Eccles Cake

This cake takes its name from the town of Eccles, England.

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons salt
1 1/3 cups shortening
About 12 tablespoon water
1 cup currants
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine

For pie crust, mix flour and salt, cut in shortening until size
of small peas*.
Add water gradually as needed.
Mold into one ball,
reserving small amount for patches.
Flatten pie crust with hands
until about the size of a pie.
Put currants in a pile in the center
of the pie crust.
Top with sugar.
Dot with pieces of margarine.

Fold sides and ends of pie crust into the middle to form a ball
again.
Roll out carefully with rolling pin, using reserved pie
crust to patch areas where ingredients poke through, until 1/4 inch
thick throughout.
Roll dough out on top of generously floured brown
paper, cut from a brown paper bag, for ease of handling.
Transfer
to cookie sheet (brown paper and all!).
Bake at 375 degrees F for
25 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned and bubbling.
Cut
immediately upon removing from oven into squares.

* Baker’s hint: You can mix the flour, salt and shortening in
bulk and store in a tightly covered container in refrigerator.
When
you want to use it, scoop out 4 cups to make Eccles cake.
You will
also be prepared to make pies.

Eccles Cakes

Frozen flaky pastry
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 cup currants
2 tablespoons mixed candied peel, chopped
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of allspice
1 beaten egg white
Sugar to sprinkle

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Stir sugar into melted butter.
Add currants, peel, nutmeg and
allspice.

Roll out pastry very thinly and cut 6-inch rounds, using a
saucer.
Heap filling in the middle of each round.
(Makes about 8 to
10 cakes - divide the filling between them.) Dampen the edges, draw
up the pastry over the filling, pinch together, turn over and
flatten with rolling pin until a few currants just show through.
Make 3 small cuts on top of each cake.
Brush with egg white and
sprinkle with sugar.

Place on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until
golden.