Name: Cumberland Nickies
Prep time: 75 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: 230 g plain flour; 1/2 tsp salt; 125 g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small chunks; 1 medium egg yolk; 2 tbsp ice cold water; 50 g currants; 100 g medjool dates, finely chopped; 1 tbsp demerara sugar; 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg; 30 g unsalted butter; 1 tbsp rum; Milk; 1 medium egg, beaten for sealing

Cumberland Nickies

Cumberland Nickies are little 18^th century pastry cases filled with currants, dates, sugar and rum. The sugar and rum were available locally, arriving regularly at the port of Whitehaven in Cumberland, one of the main ports importing goods from the Caribbean.

Equipment

Weighing scales
2 Baking sheets
Large mixing bowl
Cup
Medium saucepan
Small bowl
Rolling pin
8cm unfitted pastry cutter

Preparation method

Preheat oven to 170C/325F/gas 3.
Grease the baking sheets with butter.
To make the pastry, sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub it in until you have a fine breadcrumb consistency. Alternatively, you can sift the flour into the bowl of a food processor, add the butter and process until you have a fine breadcrumb consistency.
Place the egg yolk in the cup, add the ice-cold water and whisk thoroughly.
Add the egg and water mixture to the pastry mix and use your hands to bind the mixture into a dough or, if using a processor, add the egg and water mixture and process until you have a ball of pastry dough.
Wrap with clingfilm and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
To make the filling, fill the saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Add the dates, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until the dates are soft.
Remove from the heat and strain the dates. Place them in the small bowl and mash with a fork.
Place the butter in the small saucepan and heat until melted.
Add the nutmeg and rum and stir in.
Remove from the heat and add the dates, currants and sugar. Stir thoroughly.
Set aside to steep for an hour.
Place the pastry on a lightly floured work surface and roll out to 2mm thick.
Use the pastry cutter to cut out 16 rounds of rolled-out dough.
Stir the filling mixture before placing a couple of teaspoonsful of it on the centre of 8 of the rounds.
Dip a finger into the beaten egg and smear it round the edge of the bottom pastry round.
Place the remaining rounds over the top of the filled ones.
Press the edges down to seal. This will inevitably spread the pastry out and make an uneven edge. Use the tart cutter to trim the edges so you have neat, even rounds.
Use a knife to make two slits in the top of the Nickies.
Place on the prepared baking sheets and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with caster sugar.
Serve hot with whipped cream.