Name: English Eccles Cake
Yield: Yields 6-8 servings
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 cup dried currants; 2 tablespoons candied mixed fruit peel, chopped; 1/2 cup white sugar, plus extra for decoration; 1/2 cup dark brown sugar; 1/2 teaspoon allspice; 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg; 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/2 (17.5-ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed; 1/4 cup whole milk; 1 large egg, beaten

It's likely that Mrs. Hughes and Mr. Carson were raised on this popular Victorian dessert, and Mrs. Patmore would have no problem reintroducing this to her staff. It's likely that, when enjoying this dish, Mrs. Hughes and Mr. Carson, usually so stoic, would experience intense nostalgia for their childhoods. Of course, they'd be careful to shield their intense feelings from the rest of the staff!

Times Gone By

English Eccles Cake is named for the town of Eccles in Lancashire, and was a popular pastry in the seventeenth century. However, these cakes were banned—along with mince pies—by the Puritans in 1650. In fact, Oliver Cromwell decreed in an act of Parliament that anyone found eating a currant pie would be imprisoned. Luckily, by the time of the Restoration, the cakes were once again popular.

Recipe notes

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