Holiday Recipes
             Black Bun        
          Dundee Cake         
            Howtowdie

BLACK BUN
Black bun is an extremely rich cake that Scots the world over hanker for at Hogmanay. It should be made a few weeks before the New Year and kept in an air-tight tin.

Pastry:
2 cups plain flour
6 oz. butter   
1 tsp. baking powder                  
a pinch of salt                          
water

Sift the flour with the salt, rub in the butter. Stir in the baking powder and enough water to make a firm dough.  Roll out very thinly and line a greased 9" square cake tin, reserving enough pastry to cover the top.

Fruit Mixture:
1 lb. currants.                       1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 lb. raisins                           a pinch of salt
1 lb. sultanas                        1/2 tsp. pepper
4 oz. chopped peel                1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
4 oz. butter                           1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 oz. sugar                           1 1/2 tsp. mixed spice
3 eggs                                  1/2 tsp. ginger
1 cup plain flour                     1/2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. cream of tartar              2 oz. chopped almonds

Cream together butter and sugar.  Beat in eggs, one at a time. Sieve flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt into the mixture.  Add spices, floured fruit and chopped almonds.  Mix well. Fill the pastry-lined tin with the mixture, place pastry on top.

Moisten edges and press together.  Crimp edges.  Bake slowly for 3 hours at 300 degrees.

DUNDEE CAKE
Dundee Cake is used at Christmas time and can be made ahead of time and kept in an air-tight tin. 

1 1/2 lbs. mixed fruit (currants, sultanas and raisins)
6 oz. mixed peel
8 oz. self-raising flour
8 oz. butter.
8 oz. sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice.
pinch of salt.
3 oz. blanched almonds.

Grease and line an 8" cake tin.  Prepare fruit and chop peel. Sieve the flour and salt. Cream butter and sugar and beat in one egg at a time.  Mix in the flour, fruit, peel, lemon juice and 1 oz. of chopped, blanched almonds.  Put mixture into cake tin. Arrange remaining almonds on top and bake in a moderate oven for 2 hours or until firm to the touch.

A small amount of Brandy or Whisky can be added to the cake after it is baked by using a tooth pick on the bottom of the cake and drizzling the liquid over it.  This can be repeated every two to three days.

 3 lb whole broiler chicken
 6 medium onions cut in half
 1/4 cup margarine or butter, melted
 Stuffing:
 1 large onion chopped finely
 1/4 cup margarine
 1 cup regular rolled oats
 1 tablespoon Salt
 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
 1/2 teaspoon Pepper
 1/8 teaspoon grated Nutmeg

Stuffing: Sauté onion in margarine in a large skillet using medium heat, stir   until browned. Add remaining stuffing ingredients, cook while stirring until oats are golden brown and crispy, few a few minutes.

Chicken: Fill the neck cavity with stuffing. Skewer the neck skin to the back. Fold the wings across the back with the tips touching. Fill the body caving with stuffing, do not pack as the stuffing will expand while cooking. Place chicken, breast side up, in a shallow roasting pan and arrange cut onions around the bird. Baste the chicken and onions with the melted margarine and roast uncovered in 375 degree oven. Baste during the baking with the remaining margarine often until done--about 1 1/2 hours.