Rutland Plum Shuttles

Foodie Tour of Britain: Rutland (Valentine’s Day)

Staying with the theme of ‘the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach’.......  and the County theme, here is a traditional Valentine’s Day recipe from our smallest county.  The Plum Shuttle, a slightly richer than usual yeast-leavened bun, was made by the hand-weavers of the Vale of Belvoir and was baked in the shape of their weaving shuttles. Rutland Plum Shuttles were carried around on Valentine's day to give as a present to the love of your life, should you happen to meet one!

Ingredients (Makes 12)

1lb (450g) plain flour	2oz (50g) butter
½ teaspoon salt	4fl oz (125ml) warm milk
½ tablespoon caster sugar	1 egg (plus some beaten egg for glazing)
2fl oz (50ml) warm water	8oz (225g) currants
½oz (15g) fresh or ½ teaspoon dried yeast

Method:

1. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl.
2. Cream the yeast and sugar together and mix with the water.
3. Leave to stand for 20 mins until frothy.
4. Melt the fat in a pan with the milk and beat in the egg.
5. Add the yeast mixture to the flour and salt and mix in the currants.
6. Mix to a smooth dough and knead well on a floured board.
7. Cover and leave to rise until double in size (usually about 30 mins in a warm place).
8. Knock back and knead again.
9. Divide the dough into 12 pieces and shape into a small oval shape.
10. Place on a greased baking tray and cover with a damp cloth and leave to rise for 30 mins in a warm place.
11. Heat oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.
12. Brush with beaten egg and bake for 25 - 30 minutes. 
13. Cool on a wire rack.

Is there anyone else out there who finds that ‘cooling on a wire rack’ always leads to a decrease in the number of items baked.  I am sure that 12 went on the cooling rack; and yet only 11 when I went back into the kitchen?  My Official Taster tells me that things decrease on cooling.  I didn’t do physics at school so I can’t argue!