How to Make Suffolk Kitchel

Chefs at ICE Cafe, Cook School & Development Kitchen have the perfect recipe for Suffolk Day - Suffolk Kitchel - an 11th century sweet treat consisting of dried fruit and pastry!

What is Suffolk Kitchel?

God’s Kitchel - an 11th century sweet treat consisting of dried fruit and pastry.

Many towns and regions at that time had their own very specific feast day foods of which the kitchel was one, believed to have originated from Suffolk.

It has been suggested that the kitchel’s original triangular shape was a reference to the Holy Trinity, as are the three cuts in the top.

Chefs at ICE Cafe, Cook School & Development Kitchen, part of the Infusions Ltd Group, created their version of kitchel..

Why not try it at home? Post photos of your ICE-inspired homemade kitchel on social media using the hashtags #SuffolkKitchel

Ingredients

50g unsalted butter

500g of your favourite dried fruit (you can marinade in alcohol for 12 hours previously if you want to go off piste a little)

200g ground almonds

2 tsp mixed spice

Some golden caster sugar (this is my favourite but whatever sugar you have available will be fine)

Puff pastry ( I do not specify how much as it will depend on how full you fill the kitchels and how thick you like your puff pastry)

A little egg wash or milk if you prefer

Instructions

Warm the butter in a thick bottomed pan or melt in a bowl in the microwave if you prefer.

Take off the heat and add the fruit, the almonds and the mixed spice.

Mix well then cover with cling film and allow to cool.

Roll your puff pastry out into squares, I like 15cm x 15cm but the size is up to you.

Put a generous amount of the filling on one half of the puff pastry but leave a 1cm gap around the outside.

Brush the gap with egg wash and fold the pastry over to make a triangle.

Seal the edges by pressing gently with your fingers. Egg wash the top of the kitchel and then with a sharp knife score three lines across the top.

Sprinkle the top with golden caster sugar and bake in an oven at 200 degrees C until golden brown (usually 25 – 30 minutes but every oven is different)

Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Make a big mug of tea, grab a kitchel and enjoy a traditional Suffolk working persons lunch!

Tip - a squeezy of vanilla paste is not traditional but delicious and we really won’t judge you I promise!

Visit the ICE Cafe website at http://ice.cafe/ and the ICE Cook School at https://www.icecookschool.co.uk/ for more great food!