Eccles Cakes

Accessentertainment Index Eating In Index

To serve eight persons you need:
1 rolling pin or a milk bottle if they still exist where you live
12ozs (336g) flaky pastry (bought, or see my flaky pastry recipe)
2ozs (56g) margarine
3ozs (84g) sultanas
2ozs (56g) caster sugar
1 egg beaten (not killed)

What you do is:

  • Roll out the flaky pastry to about ¼ inch (5ml) thickness.
  • Use a saucer to cut out eight circles.
  • Very gently heat the margarine in a saucepean.
  • Remove the margarine from the heat adding the sultanas and the sugar.
  • Place spoonfuls of the filling in the centres of each of the pastry circles, slightly moisten the edges with a little of the beaten egg.
  • Draw both sides of the pastry circles together (pasty style).
  • Carefully push down on the joined edges so the cakes flatten, roll this a bit until you can just see the filling below the surface of the pastry (gently does it) brush the tops with the remainder of the beaten (not killed) eggs.
  • Make three quite deep cuts across the surface of each cake (but don’t allow your knife to penetrate into the filling or it will ooze out during cooking (I know the river "Ouse" is notorious for bursting its banks but that's no reason to emulate it in the kitchen.
  • Place the cakes on a greased baking tray. Bake in a pr-heated oven at 200°C for 15 minutes on the middle shelf. (Fan ovens set to 190°C for the same amount of time).
  • Turn out onto a wire grid when cooked.