Navigating North London

[caddyman]

Why is it so difficult to get a decent Eccles Cake in this city? I know they are a northern delicacy, but they are not so unpopular, surely?

Today has been a busy day for Furtle and myself. Having slept in a little this morning, we breakfasted late, doing a mountain of washing up and some general tidying etc beforehand. The next phase of the day's activities involved the Tube down to Camden Town where I picked up a 9-pin serial to PS2 converter and a new optical mouse. I had hoped to get a track ball, but the only one the place supposedly had in stock proved elusive, so I went for a more conventional mouse instead. Furtle paid around £16 which bought her a heap of small components and about £32 worth of a flunky's time as he sorted and assembled said electronica by hand. Yes, Maplins, for all its aspirations, has a splendidly manual stock control system, which would have been recognised by the firm of Marley and Scrooge.

There followed coffee, a trip to the bank and an abortive attempt to buy comics from a frankly disappointing Mega City. Back onto the Tube north, off at East Finchley and a bus ride through the delights of Muswell Hill brought us to a Tesco the size of Wyoming. It certainly is a lot cheaper than Waitrose, isn't it? We may be arranging for food deliveries from the place in an attempt to keep the bills down. Then a bus home. chores complete and excursion finished.

Lordy but it was hot.

Anyway, yes. Tesco, On the plus side, Eccles Cakes. On the negative side, somewhat disappointing Eccles Cakes. Not as disappointing as the Eccles Cakes Furtle found for sale on the Holloway Road (they might have come from Morrison’s, but you'd expect them to know better), but certainly only second rate at best. The closest I have found (other than the wretchedly small ones sold in batches of four, supposedly from a Lancastrian bakers and available in any number of supermarkets) are M&S own Eccles Cakes, but the supply is unreliable and though the taste is about right, the fruit content is relatively low. It is very easy to buy something close to the suburbs of Eccles Cakes, but the real thing remains as elusive as ever.

Next time I go home I shall have to buy a large supply and bring them back in Tupper Ware or something to see me through the lean times.

It's cooler, now. I wonder what jollity tomorrow will bring?

Comments

[fredlums.livejournal.com]

Ingredients
For the Eccles cakes
225g/8oz plain flour
pinch of salt
160g/5¾oz chilled unsalted butter, plus 25g/1oz soft unsalted butter
100g/4oz caster sugar
200g/7oz currants
50g/2oz chopped candied peel
freshly grated nutmeg
milk and granulated sugar, to finish

1. First make the pastry for the Eccles cakes. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Dice half the chilled butter and rub into the flour using your hands, then add just enough cold water (4-5 tablespoons) to bring everything together into a soft dough. Cover the bowl with cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a rectangle measuring about 20cm/8in x 10cm/4in. Cut the remaining chilled butter into thin slices. Cover the middle third of the dough with one-third of the slices, then fold the unbuttered thirds of dough over the buttered third, first one and then the other, making a square. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
3. Repeat step 2 twice, turning the block of dough 90 degrees each time, and chilling between each rolling. Repeat two more times, but without any butter, then refrigerate again for at least 30 minutes.

8. Finish making the Eccles cakes about an hour or so before serving, as they are best served warm. Preheat the oven to 240C/465F/Gas 8 and line a baking tray with baking parchment.
9. Cream together the 25g/1oz soft butter and the caster sugar in a bowl, then add the currants, candied peel and nutmeg. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until 4mm/¼in thick. Cut out twelve 7cm/2¾in discs. Spoon a little of the filling in the centre of each disc. Brush the edges with a little water, then pull the edges into the centre and pinch them together to seal. Turn the cakes over, place on the prepared tray and push down lightly with the palm of your hand to flatten a little. With a small sharp knife, make three short incisions in the top of each cake. Brush with a little milk and sprinkle liberally with granulated sugar. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges have turned golden-brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes.

According the chef from the Great British Menu these are the best- could be therapeutic to bash the pastry around! Yes I know the numbers don't correspond but thought you wouldn't be interested in the Earl Grey cream tea thingy.

BTW don't let Maplins tell you that you new a new aerial- they tried that one with us- when the aerial people came it merely was a case of an aerial booster and a digibox (re liberated from ancients house- they in Spain won't notice). Good luck

[ladkyis.livejournal.com]

I had the same problem with oven bottom muffins and I kept on asking for proper ones in Tesco and Morrisons and now they have them in both stores here which they never did - I used to stock up when we went to Oldham to see my daughter and be dead stingy with them, waiting until I was sure to be alone before liberating a packet from the freezer LOL

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

Cor, ta.

I'm not sure I'll ever be allowed to try that, but you never know. In the meantime, I might print it off and see if my sister will try next time I'm up in Shropshire!

[nortysarah.livejournal.com]

It's not terribly close to home or work but to satisfy a craving St John's should make very good Eccles cakes. They make very good everything else! I'll come with you on monday if they're open