Eccles Cakes

Eccles cakes are generally larger in circumference and flatter than these, but these were made for a Cinderella tea party....and tiny little mice were coming.

The following recipe for the English 'tea cake' known as Eccles Cake was taken from the Unofficial Downtown Abbey Cookbook by Emily Ansara Baines. Notwithstanding the very funny review of this cookbook that follows, this recipe works for the most part, although I have modified it slightly and have always ended up with about twice too much filling to fit into the available pastry. So, I've simply frozen the extra filling and used it to flavour other desserts such as Apple Crisp. 

 

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup dried currants
• 2 tablespoons candied mixed fruit peel, chopped
• 1/2 cup white sugar, plus extra for decoration
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 package of frozen puff pastry, thawed
• a little milk
• 1 beaten egg

Instructions:

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in currants, fruit peel, white sugar, brown sugar, allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Mix thoroughly until the fruit is well coated. Remove the mixture from the heat and let it cool. 

Preheat oven to 400°F, then thoroughly grease a large baking sheet and cover it with parchment paper.

Roll out thawed pastry on a clean, lightly-floured surface until it is about an 1/8-inch thick. Cut out eight circles, each roughly 5 inches in diameter. Place a reasonable amount of currant mixture within each circle, then moisten edges of the pastries with a little bit of milk, fold together, and pinch to seal. Then turn these 'pastry packets' upside down onto the baking sheet and carefully roll out to make a wider and flatter pastry. Be careful not to break the dough.

Brush the 'cakes' with beaten egg, then sprinkle with white sugar. Make three parallel cuts across the top of each cake. Bake the pastries in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and sprinkle with a little more sugar.

The Eccles Cakes have been placed on the tea table.

 

 

And now for a very funny review of the 'Unofficial Downtown Abbey Cookbook'....

 

'Do Not Attempt These Recipes at Home'

By Trerantay

"This book was a gift.

Notwithstanding the cutesy chirps introducing the recipes, e.g., Lady Mary would "... enjoy this soup while in the midst of a fiery debate with Matthew," (yeah, right), anyone who cooks beyond the microwave will find at least four inexcusable errors in the first 60 pages. This does not inspire confidence in the remaining 182:

-"Smoked Salmon Mousse," where no smoked salmon is called for
-"Velvety Cream of Mushroom Soup" informs us that Georges Auguste Escoffier is recognized "... as the finest master chef of the twenty-first century ..." Escoffier died at age 88 on 12 February 1935 having predeceased the 21st Century by 66 years
-"Mrs. Patmore's Particular," calls for 6 cups of ham stock from boiling one ham hock, and further stretches our credulity by suggesting it might be too spicy, and if so we can "... distill [sic?] with some water"
-"Lobster Thermidor" serves 4. You need to keep this in mind. Ms Baines' recipe calls for green beans with onion and bacon as a bed for the Thermidor; so far so good. The "bed" is prepared with 1-pound of bacon, 2 cups of "julienned" onions, and ½ cup green beans. Per serving you can expect: ¼ lb. bacon (plus drippings!), and two green beans. The onions are the challenge, here. Julienned? Really? Could we see a demo, please?

The publisher, Adams Media, should be held responsible for the typos and research errors. The proof reader was either sick that day or smoking something - but not, obviously, the salmon. Ms Baines, on the other hand, should be held responsible for her cynical opportunism. "Downtown Abbey" fans deserve better. Go write a "Sons of Anarchy" cookbook, dear."