Eccles Cakes

Prep Time: 45min

Cook time: 15-20 min

Serves: 8

Description
Baked originally at Eccks in Lancashire, but now available countrywide, these cakes are pastries with a sweet spicy mixture enclosed in a puff pastry case. They should have a shiny coating and are best eaten warm.

Each crisp round, glazed with egg white and sugar, is crammed with fruity filling.

Ingredients

 * 25 g (1 oz) butter
 * 100 g (4 oz) currants
 * 25 g (1 oz) chopped mixed peel
 * 50 g (2 oz) demerara sugar
 * 2.5 ml (½ tsp) ground mixed spice
 * 212 g (7½ oz) packet frozen puff pastry, thawed
 * 1 egg white
 * caster sugar for sprinkling

Directions

 * 1) Melt the butter in a saucepan, then stir in the currants, peel, sugar and spice and mix thoroughly together.
 * 2) On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry very thinly and cut out eight 12.5 cm (5 inch) circles using a saucer as a guide.
 * 3) Divide the fruit mixture between the circles, damp the edges of the pastry and draw them to the centre, sealing well together.
 * 4) Turn the cakes over and roll gently into circles with a rolling pin.
 * 5) Brush with egg white and sprinkle with caster sugar.
 * 6) Make 3 diagonal cuts across the top of each.
 * 7) Place on dampened baking sheets and bake at 220°C (425°F) mark 7 for about 15 minutes, until light golden brown.
 * 8) Eccles cakes are best eaten while still slightly warm.