One of the many pastries and biscuits with currants not raisins.

70g (2½oz) butter

175g (6oz) currants

70g (2½oz) candied peel

55g (2oz) sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

½ tsp allspice

¼ tsp mace ¼ tsp grated nutmeg pinch cinnamon

1 egg white

500g (1lb 2oz) packet frozen puff pastry, defrosted

Preheat the oven to 220ºC (425ºF). Grease and flour a baking tray, or cover it with parchment. Melt the butter in a pan over low heat, and stir in currants, peel, sugar, allspice, mace, nutmeg and cinnamon. Make 8 piles of filling on a plate. Roll out the puff pastry. Cut it into eight circles using a 14cm (5½in) diameter saucer as a guide. To re-use trimmings, stack and re-roll rather than squishing them into a ball to preserve layering of the pastry.

Fill each circle with a portion of cold filling. With a fork, lightly froth the egg white and 1 teaspoon of water on a plate. Brush edges of pastry with egg white, then fold over to enclose filling, making sure there are no gaps. Trim excess pastry. Turn over, shape with your hands to make them round, then roll out lightly with a rolling pin to 7–8cm (3in) in diameter. Put seam side down on baking sheet. Brush with egg white and sprinkle 1 teaspoon of sugar on each. Make three cuts, about 2cm (¾in) in the centre to release steam. Bake for 12–15 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Best slightly warmed for serving.