Eccles Cakes

Photo: flickr user psd

Ingredients

cup dried currants

cup golden raisins

cup golden brown sugar - (packed)

cup chopped candied orange peel

3 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 sht frozen puff pastry thawed

(half of 17.3-oz package)

1 egg beaten to blend

2 teaspoons sugar

Preparation

Mix first 8 ingredients in medium bowl until well blended. (Filling can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before continuing.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out puff pastry on lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out four 6-inch-diameter rounds. Place filling on half of each round, dividing equally. Brush edges of rounds with beaten egg. Fold pastry over filling, creating semicircle and enclosing filling completely. Press edges firmly to seal. Transfer to heavy large baking sheet. Brush with beaten egg. Sprinkle with sugar.

Bake pastries until deep golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to rack and cool pastries 5 minutes. Using metal spatula, carefully remove pastries from baking sheet. Cool.

This recipe yields 4 servings.

Comments: Michael P. Hooley of San Francisco, California, writes: "While I was in London, I went to Fortnum & Mason and had a delicious currant-filled pastry called an Eccles cake. Would it be possible to get the recipe?"

These sweet pastries are named after the town in Lancashire where they originated.

NOTES : Recipe from the R.S.V.P. column - Fortnum & Mason, London, England