Ceccles cakes recipe

Edd Kimber fills his eccles cakes with a spiced fruit and curd mixture

Edd Kimber: "My mum is from Lancashire and my dad is from Yorkshire, so this recipe, an idea given to me by the chocolatier, Paul A. Young, is perfectly apt. It blends elements of the traditional Yorkshire curd tart and Lancashire Eccles cakes into something I’m calling Ceccles Cakes: a flaky pastry filled with a spiced fruit-and-curd mixture."

Makes 6

• 2 pints whole milk
• 2 tablespoons vegetarian rennet
• 1kg homemade flaky pastry or shop-bought puff pastry
• Flour, for dusting
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• Caster sugar, for sprinkling

For the filling

• 60g butter
• 125g soft brown sugar
• 175g currants
• ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground mixed spice

1. The night before you want to make the cakes, put the milk in a medium pan and set over medium heat, then bring to 37°C (lukewarm). Remove from the heat and stir in the rennet, then set aside for 1 hour. Line a fine sieve with muslin set over a large bowl.

2. Break up the curds a little and pour into the prepared sieve. Leave to drain overnight. Discard the liquid and retain the curds left in the sieve. To make the filling, melt the butter and sugar in a small pan over medium heat, then stir in the fruit and spices and allow to cool before using. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan oven) gas mark 6 and line a baking tray with baking parchment.

3. Roll out the chilled pastry on a floured work surface to about 2–3mm thick, and cut out six rounds about 20cm in diameter. Divide the curds among the pastry rounds, leaving a 5cm border all around the curds. Top with the fruit mixture and fold the pastry border up and over the filling. Use a little water to seal the pastry.

4. Turn the cakes seal side down and use a sharp knife to pierce vent holes on top of each one. Brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle with a thin layer of caster sugar, then bake for 25–30 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.