Scottish Currant Slab

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 750 g plain flour
• 1 pinch salt
• 225 g butter or 225 g margarine
• 250 g butter (at room temp)
• 250 g caster sugar
• 1 egg (beaten)
• 550 g currants
• 1 teaspoon ground mixed spice
• 4 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons custard powder, mixed with a little water to form a paste

Recipe

• 1 for the pastry:.
• 2 sift the flour and salt together. rub in the butters. stir in the sugar, then add the egg, mixing to a soft dough.
• 3 knead dough until smooth. cover with cling film and chill for 20-30 minutes.
• 4 for the filling:.
• 5 put the currants, spice and sugar into a large pan and add enough cold water to just cover the fruit.
• 6 bring to the boil, turn down the heat, and simmer gently for no more than 5 minutes.
• 7 remove pan from heat. gradually add the custard paste, stirring until the fruit mixture thickens slightly (it will thicken more when cool).
• 8 preheat the oven to gas 3. grease and line a 30x18cm swiss roll tin.
• 9 divide the pastry into half.
• 10 roll out the pastry and use to line the tin, pressing pastry over the base and the sides. lightly brush the top edges with water.
• 11 spoon the fruit mixture into pastry case, spread evenly and pack well.
• 12 roll out the remaining pastry, slightly larger than the tin. lay over the filling and pat down.
• 13 trim away the excess pastry and crimp the edges. cut 2 slits into the middle of the pie.
• 14 bake for 50-60 minutes. sprinkle the top with caster sugar while pastry is still warm.
• 15 serve hot or cold.