RUM NICKY WITH CLOTTED CREAM

‘I’d never heard of this until I found myself with Paul Hollywood on Bake Off. The recipe originates from his hometown of Liverpool. There are two theories about the name. One was that the dockers unloading ships from the Caribbean would ‘nick’ a bit of rum, which their wives would use in the pies. Or, more boringly, that the name came from the nicks made in the pastry to let the steam escape.’

Serves 4–6

for the filling

◆ 225g (8oz) dates, stoned and coarsely chopped ◆ 100g (3½oz) dried apricots, coarsely chopped ◆ 50g (2oz) stem ginger in syrup, drained and finely chopped ◆ 50ml (2fl oz) dark rum ◆ 50g (2oz) soft dark brown sugar ◆ 50g (2oz) unsalted butter, cut into 1–2cm (½-¾in) cubes

for the shortcrust pastry

◆ 200g (7oz) plain flour ◆ 100g (3½oz) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes ◆ 1 medium egg, beaten ◆ Squeeze of lemon juice ◆ 1 medium egg yolk, beaten, for brushing

to serve

◆ Clotted cream

1 Mix all the filling ingredients, except the butter, together in a bowl. Set aside.

2 For the pastry, put the flour, butter, egg, lemon juice and two tablespoons of cold water into a processor and whizz to a ball. If making by hand, rub the butter lightly into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Mix the egg with the lemon juice and water and add to the flour mixture. Using a table knife, work the liquid into the flour and bring the pastry together. Use your hands to gently knead it into a ball. Wrap in clingfilm and rest in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.

3 Heat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas mark 4. Put a baking sheet on the middle shelf to heat.

4 Cut a third off the ball of dough and roll out the larger piece on a floured work surface to line a 20cm (8in) enamel pie plate. The pastry should be very thin and should reach the edge of the dish. Spread the filling in the pastry case and dot with the butter. Flatten the top.

5 Roll out the remaining pastry and cut it into 1cm-wide (½in) strips. Lay four or five of the strips parallel across the filling to cover the pie. Lay another four or five strips across the first lot, not directly at right angles but at a slight slant to give diamond-shaped gaps. Trim the ends of each strip neatly and tuck them between the filling and pastry rim. Mark the edge with a fork all round, then brush the pastry with beaten egg.

6 Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 160°C/fan 140°C/gas mark 3 and cook for a further 20 minutes. Serve with clotted cream.