Eccles Cake
Traditional British pastries with a spiced filling of currants and mixed peel in a crispy puff pastry shell. Perfect served with tea or sharp cheese.
Ingredients
- 250 g Butter
- 350 g Wheat flour
- Lemon juice
- 100 ml Ice water
- 25 g Butter
- 200 g Currants
- 50 g Mixed peel
- 100 g Muscovado sugar
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Ground ginger
- 1 tsp Allspice
- Lemon zest
- 1 pcs Egg
- to taste Sugar
Instructions
- Cut the butter into cubes and place in the freezer for several hours until thoroughly hardened. Add flour and half of the chilled butter to a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Pour in the lemon juice and ice water, and pulse until the dough comes together. Add the remaining butter and pulse several times—the dough should contain visible chunks of butter (this ensures flakiness). Transfer to a flour-dusted surface.
- Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 20 × 30 cm. Fold both ends toward the centre, then fold in half. Roll out again and repeat the folding process 3 more times, resting for 15 minutes between folds. After the final fold, refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan, remove from heat, and stir together with the currants, mixed peel, sugar, spices, and lemon zest until well combined. The filling is now ready.
- Roll out the chilled dough to a thickness slightly thicker than a coin and cut out 8 circles approximately 12 cm in diameter. Any scraps can be collected and reused. Place a tablespoon of filling in the centre of each circle, moisten the edges with water, gather the dough around the filling and press firmly to seal. Turn over so the smooth side is on top and press gently. Roll with a rolling pin into an oval until the fruit begins to show through the dough. Place on a baking tray.
- Make two small slits on the top of each cake. Brush generously with egg white and sprinkle generously with sugar.
- Preheat the oven to 220 °C. Bake the Eccles cakes for 15–20 minutes until golden with a glossy finish. Cool on a rack and serve warm or cold with tea, or if desired, with sharp cheese (Lancashire or Cheddar).