Colston Buns
A Sweet Treat from Merry Ol’ England
Every region has its specialty. In Minnesota (where I’m from) wild rice is the thing, namely in wild rice soup. Yum! Perfect for this time of year.
It’s no different in England. Each region has particular foods that are common for the area. My next release, Lost in Darkness, is set in Bristol, which is known for Colston buns.
A Colston bun is a sweet bread made with yeast and flavored with currants, candied peels, and sweet spices. These treats are of Bristol origin, named after a local merchant—Edward Colston—who created the recipe. There are two sizes of these buns: “dinner plate” which has eight wedge marks to be split apart, and “ha’penny staver,” an individual bun to stave off hunger.
They’re a little putzy to make, if you ask me, but if you’re up to the challenge here is a recipe.
In my upcoming novel, I named a character after this yummy treat. Mrs. Bap (a play on words because a bap is a soft bread roll dusted with flour and eaten for breakfast) is known for her Colston buns before she fell on hard times. She’s a dear old lady who hero Graham Lambert gets quite attached to…and you just might as well!
Be sure to join me for fun and prizes at the Lost in Darkness Facebook Launch Party on Monday, November 1 from 7-8 pm central.
You don’t have to wait, though. You can get your copy of Lost in Darkness today, an enchanting Regency-era gothic romance intertwined with inspiration from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Or you can try your hand at winning a copy on this Rafflecopter.