Indulge in these delightful British pastries, a perfect blend of sweet currants, zesty lemon, and aromatic spices, all encased in a golden, crispy pastry. The natural goodness of currants and lemon zest add a vibrant twist to this classic treat.
in one block
zest only
for sprinkling
The night before you plan to bake, wrap the 175g block of butter for the pastry in foil and place it in the freezer.
The following day, tip the plain flour into a large bowl with the salt. Take the frozen butter block, peeling back the foil as needed, and coarsely grate it directly into the flour. Periodically dip the end of the butter into the flour to prevent clumping. Use a round-bladed palette or cutlery knife to lightly stir the butter and flour together. Gradually stir in approximately 125ml of cold water until the dough comes together. Wrap the dough in cling film and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
While the pastry chills, prepare the filling. Melt the 50g of butter in a saucepan. Once melted, stir in the light muscovado sugar, currants, mixed peel, lemon zest, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves. Mix until well combined. Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan/Gas Mark 6).
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to the thickness of a 20p coin. Use a 15cm round cutter to stamp out 6 pastry rounds, re-rolling any trimmings if necessary to get all 6 rounds. Divide the prepared filling equally among the centre of each pastry round. Brush the edges of each round with a little water.
Carefully pull up the edges of each pastry round over the filling and pinch them firmly together to seal. Turn the cakes over so the seam is underneath. Lightly roll each cake with a floured rolling pin to flatten it slightly into a round shape. Reshape them to ensure they are neat rounds.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg white with a fork until frothy. Use a pastry brush to generously coat the tops of the Eccles cakes with the frothed egg white, then sprinkle heavily with granulated sugar. Using a sharp knife, make 2-3 slashes on the top of each cake to allow steam to escape during baking. Place the prepared Eccles cakes on a baking sheet.
Bake the Eccles cakes in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until they are golden brown and crisp.
For an extra flaky pastry, ensure your butter is very cold when grating it into the flour.
If you don't have a 15cm cutter, you can use a saucer or a small plate as a template to cut out the rounds.
Eccles cakes are best served warm, but they also keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
For a richer flavour, you can soak the currants in a tablespoon of brandy or rum overnight before adding them to the filling.