A cake from Eccles (Eccles Cakes)

Member Name: mumsymary

Product:	Eccles Cakes
Date:	13/09/07 (172 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: My husband likes them

Disadvantages: FATTENING

Eccles cakes.
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I was thinking about the history behind little some of our traditional cakes and thought I would tell you about Eccles cakes.
I have often purchased these traditional cakes in many bakers all over England. Eccles cakes are named after the market town of Eccles in Salford near Manchester.


History.
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I have researched a little and discovered no one heard of this cake before 1785 when James Birch had a bakers shop it is not sure when the first Eccles cake was sold there but it was sometime between 1785 and 1800.
It is suspected that the recipe for “sweet patties” that is in the cookery book, the experienced housekeeper written by: Mrs Elizabeth Raffald’s of Cheshire in 1759 is where the original recipe came from


You’ve never had an Eccles cake! Well let me tell you what they are.
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An Eccles cake is a small round cake somewhere between 5 and 8cm diameter made of puff pastry these cakes can also be made with flaky pastry. This is essentially one circle of puff pasty with a mixture of currant’s mixed spices or either cinnamon or nutmeg. Some butter and some orange or mixed peel. The edges of the circle of pastry are pulled together to meet on top of the currants or another circle of pastry is put on top of the currant mix and then glazed with egg white and topped with sugar.


Recipes.
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These Eccles cakes are another of my husbands passions (personally I prefer a Chelsea bun ) I have made them a few times (way to a mans heart is through his stomach isn’t it ladies)
There are recipies available on line at http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes /eccles-cakes ,1737,RC.html or http://www.retrofoodrecipes .com/eccles_ cakes.html a visual recipe is at http://visualrecipes.com /recipe -details/recipe_ id/170 /Citrus-Eccles-Cakes/.

On line you can buy a pack of 4 real Lancashire Eccles cakes for £1.64p at http://www.britishcornershop.co.uk /britishfood .asp?id=CC0014. From your local bakers I think you can buy them for about 70p each


National Eccles cake day.
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I am informed by the BBC website http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/content/ articles/2004/10/18/eccles_cake_facts_feature.shtm l that Friday 29th October has been designated a national Eccles cake day! Listen to GMR radio between6.30 and 9.00 am for an article about these cakes. If you fancy trying a real Eccles cake go to the Eccles Library where there will be some available for tasting.
Apparently people are not buying /eating as many Eccles cakes as they were

Summary: A small cake made from flakey or puff pastry with a spicy currant filling