Once upon a time, a
long, long time ago, in Lancashire in Merry Old England, in the tiny
village of “Eccles” (which means “church”), there lived a very, very
good baker. This baker created a current-filled pastry to be served on
religious feast days.
So rich and delicious, these
Eccles cakes had to be secretly pagan — or so thought the Puritans —
who banned Eccles cakes in 1653! Bake or eat an Eccles cake and you’d
be tossed in jail!
So, this recipe is perfect, sinfully perfect, for today’s TEA Party!
Bake up some Eccles cakes and enjoy them with a cuppa tea, while pondering a few great truths:
1)There will always be people out there with silly opinions;
2)People with silly opinions will gravitate towards those with power and too much time on their hands;
4)Today, Eccles cakes are legal and just as sinfully delicious as they were in 1653 when they were banned!
Raise a cuppa and toast the baker — and those who repealed what has to be one of the silliest laws of all time!
Here’s the recipe!
Roll out 1/2 sheet of puff pastry on a floured board. If you’re not used to working with pastry, sprinkle flour between two pieces of waxed paper and roll out. Roll out 1/2 sheet of puff pastry on a floured board. If you’re not used to working with pastry, sprinkle flour between two pieces of waxed paper and roll out. Place a generous heap of the current/sugar mix in the center. Pleat the edges of the round into a pouch. Should look like a dumpling. Pleated side down, roll until very thin and currents can be seen through the pastry. Brush with egg. Slice through top three times for the Holy Trinity! Place on parchment-lined sheet and sprinkle with more sugar. Cool the pastry in the fridge for 5 to 10 minutes before baking. Bake at 400 for 15 to 20 minutes until golden. Say a prayer for your soul!