Vegan Eccles Cakes

Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the cold vegan butter cubes and press each piece flat between your fingers to create shaggy, pea-sized flakes coated in flour — do not rub to a breadcrumb texture. Drizzle in the ice-cold water tablespoon by tablespoon, folding with a butter knife until the dough just comes together in rough, shaggy clumps.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and flatten gently. Fold it in thirds like a letter, rotate 90 degrees, and repeat three times. Shape into a flat rectangle, wrap tightly in beeswax-free wrap or a reusable bag, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

While the dough chills, stir together the currants, candied peel, dark brown sugar, mixed spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and melted vegan butter in a bowl until evenly coated. Cover and leave to macerate at room temperature for a minimum of 1 hour, or overnight for best results.

Preheat your oven to 220°C (200°C fan / gas 7). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled pastry to approximately 3 mm thickness. Using a 12 cm round cutter or a small plate as a guide, cut out 8 circles, re-rolling scraps once.

Place a heaped tablespoon of the currant filling in the centre of each pastry circle, leaving a 2 cm border. Draw the edges up over the filling and pinch firmly to seal into a tight ball, ensuring there are no gaps. Turn each cake seam-side down and gently flatten with your palm to a disc about 8 cm wide.

Transfer the cakes to the prepared baking sheet, brush generously with plant-based milk, and sprinkle each with demerara sugar. Using a sharp knife, score three parallel slits across the top of each cake, cutting just through the pastry to reveal the filling.

Bake for 22–25 minutes until the cakes are a deep golden brown and the pastry is visibly caramelised at the cuts and edges. Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before serving — the filling will be extremely hot.