A couple of weeks ago I did try the Black Bun(currant loaf) recipe that Tobus kindly linked. It's now resting quietly and maturing. I'll report on how it came out after the holidays.

As Tobus did, I also felt that I should add more liquid than the recipe called for.

A thought on "traditional" recipes: It's good to remember that versions of these foods were being enjoyed long before uniform ingredients, standard measures, or calibrated ovens. Old cookbooks give general outlines for dishes, not precise formulas. Cooks made the best of what they had. The "that seems about right" approach is probably MORE authentic than following someone's recipe down to the last quarter-teaspoon.