This recipe is an adaptation of one in an old Australian recipe book by Jean Bowring. Boston Bun is relatively unknown in the UK, but it’s incredibly easy to make and has a lovely, distinctive texture resulting from an unexpected, but readily available, ingredient.
The magic ingredient is potato. It doesn’t feature in all versions of Boston Bun, but it’s the thing that makes this different from other fruited buns, by giving it a really special texture, which is dense without being heavy.
It looks like a large Swiss bun on the outside, but the taste is best described as being like a cinnamon roll, and the texture is like a light clootie dumpling (a moist, fruited dumpling which is traditional in Scotland).
There is no fat in the bun itself besides the small amount contained in oat milk. The icing – which is important to the overall character of the bun – does contain coconut oil but could probably be adapted to create a fat-free version.
The quantities here will make one 6″ bun or four to six individual buns.
vegan boston bun…
ingredients
- 120 g cooked potato (any variety that you would use for mash)
- 120 ml oat (or other non-dairy) milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 100 g white or light brown sugar
- 180 g white/unbleached self-raising flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 scant teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 100 g sultanas
for the icing
- 20 g coconut oil, melted
- 120 g icing (confectioners’) sugar
- 1 tbsp oat (or other non-dairy) milk
- a few drops of vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp desiccated coconut for sprinkling
method
- Set the oven to 180°C/360°F and line or very lightly oil a 6″ round baking tin (or a tray for individual buns).
- In a blender or processor, blend the cooked potato, milk and vanilla to a smooth puree.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and cinnamon into a good-sized bowl and stir through the sugar and sultanas.
- Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring as you go to create a sticky dough. If it feels unworkable add another tablespoon or two of milk, but it should hold its shape.
- Transfer to the tin and level the top before baking for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on your oven, until it is well risen and a rich brown colour on top.
- For individual buns, scoop or spoon blobs of the dough onto the tray and smooth them as best you can into rounded shapes. They will take less time to cook (around 20-25 minutes).
- For the icing, simply beat the ingredients (except the coconut) together until light and fluffy.
- Once the bun is cool, spread the icing over the top and sprinkle with the coconut.
- It is best to wrap the buns if storing for a day or more, to keep them moist.
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