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Bonnag Recipes

by isleofman.com 31st May 2022

Isle of Man - Cuisine - 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.

 


 

  Back to Isle of Man Cuisine

Posted by Yabsta
31st May 2022 4:26 am.
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