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    WC Rowe's Nelson squares

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    WC Rowe's Nelson squares

    We spoke to Cornish bakers WC Rowe, who used to make these pastries 20 years ago to use up scraps from the bakery. They kindly supplied this recipe.

    • Preparation time: 30 minutes
    • Cooking time: 30 minutes, plus cooling
    • Total time: 1 hour, plus cooling 60 minutes

    Makes: 16

    Ingredients

    • 500g ready-made puff pastry
    • 1 medium egg, beaten
    • 300g cake crumbs from a sponge such as madeira cake, or trifle sponge
    • 125g mixed dried fruit
    • 2 tsp ground mixed spice
    • Caster sugar for dredging

    Method

    1. Preheat the oven to 190°C, gas mark 5. Butter a 22cm-square baking tin, at least 3cm deep.
    2. Roll out the puff pastry to a rectangle measuring about 28cm x 50cm. Cut into two sections so you have one square of around 28cm x 28cm and a rectangle of around 28cm x 22cm. Use the square to line the base of the baking tin - the pastry should come up the sides of the tin. Trim the rectangle to a square measuring 22cm x 22cm and set aside.
    3. In a large bowl, mix the cake crumbs, dried fruit and spice. Stir in enough hot water (150ml-175ml) to create a stiff paste. Spread this evenly over the pastry in the tin, leaving a slight gap around the sides. Brush the edge of the pastry with some of the beaten egg. Cover with the reserved square of pastry, and pinch the edges together with the bottom layer of pastry, to form a complete crust so that the filling is enclosed. Brush the pastry with more beaten egg, then use a fork to prick holes in the top of the pastry. Bake for 30 minutes until golden and puffed up. Leave to cool in the tin, then turn out, dredge with caster sugar and cut into squares.

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