Eccles Cakes

Eccles cakes?  Not something you see a lot of these days, unless you make them yourself.  What are they, you ask?  Eccles cakes - little pastries stuffed with a mix of currants and mixed peel - originated in the town of Eccles in England, and traditionally are served with cheese.  Cheese?  Mm, maybe another time.  That does remind me of my Scottish friend though, who eats apple pie with cheese!  

And I rather fear that currants and mixed peel have gone out of fashion, except in Christmas cakes.  But in saying that, I do have rather a lot of dried fruit in my pantry at the moment.  Must use up all those currants and sultanas ...

This is a recipe (yes, for Cookbook Club) from the delightful book Tried Tested and True by Liz Harfull.  This is a collection of recipes from Australian community cookbooks (my fave kind!), put together by Liz, and including delightful old photos.  This book is a real treasure!     

fruity, oozy, crispy, sugary bliss

Makes 18-19 wee pastries:

ingredients:

30g./1 big oz butter

30g./1 big oz dark brown sugar

90g./3 biiig oz currants

60g./2 biiig oz mixed peel/candied peel

1 tsp ground nutmeg - more? less? up to you    see Notes

2 sheets butter puff pastry  - yes butter puff is the best!

a little milk, to glaze the tops

2 Tbs sugar

Method:

On goes your oven to 200C/400F

Grab a couple of baking trays and line with baking paper

Butter and sugar go into a small saucepan over medium heat; stir till butter melted and sugar dissolved

Then stir in the currants, mixed peel and nutmeg, and let it cool off the heat

Cut the pastry into rounds (I used a mug) of 8cm/3.2 inch diameter

Place a teaspoonful of filling into each disc (you really don't need too much filling 'cos you don't want it to ooze everywhere)

Wet the edges of the pastry and bring the pastry over the filling

Pinch them together well, turn 'em over and pat them into lovely rounds

On to the trays they go, and pat gently to flatten slightly till you can just see the filling thru the pastry (but not breaking thru)

Brush with the milk (or an eggwash), sprinkle with sugar and make a couple (or 3) slashes on top of each with a small, sharp knife

Bake for 10-12 minutes, or till golden, and then let 'em cool on a wire rack

Store in an airtight container for a few days

Notes:

Liz suggests using fresh nutmeg, and grinding into the saucepan with the currants and mixed peel

cutting out the rounds of puff pastry

and another tray to go

fill and seal and flip and pat

pat 'em down

oops this should be the later photo!  all milky and sugary

so cute

so delicious

they did not last long!

c. Sherry M.