Scottish Hogmanay Black Bun: New Year Fruitcake Wrapped in Pastry
Try this satiating sweet treat of dried fruit mixed with an abundance of spices, a bit of flour, and sweetened with brown sugar and molasses that is enveloped in a lightly sweetened buttery, flaky pastry resembling a present. This recipe makes 2 loaves perfect to give as New Year's gifts or save for yourself for later.
Servings: 10 per loaf
Ingredients
Double-Crust Pie Crust:
- 300 g (2½ cups) all-purpose flour
- 30 g (¼ cup) powdered sugar
- 3 g (½ tsp) salt omit if using salted butter
- 64 g (⅓ cup) COLD shortening
- 75 g (⅓ cup) COLD butter
- 8-10 tbsp ICE cold water
- 1 large egg beaten to brush over crust
Black Bun Filling:
- 200 g (1¾ cups) all-purpose flour
- 2 g (½ tsp) baking soda
- 2 g (¾ tsp) ground cinnamon
- 1 g (½ tsp) ground allspice
- 1 g (½ tsp) ground ginger
- 1 g (½ tsp) mace optional
- 1 g (½ tsp) ground nutmeg
- 1 g (½ tsp) ground black pepper
- ½ g (¼ tsp) ground cloves
- ½ g (¼ tsp) coriander
- 166 g (¾ cup packed) brown sugar
- 60 ml (¼ cup) molasses
- 1 large egg beaten
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) whisky, brandy, rum, fruit juice, milk, or water whatever you have and like
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) milk
- 300 g (2 cups) raisins mix of black, crimson, or golden
- 300 g (2 cups) currants or dried cranberries, dried blueberries, etc.
- 80 g (½ cup) mixed fruit peel, chopped store-bought or homemade orange and lemon
Instructions
Make the Double-Crust Pie Crust:
- Dice the butter and shortening and place in the refrigerator. Add ice and 1 cup of water to a measuring glass and place in the refrigerator.TIP: Cold ingredients are the key to flaky pastry.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, powdered sugar, and salt (if using). Use a pastry cutter (or food processor) to cut in the butter and shortening until the mixture resembles small peas.
- Add 1 tablespoon of water at a time using a fork to toss the dry and wet ingredients together. Push the mixture against the side of the bowl to ensure the water moistens the ingredients. Continue adding water until the mixture is just moistened.TIP: If using a food processor, add just enough water until the dough comes together in a cohesive mound.
- Divide the dough in half and wrap each half loosely in plastic wrap. Form each dough half into a disk and place them in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.TIP: You can make the dough up to 3 days in advance and store in the fridge until ready to use.
Make the Black Bun Filling:
- In a large bowl, sift all 10 dry ingredients (flour to coriander). Stir to mix well.TIP: Using a glass bowl allows you to see through the bottom ensuring the ingredients are mixed well.
- Add brown sugar and whisk or use a fork to mix it well with the flour. Make a well in the center and pour in molasses, egg, whisky (or other), and 2 tbsp of milk. Stir well. If the batter is dry, add another 1-2 tbsp of milk until everything is just moistened.TIP: Spray the measuring cup for the molasses with cooking spray so it slides right out.
- Add raisins, currants (or other), and mixed fruit peel. Fold all ingredients just until all are incorporated and set aside. The mixture will be dense, thick, and sticky.
Assemble Pie Crust & Black Bun Filling:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Prepare the baking pans. Line two 1.5-quart loaf pans with overhanging parchment paper. Use a pair of scissors to cut down each corner of paper in the pan so the flaps overlap and sit flush with the pan. Then trim the inside flapping corners that are floppy and leave the remainder paper to sit flat.TIP: Taking the time to cut the paper to fit the pan will produce a smooth, baked pastry edge. If not, the pastry will be lumpy and likely have paper stuck within the folds.
- Remove one dough half from the fridge, unwrap it, and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Remove ⅓ (~92 g from 277 g total) of the dough and set back in the fridge. Roll the other ⅔ dough into a rectangle (11x13 inches) large enough to fit in and up the sides of the loaf pan.TIP: Keep a well-floured work surface so the pastry will lift easily when transferring it to the loaf pan.
- Gently fold the dough in half. Pick it up carefully and unfold it in the loaf pan. Gently press the dough along the bottom and edges to ensure it will fit. The dough will fall; just let it fall, when the filling is added, the dough will stay upright. Place the pan with the floppy dough in the fridge to stay cold.
- Repeat with the other dough disk and loaf pan.
- Fill both loaf pans equally with the black bun filling (just eyeball the division). The fruit cake will rise, so the mixture will only fill about halfway up the pans.TIP: Since the filling is dense and sticky, use both your hands and a spoon. Dip your fingers in water to smooth and flatten out the tops of the filling.
- Take the two remaining dough pieces. Roll each out into a rectangle about a quarter-inch larger than the size of the loaf pan. Place each dough top on the filling of each loaf pan. The top should sit just inside of the top edge of the bottom dough. Trim off any excess dough more than a ¼ -inch or so just above the filling. Use a knife to poke small vent holes in a few different places in the top dough to allow steam to escape during baking.
Decoration Options:
- Use fork tines to crimp the dough edges all around the pan to seal the filling within both top and bottom crust.
- After sealing the edges, roll out dough scraps to decorate the top shaping pieces into a bow like a present (since the rectangle shape of the loaf looks like a gift), etc. or strips to resemble ribbon around a present.
Bake both Loaves:
- Beat an egg and brush the egg over any visible dough on both pans.
- Bake both loaves for 1:15 to 1:30 hours. Place a sheet of foil over the tops during the last 30 minutes of baking if the crust is browning too quickly. The loaves are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in pans before removing.
- When removing, lift the loaves out of the pans using the overhanging parchment paper edges.
- Slice and enjoy or wrap the loaves in foil and leave at room temperature for several weeks to ripen. It’s a fruit cake, so make it ahead of time for ease or enjoy now.