with cold water trying to avoid overworking the pastry dough. Chill in the fridge for an hour whilst you make the filling.
• For the filling, combine all the ingredients together in a bowl. I whisk the dry ingredients first before adding the egg and the fruit; which I drain, reserving the liquor. You can add the milk here and some of the leftover, fruit-infused whisky liquor if you want it to be a bit more boozy. Alternatively, keep the fruity Glenburgie liquor and drink it.
• Then divide your pastry into two thirds and a third. Roll the larger piece into a rectangle large enough to fit into a 900g loaf tin which has been greased and floured. Drape in, press down into the sides and leave the pastry hanging over the sides. Fill the tin, pressing down as firmly as possible before brushing the edge with egg, putting the lid on, crimping down hard and then trimming any extra.
• Egg wash the top, cut a wee cross in the middle for steam and bake low and slow at around 160 for 2-2.5 hours. A skewer placed in the steam gap should come out clean. This long bake also helps to cook off the alcohol. If the cake is still too strong, let it air out as it’ll continue to improve for up to 3 weeks.
• Once cooled, slice up and serve up with either double cream, clotted cream or ice cream with a bit of extra nutmeg alongside a dram of Glenburgie.