Eccles Cake
This cake takes its name from the town of Eccles, England.
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 1/3 cups shortening
- About 12 tablespoons water
- 1 cup currants
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
Instructions
- 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 butter.
- 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.