EASY ECCLES CAKES

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Easy Eccles cakes image

These classic British pastries are filled with currants, citrus peel, lemon and spice. Try our foolproof method for a crispy, sugar-sprinkled finish

Provided by Sarah Cook

Categories     Dessert, Treat

Time 1h12m

Yield Makes 6

Number Of Ingredients 11

50g butter
100g light muscovado sugar
175g currant
50g mixed peel
zest 2 lemons
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 pinches ground cloves
1 egg white
2 tbsp granulated sugar , for sprinkling
175g butter , in one block
225g plain flour

Steps:

  • The night before, wrap the butter for the pastry in foil and freeze.
  • The following day, tip your flour into a big bowl with 2 pinches of salt. Hold the butter block in the foil (peeling back a little at a time as you need), then coarsely grate straight into the bowl of flour, dipping the end of the butter into the flour every so often - this helps to stop all the butter clumping together. Use a round-bladed palette or cutlery knife, and lightly stir together. Stir in about 125ml cold water to bring the dough together. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 mins.
  • To make the filling, melt the 50g butter, then mix in the muscovado sugar, currants, mixed peel, zest and spices. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
  • Roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a 20p piece. Use a 15cm cutter to stamp out 6 rounds, re-rolling the trimmings if necessary. Divide the filling equally and place in the middle of each round, then brush the edges with a bit of water. Pull up the edges all around each one and pinch to seal.
  • Turn over the cakes so the seam is underneath, and lightly roll with a floured rolling pin to a flat-ish round. Re-shape to a neat round. Whisk the egg white with a fork until frothy. Use a pastry brush to brush it over the tops of the Eccles cakes, then sprinkle heavily with sugar. Slash the top of each cake 2-3 times to allow the steam to escape. Put on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 mins until golden and crisp.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 514 calories, Fat 16 grams fat, SaturatedFat 7 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 88 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 48 grams sugar, Fiber 4 grams fiber, Protein 7 grams protein, Sodium 0.5 milligram of sodium

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