Whistlers Mothers Bunns
From sitbynellie 15 years ago
- 25 minutes to make
- Serves 30
One of my most treasured possessions is a little book given to me by my co-workers (including a dear friend now long passed away), for a birthday long ago. Entitled ‘Whistler’s Mother’s Cook Book’, it contains, as well as an excellent biography of James Abbott McNeill Whistler, excerpts and recipes from his mother’s hand-written recipe book. Read more (Yes, she’s the lady in the famous painting!) The editor, Margaret MacDonald, has also modified and updated the recipes with exact quantities and instructions, so that we can try them! I could not resist the title of this one. Mrs Whistler’s version is first, followed by the modern version. These are sweet, light, golden buns, good either plain or with butter. See less
Ingredients
- ‘Bunns’ shopping list
- ‘One pound and a half of flour (a quarter pound of which left to sift in last) half pound butter cut up fine together, 4 eggs beat to a high froth. 4 tea cups milk half wine glass brandy stir it all together with a knife and add ½ pound of sugar then sift in the quarter pound of flour and when the lumps are all beaten set them to rise in the pans they are baked in.’ shopping list
- - shopping list
- ‘Whistler’s Mother’s Buns’ shopping list
- 6 cups flour shopping list
- 1 cup butter shopping list
- 1 packet baker’s yeast shopping list
- 1 cup sugar shopping list
- 3 cups warm milk shopping list
- 4 eggs shopping list
- ¼ cup brandy shopping list
How to make it
- Preheat oven to 400F/200C/Gas Mark 6.
- Sift 5 cups of the flour into a bowl.
- Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or rounded knife until the mixture is like fine breadcrumbs.
- Cream the yeast with 1 tsp. of the sugar and all of the warm milk.
- Leave the yeast mixture in a warm place for 10-15 minutes until it is frothy.
- Beat the eggs until they are creamy.
- Make a ‘well’ in the flour/butter mix, and pour in the eggs, yeast mix and the brandy.
- Mix thoroughly with a rounded knife.
- Beat in the remaining sugar.
- Sift the remaining flour over the top.
- Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and leave for about 5 minutes until the yeast has bubbled up through the flour.
- Mix everything to a stiff batter and beat well.
- Butter some bun tins, 2 ½ inches across and 1 inch deep.
- Fill them two-thirds full with the mixture, and leave them in a warm place until the mixture has risen to the tops of the moulds.
- Bake for 25 minutes and turn them onto wire racks to cool.
The Rating
Reviewed by 8 people-
Wonderful and love the story too!
mystic_river1
in Bradenton loved it
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Always up for an excellent post. Hi-5 and my thanks for sharing.
JJ
theoldprof
in Belleville loved it
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wonderful post!
midgelet
in Whereabouts loved it
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