Chef notes
This is my Papa Winston's favorite pastry. I'll always remember how happy he was to walk into a bakery and order a fresh currant roll on our last trip to Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago. The roll is a descendant of the Eccles Cake, a traditional British dessert that resembles small pies, but in Trinidad we makes them as a roll, more like rugelach.
Technique tip: The key to this dough is keeping it as cold as possible. Start by freezing your mixing bowl, flour and the blade for your food processor for 20 minutes before you make the dough. Then when assembling the rolls, if the dough starts to feel warm or sticky, pop into the fridge for 15 minutes.
Swap option: Use turbinado sugar (often found as Sugar in the Raw) instead of coconut sugar.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1/2 cup shortening, cubed and cold
- 12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1/2 cup ice water
- 1 cup dried currants
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon whole milk
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
Preparation
For the dough:
1.Place flour, food processor blade and a mixing bowl in the freezer for 20 minutes.
2.Assemble food processor and add flour, shortening and butter. Pulse until the mixture resembles tiny pebbles. Add the vinegar and pulse again. Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough just comes together (you may not need all the water).
3.Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Working quickly, roll the dough into a 10- by 16-inch rectangle.
4.Fold the long ends of the dough toward the center, then fold in half from left to right, bringing the short ends together. With the smooth end on your left, roll the dough again into a 10- by 16-inch rectangle and repeat the fold. Turn the dough and repeat the roll and fold for a third time.
5.Place the dough on a parchment paper–lined sheet tray and set in the freezer for 30 minutes.
For the filling:
While dough chills, stir together all filling ingredients in a small bowl.
To assemble:
1.Whisk together the egg and milk in a small bowl to make an egg wash.
2.Heat the oven to 375 F.
3.On a very lightly floured work surface, reroll the dough into a 10- by 16-inch rectangle (it should be about 1/4-inch thick) if it has shrunk.
4.Sprinkle evenly with the filling mixture and press the mixture gently into the dough to adhere.
5.Starting with one of the long ends, roll the dough into a tight spiral and pinch the ends to seal them closed. (If the dough starts to feel warm or sticky, refrigerate it for 15 minutes — it's important to keep the fat as cold as possible!)
6.Place the roll on the lined sheet tray with the seam side down. Brush all over with the egg wash and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until golden brown.
7.Remove from oven and immediately dust with remaining coconut sugar.
8.Let cool for 20 to 25 minutes, until cool enough to handle, then slice diagonally into 1½-inch pieces. It's best to do this right on the sheet tray, as the roll is flaky and delicate.
9.Place the slices swirl-side up and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more, until the swirls appear dry. Let cool completely before serving.
