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Eccles cakes
Flaky pastry rounds packed with spiced currants
BritishFrom the town of Eccles near Manchester, these flat pastry cakes are filled with butter-soaked currants and peel, slashed three times on top and baked until sugary and crackly. Lancashire people eat them with a slice of crumbly Lancashire cheese, the sweet and salty pairing locals swear by. Chef's tip: chill the filled cakes for 20 minutes before baking, so the pastry stays flaky and the filling doesn't leak.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb puff pastry
- 1 ¾ oz buttermelted
- 2 ⅝ oz dark muscovado sugar
- 7 oz currants
- 1 oz mixed peel
- ½ tsp grated nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- 1 egg whitelightly beaten
- 2 tbsp demerara sugar
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix the 1 ¾ oz butter, 2 ⅝ oz dark muscovado sugar, 7 oz currants, 1 oz mixed peel, ½ tsp grated nutmeg and ½ tsp ground allspice and leave to cool.
5 minStep 2: Roll the 1 ⅛ lb puff pastry 3 mm thick and cut twelve 10 cm rounds.
5 minStep 3: Put a heaped tablespoon of filling in the centre of each, gather the edges over the top and pinch to seal.
10 minStep 4: Turn them over, roll gently with a pin to flatten until the currants just show through, and cut three short slits in the top. Chill for 20 minutes. Heat the oven to 425°F (400°F fan).
25 minStep 5: Brush with 1 egg white and sprinkle thickly with 2 tbsp demerara sugar.
2 minStep 6: Bake for 15–20 minutes until puffed, crisp and deep golden. A common mistake is serving them straight out of the oven; the filling is molten, so cool 10 minutes. Serve warm or cold, with Lancashire cheese if you like.
20 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 270 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does eccles cakes take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of dark muscovado sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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