Scotch Black Bun

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.01

Title: Scotch Black Bun
Categories: Cakes, Christmas, Gift, Fruits
Yield: 20 servings

3/4 lb Unsalted Butter; Chilled, * 1/4 ts Black Pepper; Freshly
Ground
3 3/4 c Unbleached Flour; PLUS 3 c Seedless Raisins
3 1/3 c Unbleached Flour 3 c White Or Golden Raisins
1/2 ts Salt 1/2 c Almonds; Ground
8 tb Ice Water; May Use Up To 10 1 1/2 c Almonds; Coarsely Chopped
1/2 c Sugar 3 Eggs; Lg
1/2 ts Baking Powder 1/2 c Buttermilk or Milk
1 ts Cinnamon 1 c Brandy
1/2 ts Mace 1 Egg;Lg, Beaten
1/8 ts Allspice

* The butter, 3 sticks, should be cut into small pieces.
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In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the butter, 3 3/4 c flour, and 1/4
ts of salt. With your fingers, work the ingredients together until you
form small granules that are fairly uniform in size. Sprinkle 8 tb of the
ice water over the granules and continue mixing until you can gather the
ingredients into a ball. If the dough crumbles, add additional ice water,
1 tb at a time, until a soft ball can be formed. With the flat of your
hand, press the dough into a thick cake, wrap it in plastic wrap, and
refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Prepare the filling by sifting the 3 1/2
cups of flour, the sugar, baking powder, spices, and remaining 1/4 ts of
salt into a large bowl. Add the freshly ground black pepper, seedless and
white or golden raisins, ground and coarsely chopped almonds. Mix
thoroughly until all the fruits and nuts are coated well with the dry
ingredients. Add the 3 eggs, milk, and brandy mixing well. Preheat the
oven to 375 degrees F. and, on a lightly floured surface, roll two-thirds
of the chilled pastry to a thickness of 1/4-inch. Gently place a 9 X 3
1/2-inch springform pan on the pastry. With a small sharp knife,cut along
the outside of the pan to make a disk. Line the bottom of the pan with the
disk of pastry. Use the remaining pieces of rolled-out pasty to line the
sides of the pan, slightly overlapping the pastry on the bottom and letting
the pastry extend about 1/2-inch above the top of the form. Spoon the
filling into the pan, packing it down firmly and press the excess pastry
over the filling. Brush the pastry with a little of the beaten egg. In the
same fashion, roll out the remaining pastry into a circle larger than the
form. Roll the pastry around the rolling pin to lift it and unroll it on
the top of the form. Press the top pastry against the filling and the
pastry below to make a tight seal and trim off the excess. Brush the entire
top with the beaten egg. Cut a 1-inch round vent in the middle of the bun,
and if you like, use the pastry scraps to make leaves. Roll the scraps
together and cut out tear drop shapes to resemble leaves. Score the top,
with a small sharp knife, to resemble the ribs of the leaves. Brush the
undersides of the leaves with the remaining beaten egg to make them adhere
to the top of the bun. Then brush the top again with the beaten egg. Bake
on a rack in the middle of the oven for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the
pastry is a rich golden brown. If the decorations color much faster than
the top sheath of pasty, cover them with aluminum foil to reflect the oven
heat and retard the browning.

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