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Eccles Cakes

A classic British treat, this lovely buttery pastry is filled with dried currants, sultanas, cloves, lemon and orange zests and brandy.  Fragrant and perfect with coffee.  Or think outside the box and see these on a cheese board- they go amazingly with blue cheese!

Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 7 tbsp butter (100g)
  • 1 dried bay leaf discard the middle stem and crush the leaf into small pieces.
  • 1 star anise
  • 1/2 nutmeg grated
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 1 1/2 cups currants (250 g)
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins (75 g)
  • zest from 2 lemons juice one of the lemons
  • zest from 2 oranges
  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar (75 g) alternatively you can use granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp brandy
  • 26 oz puff pastry (750 g) defrosted in the fridge
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 2 tbsp raw or demerara sugar for sprinkling on the pastries

Instructions

  1. Make the filling:

    Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium low heat.  Add the bay leaf, star anise, nutmeg and cloves.  Allow to steep for 5 minutes or so.

    Add the currants, raisins, lemon zest, lemon juice, orange zest and brown sugar.  Allow everything to steep over very low heat for about 15 minutes.  Stir occasionally to keep anything from burning at the bottom.  Remove from the heat.

    Stir in the brandy and let it cool.  Can even be left in the fridge overnight to allow the flavours to meld.

  2. Preheat the oven to 400F (200C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

    If you are using store bought puff pastry that comes in sheets, stack the separated sheets on top of each other and roll into one slab.

    Divide the slab into three portions. Return two of the sections to the fridge while you work with the third one.

    Roll it 1/8 inch thickness on a flour dusted counter.

  3. Using a 3 inch (8 cm) round cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out circles.

    Place a small heap of filling (about 3/4 of a tbsp) in the middle of each circle.

    Fold the edges in around the filling to meet and pinch.  Then fold the two tips inward as well and press them down.

    Turn the pastry over, with the seam side underneath, smooth side up.  Gently roll over the pastry with your rolling pin, until a flat , even and nicely round pastry lies in front of you.  Don't press too hard or else some of the filling may push through the pastry.

    Use a sharp knife to make three parallel cuts across the top.  These vents will ensure that your pastry becomes nice and crispy.

    Do all of this quickly.  You'll get into a rhythm.  Store the made ones back int he fridge while you continue with the other two sections of the pastry.

  4. Set the finished pastries about 1-2 inches apart on the baking sheet.

    Brush with egg and sprinkle with sugar.

    Bake for about 20 minutes, until crisp and golden brown.  Set finished ones on a cooling rack (don't try eating them too soon- the filling is quite hot!)

    Continue until all pastries have been baked off.

Recipe Notes

These are lovely with coffee or tea, the traditional way to serve them.

But the mincemeat filling is the perfect contrast to a lovely creamy blue cheese or sharp pecorino.  So why not offer these on your next cheese board.  Perfect for a winter spread.

These are best eaten warm.  If you are storing them for the day, they can be in a sealed container on the counter.  Then before serving, place them in a toaster oven and bake at 300 for about 5-8 minutes till warmed through.   Don't use a microwave- the puff pastry will not fare well.

If you don't plan to eat them right away, you can bake them for only 15 minutes, and just light brown.  Then you can freeze them for future use.  Just finish them in a preheated oven at 350F (180F) for 10-15 more minutes.