Eccles Cakes with Spiced Currants and a Sugared Top

What you need

• 150 g (1 cup) dried currants
• 40 g (3 tbsp) butter, melted
• 40 g (3 tbsp) light brown sugar
• 1 tsp finely grated orange zest
• 1/2 tsp mixed spice, or a mix of cinnamon, ginger and cloves
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 375 g (13 oz) all-butter puff pastry, chilled
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• 2 tbsp demerara sugar
• flour, for dusting

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Put the currants in a bowl, cover with hot water and leave for 10 min until plump. Drain well and pat dry.

2. 2

   Heat the oven to 190 °C (375 °F) and line two baking trays with baking paper.

3. 3

   Stir the currants with the melted butter, brown sugar, orange zest, mixed spice and nutmeg until every currant is coated.

4. 4

   Dust the work surface with flour and roll the pastry out to about 3 mm (1/8 in) thick. Cut 8 rounds about 11 cm (4 1/2 in) wide, re-rolling the scraps once if needed.

5. 5

   Put a heaped tablespoon of filling in the centre of each round. Brush the edge with water.

6. 6

   Gather the edges up over the filling and pinch them together firmly, like a small purse.

7. 7

   Turn each cake seam side down and press it gently with a rolling pin into a flat disc about 8 cm (3 in) across, until a few currants show through.

8. 8

   Set the cakes on the trays, brush the tops with egg white and sprinkle with demerara sugar. Cut three short slashes in each top.

9. 9

   Bake until deep golden and crisp, 25-30 min.

10. 10

    Cool on a rack for at least 10 min, because the sugary filling is very hot. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Imported from gourmettraveller.com.au. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.