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Wet Nellie is the local ‘affectionate’ name for a Liverpudlian specialty – Lord Nelson cake: a pastry case enclosing a mixture of cake crumbs, dried fruit, and golden syrup – a bit like golden syrup tart.

Ingredients

• Ready-made shortcrust pastry 500g (1lb 2oz)

• Madeira cake 250g (9oz)

• Lemon 1 large, grated rind and juice

• Raisins or currants 110g (4oz)

• Golden syrup 110g (4oz), warmed

• Milk 5 tbsp

• Caster sugar 1 tsp

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5 and put a baking sheet in the oven to heat up.

2. Take off a third of the pastry and set it aside. Roll out the larger piece fairly thinly to a round to line six 10cm (4in) loose-bottomed fluted flan tins. Trim off the excess pastry around the top and keep the trimmings.

3. Crumble the cake into a bowl. Add the lemon rind and juice, raisins or currants, syrup, and 4 tbsp of milk. Mix well and spoon into the pastry cases, smoothing the top.

4. Add the trimmings to the reserved pastry and roll out thinly to cut rounds just big enough to make the lids. Trim off excess pastry and press the edges gently to seal. Brush the tops with the rest of the milk. Sprinkle with caster sugar.

5. Place the tarts on the hot baking sheet and bake for 20–25 minutes until they are golden brown. Leave to cool in the tins for at least 10 minutes. Remove and serve warm or they are just as delicious eaten cold.

Notes

If you don’t have any Madeira cake, buy half one at a supermarket or use a pack of mini fairy cakes or trifle sponges. Warm the syrup (lid loosened) in the tin in the oven as then it is easier to measure out (oil the weighing scale pan to prevent sticking) and easier to mix in with the rest of the ingredients.

Taken from the Around Britain Cookbook