Eccles Cakes

Ingredients

• 320g all-butter puff pastry, chilled
• 150g dried currants
• 40g mixed candied citrus peel
• 60g light brown sugar
• 30g unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp ground mixed spice
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• 2 tbsp demerara sugar

Before you cook

• Soak the currants in just-boiled water with the lemon zest for 10 minutes, then drain well and pat dry.
• Stir the drained currants with the melted butter, brown sugar, mixed spice, and candied peel in a bowl.
• Roll the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to about 3mm thick and cut into six 14cm circles.
• Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).

Steps

1. Place a heaped tablespoon of the currant filling in the center of each pastry circle.
2. Gather the edges of each circle up and over the filling and pinch them together to seal into a purse.
3. Turn each sealed purse over so the seam sits underneath, then flatten it gently with your palm into a round about 1cm thick.
4. Cut three short slashes across the top of each cake with a sharp knife.
5. Brush the top of each cake with the beaten egg white.
6. Sprinkle the tops generously with demerara sugar.
7. Transfer the cakes to a parchment-lined baking tray, spaced apart.
8. Bake for 20 minutes, until the pastry is dark golden brown and the currants show through the slashes.
9. Let the cakes cool on the tray for 10 minutes before serving.