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Jamaican Easter bun
Bun: dark spiced Easter loaf, eaten with cheese
Every Good Friday, Jamaicans from Kingston to London buy or bake a dark, glossy spiced bun to slice and eat with processed cheese, a tradition that grew out of the British hot cross bun. This quick-bread version is moist and dense with dried fruit, molasses and warm spice; it traditionally uses stout, which contains alcohol, so for an alcohol-free bun use the same amount of malt drink. The commonest mistake is slicing the bun warm, when it is still sticky and crumbles; it needs a day to firm and mellow. Chef's tip: brush the hot loaf with a honey or sugar syrup glaze straight from the oven for the shiny top.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the bun
- 1 ¼ cups stoutor malt drink for alcohol-free
- 7 oz dark brown sugar
- 2 tbsp molasses
- 1 ⅜ oz buttermelted
- 1 eggbeaten
- 9 oz mixed dried fruitraisins, currants and mixed peel
- 2 ⅛ oz glacé cherrieshalved
- 14 oz plain flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the glaze
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp water
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (300°F fan) and line a 900 g loaf tin with baking paper.
Step 2: Warm 1 ¼ cups stout, 7 oz dark brown sugar and 2 tbsp molasses in a pan just until the sugar dissolves. Take off the heat, stir in 9 oz mixed dried fruit and leave for 10 minutes to plump.
10 minStep 3: Stir 1 ⅜ oz butter, 1 egg and 1 tsp vanilla extract into the cooled fruit mixture.
Step 4: In a large bowl mix 14 oz plain flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground nutmeg, 1 tsp ground allspice and ¼ tsp salt. Pour in the wet mixture with 2 ⅛ oz glacé cherries and fold until no dry flour shows. The batter should be thick and heavy.
Step 5: Scrape into the tin and bake for 65–75 minutes, until risen, dark and a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean. Cover loosely with foil after 45 minutes if the top darkens too fast.
70 minStep 6: Meanwhile boil 2 tbsp granulated sugar and 2 tbsp water for 1 minute. Brush over the hot bun as soon as it comes out.
1 minStep 7: Cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then on a rack. Wrap and keep a day before slicing; it keeps for a week. Serve with cheese; processed and cheddar-style cheeses are often made with animal rennet, so choose a vegetarian one if needed.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 70 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does jamaican Easter bun take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 70 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of dark brown sugar?
- White sugar + 1 tbsp molasses or treacle per 200g.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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