Blackcurrant buns recipes

Photograph: Jonathan Lovekin

Eccles cakes of sorts, but with fresh blackcurrants instead of the usual dried fruit filling. You could use puff pastry for these if the mood takes you. The cream-cheese pastry is my version of an idea from the wonderful Dan Lepard.

Makes 6
For the cream-cheese pastry
plain flour 250g
baking powder ½ tsp
butter 75g
full-fat cream cheese 75g
egg 1
beaten egg 1, for brushing

For the filling
blackcurrants 225g
caster sugar 3 tbsp
double cream to serve

Put the flour and baking powder and a good pinch of salt into a large mixing bowl, then add the butter, cut into small dice, and the cream cheese and rub the ingredients together with your fingertips until they resemble coarse, fresh breadcrumbs.

Beat the egg, then fold into the mixture, bringing the dough together and then into a ball with your hands. Wrap in greaseproof paper or clingfilm and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Set the oven at 200C/gas mark 6.

Toss together the blackcurrants and caster sugar in a mixing bowl. Divide the dough into six and roll each piece out into a thin 16cm disc. Place one of the pieces of pastry on a baking sheet, then spoon a sixth of the blackcurrant and sugar filling in the centre. Brush the rim of the pastry with beaten egg then pull the edges in to the middle and press tightly together to seal. Turn the bun upside down, push it into a neat round and brush with a little more beaten egg. Make three small slashes in the top. Dust with caster sugar.

Continue with the rest of the pastry and currants to make 6 flat buns. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden. Serve warm, not cold, with double cream.