Eccles Cakes
Traditional British dessert with flaky pastry filled with currants and citrus-spiced filling, baked until golden and best served warm with tea.
Steps
- 1
Prepare the pastry by dicing the butter and chilling it. In a processor, combine half the butter with the flour and pulse to breadcrumbs. Add lemon juice and 100 ml iced water and pulse to a dough. Add the remaining butter and pulse until the dough is flecked with butter, keeping the pastry flaky.
- 2
On a floured surface, roll the pastry to a rectangle about 20 x 30 cm. Fold the ends to the center, fold in half, roll out again, and repeat the folding process three more times, resting at least 15 minutes between folds and chilling for at least 30 minutes before use.
- 3
For the filling, melt butter in a large saucepan, remove from heat and stir in all remaining filling ingredients until completely mixed.
- 4
Roll the pastry to just thicker than a coin, cut eight rounds about 12 cm across, place a heaped tablespoon of filling in the center of each, moisten the edges with water, gather pastry around the filling to seal, and flip to have a smooth top. Flatten each round into an oval so the fruit shows through, place on a baking tray, cut two small slits in each, brush with egg white and sprinkle with sugar.
- 5
Bake at 220°C 220 °C · 428 °F · Gas 7 · High heat (200°C 200 °C · 392 °F · Gas 6 · Medium heat fan) / gas mark 8 for 15-20 minutes until just golden brown and sticky. Cool on a rack and serve warm or cold with tea. Eccles cakes also pair well with a wedge of British cheese such as Lancashire or cheddar.
