Bonnag Recipes

For all these recipes we are thankful to Suzanne Daugherty for extracting them from her collection.

Reposted from the Manx Notebook - www.isle-of-man.com

Measures or equivalents

• 1 tsp = 5g or 1/8 oz;
• 1 tbsp = 15g or ½oz
• 4oz = 100g = ½cup (flour)

'BASIC' BONNAG

Ingredients

• 1 lb flour
• 1 oz fat (or 2 oz)
• pinch salt
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• fruit and sugar if liked
• 1 tsp cream of tartar rubbed in with flour and fat

Method

1. Dissolve soda in sour milk
2. Then mix and bake in moderate oven.

'FRUIT' BONNAG

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup currants
• 1 tbsp margarine
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 large tsp mixed spice
• few drops vanilla essence
• cup or more buttermilk

Method

1. Rub butter into flour.
2. Add other dry ingredients.
3. When will mixed, mix with buttermilk.
4. Bake about 1 hour in moderate oven.

'COMMON' BONNAG

Ingredients

• 1 lb plain flour
• 4 oz margarine
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 4 oz sugar
• 4 oz currants

Method

1. Bake in moderate oven 3/4 hour

MRS. KERRUISH'S MANX BUNLOAF

A much richer cake-like recipe, note the addition of eggs which is not mentioned in any earlier recipe.

Ingredients

• 18 oz plain flour
• 2 oz margarine
• 2 oz lard
• 2 oz brown sugar
• 2 oz white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 18 oz currants
• 5 oz sultanas
• 2½ oz peel
• ½ level tsp Cream of Tartar
• ½ level tsp Carbonate of Soda
• 1 teaspoon spice
• Buttermilk to mix

Method

No method given but judging from the ingredients rather like a rich fruit cake:

1. Beat fats and sugar, add eggs
2. sift flour spice and raising ingredients,
3. then add with fruit and cook in a slow oven (150C - probably around 2 hours but needs experimentation).
4. Alternatively, possibly rub fats into sifted flour/spice mix
5. then add eggs, fruit and buttermilk to produce the required dropping consistency

BUN LOAF or SPICE CAKE

Ingredients

• 1 lb Plain Flour
• 8 oz lard
• 8 oz brown sugar
• 8 oz currants
• 8 oz sultanas
• 4 oz mixed peel
• 8 oz raisins
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 2 cups of milk
• 2 tablespoons of black treacle

Method

1. Sieve dry ingredients
2. Rub fat into flour, add fruit, mix treacle with milk, mix to a soft consistency.
3. Turn into greased tin
4. Bake in moderate oven.

SPECIAL BUN LOAF

Ingredients

• 1 lb flour
• 4 oz margarine
• 2 lb mixed fruit
• 8 oz sugar
• 2 tablespoons syrup
• 2 teaspoons spice
• candied peel or marmalade
• 1 dessert bicarbonate of soda

Method

1. Mix with sour milk or buttermilk (dissolve bicarbonate of soda in milk and add to dry ingredients)
2. Bake 2 hours in slow oven

These last two have a different method, and are good and moist. They were attributed to May Green, who used to demonstrate cookery, and s connected to Creer and Creer Ltd.,the Grocers of Buck's Road, Douglas.

BUNLOAF

Ingredients

• 4 oz margarine
• 4 cups fruit
• 4 cups SR flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups water
• 2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
• 2 teaspoons vinegar

Method

1. Put margarine, fruit, sugar and water in pan and boil for 3 minutes.
2. Once cold and add flour
3. Dissolve bicarbonate in the vinegar. Stir together.
4. Bake at 300 deg F for 10 minutes then reduce to 275 deg F for 50 minutes.

Variation

1. As above but add 2 tsp treacle and 2 tsp mixed spice in flour mixture.

BONNAG - THE SUNROSE WAY

Ingredients

• 12 oz Plain Flour
• 4 oz Sugar
• 4 oz Butter or Margarine
• 1 teaspoonful Bi-Carb. Of Soda
• About 4 oz Dried Fruit
• Sour Milk to mix to fairly soft dough (about a good teacupful)

Method

1. Rub fat into flour, add the sugar, then the fruit, add some of the milk in which the Bi-Carbonate of Soda has been mixed.
2. Then add the rest until required consistency is obtained.
3. Put in greased Baking tin and sprinkle sugar on top.
4. Bake in a moderate oven about 45 minutes.

RICH BONNAG

Here is a recipe for Manx Bunloaf, which incidentally came from the 1971 Kathie Webber's International Star Cook Book (TV Times Extra) 1971. It measures up to the hand-down recipes which I have.

Ingredients

• 8 oz plain flour
• pinch of salt
• pinch of mixed spice
• pinch of nutmeg
• 3/4 level teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
• 4 oz butter
• 4 oz soft brown sugar
• 1/2 lb sultanas
• 1/2 lb currants
• 1/4 lb stoned raisins
• 1 oz chopped mixed peel
• 1/2 level tablespoon black treacle
• buttermilk or milk to mix

Method

1. Sift the flour, salt, mixed spice, nutmeg and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl.
2. Rub in the butter until mixture looks like fine bread crumbs.
3. Stir in the sugar, fruit and peel.
4. Add the treacle and mix to a fairly stiff dropping consistency with buttermilk or milk.
5. Turn mixture into a well greased 1 lb loaf tin
6. Bake for 2 1/2 hours in centre of oven, pre-heated to 325 deg.F or Mark 3.
7. Test with a skewer to see if cooked.

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