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Spiced rum and raisin Eccles cakes
Makes 12-14 Cakes, Bread and Pastries
Ingredients
- 500g ready-made puff pastry
- plain flour, to dust
- 1 egg, lightly beaten, to glaze
- granulated sugar, to sprinkle
For the filling
- 50g unsalted butter
- 250g raisins
- finely grated zest 2 limes or 1 orange
- 80g soft light brown sugar
- 1tsp ground cinnamon
- 1tsp ground ginger
- 1tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2tsp allspice
- good pinch ground cloves
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- 1tbsp black treacle or molasses
- 4tbsp golden rum
Method
Melt the butter for the filling in a large pan over a low heat. Turn off the heat, add all the other filling ingredients and stir together well. Set aside for at least 1 hour, or ideally overnight, until completely cool and the liquid has been absorbed.
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C F/Gas 6 and line a baking sheet with baking paper. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured worksurface to approx. 3mm thick. Using a 9cm round pastry cutter, stamp out as many circles as possible - you should get 12-14 circles.
Divide the filling evenly among the discs, placing a large spoonful in the middle of each. Using a pastry brush, brush around the edge of each pastry disc with beaten egg. Gather up the edges of each disc and bring them together to create a parcel. Press the pastry together well at the top to seal, then turn each parcel over so the gathered pastry is hidden underneath and you have a nice smooth top. Gently roll each parcel with a rolling pin to flatten slightly, then transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Using a very sharp knife, make three small slits in the top of each to allow the steam to escape and create the classic Eccles cake look. Brush each one with beaten egg, then sprinkle generously with sugar.
Bake for around 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and crisp and the filling is piping hot throughout. Leave to cool a little (the filling will be like molten lava) before serving warm.
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