Weta’s Recipes from Bag End: Pastry Cakes

Recipes from Bag End: Pastry Cakes

This recipe for Pastry Cakes is inspired by Recipes from Bag End by Daniel Reeve of Weta.

https://www.wetanz.com/recipes-from-bag-end-art-prints/

Yield: approx. 10 – 2″ squares    Prep time: 45 minutes    Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Dough:

• two porringers of flour / 2 cups all purpose flour
• four scruples of butter / 4 oz cold butter
• one egg
• pinch of salt
• half a noggin of sugar / 1 tbsp sugar

Topping:

• cranberries
• currants
• walnuts, I mixed walnuts and pecans
• dried apricot
• honey

1. In a mixing bowl, combine your flour, salt, and sugar.
2. Add the cold butter, it helps to cut the butter into thin slices so you can work it into the flour easier.  With your fingers, start to work the butter into the dough.  You’ll want to get to the point where your butter pieces are similar size to hazelnuts.
3. Whisk the egg and add it to the flour mixture.  Combine until it comes together.  Add ice cold water if you need more liquid to pull the dough together.
4. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 – 45 minutes to rest.
5. Preheat the oven to 375F.
6. Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin.  Roll the dough out into a rectangle until it is approximately 1/4″ thick.
7. At this point, you can either cut into 2″ squares or circles.  Bake the pastry on a parchment lined sheet pan at 375F for 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Let cool.
8. Prepare your topping with the chopped nuts and fried fruit.  Add enough honey to bring the mixture together and then top the pastry cakes with the mixture.