Currants Roll (Trinidad and Tobago)

The cuisine of Trinidad and Tobago is varied by its multitude of influences including Indian, African, Creole, Amerindian, European, Chinese and even Lebanese. The island had been under British control until its independence about fifty years ago, which explains why its cuisine has been partly influenced by dishes from the UK. The currants roll is a perfect example. Indeed, even if currants roll is a typical specialty of the island of Trinidad and Tobago, it is largely based on a British dessert created in the late eighteenth century. This pastry called Eccles cake takes its name from the town of Eccles in the suburbs of Manchester. This currant-based dessert has several variants depending on the region of origin such as Chorley cake, the sad cake, the currant square, the Blackburn cake, the Banbury cake or the currants roll that I prepared this week. Currants roll features a rolled flaky crust that is sliced diagonally. Currants roll is a delicious traditional sweet and flaky buttery cake prepared with currants that is popular in Trinidad and Tobago.

Dough:
3 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cold and diced
½ cup vegetable shortening, cold and diced
¼ tsp. sea salt
1 cup iced water

Filling:
1½ cup dried currants
¼ cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
1 egg, diluted in 1 Tbsp. milk
sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

Cut the cold butter and vegetable shortening (place in freezer for about 25 minutes if necessary).

Sift the flour into a food processor bowl, add salt and butter and shortening, cut into cubes.

Give the mixture a few pulses in the food processor until reaching the texture of peas. Start adding iced water. Add ¾ cup to start and add the remaining water until the dough takes shape. Place the dough on a flour-dusted surface and work quickly to form a smooth ball of dough. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator to cool and firm up for about 2 hours.

In a large bowl, place the cinnamon, currants and brown sugar and mix.

Remove dough from refrigerator. Cut the dough into 2 pieces, then roll the first on a floured surface. Roll to a thin rectangular shape (less than ¼"). Brush the surface with half the melted butter.

Pour half of the mixture of currants on the dough making sure to leave about 1" without filling on the edges.

Roll the dough like a big cigar (very tight) in a cylindrical shape. The tighter it is, the more layers your currants roll will have in the end. Pinch the ends to seal.

Repeat with the other piece of dough and the mixture of remaining currants. Place on preapred baking sheet.

Beat the egg and milk and brush the surface of each roll to give them a nice golden colour when coming out of the oven.

Sprinkle with a little sugar (optional) before placing them in the middle of the oven at 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4) for about 50 minutes.

Let cool before slicing. The traditional way is to cut diagonally.

Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar immediately after removal from the oven for a final touch.

Makes 2 rolls.