1/2 lb Flour 1 t Mixed spice
1/2 lb Flour, self-raising -(see note)
4 oz Butter 1 t Nutmeg, ground
4 oz Lard 1 lg Egg
3 oz Currants Milk, to mix
3/4 C Sugar
Sieve flour and spices into a mixing bowl. Add fat and mix to crumbs like
pastry. Stir in remaining dry ingredients.
Break up the egg in a separate bowl. Add broken egg to dry ingredients,
mix well until it starts to form a lump. If it is s not sticking together,
add a little milk (it should be moister than pastry but should not be
soggy)
Roll out on a floured board to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into
rounds using a biscuit cutter.
Heat “pan” (see above) grease “pan” and when fat has melted wipe off with
absorbent paper. This leaves a residue of fat, the cakes actually cook in
their own fat. The “pan” is hot enough when you can hold your hand just
above it for about a minute.
Place some cakes on “pan” and wait till they turn a speckled golden brown
colour. Turn them over and repeat on the other side. They are better
cooked quite slowly about 3-5 minutes each cake.
NOTES:
* Traditional Welsh biscuity cakes — This is a very old traditional Welsh
recipe from my boyfriend’s family. It was passed on to his mother from his
grandmother, whose family ran the village bakery in Ammanford, near
Swansea, Wales. The family name is Morgan, of course. They claim to be
related to Captain Morgan, the pirate.
The Welsh for welsh cakes is teisen lap (tea ‘ion lap) which means “plate
cake.” It is traditionally cooked on a “maern” (pronounced marn), which is
a about half-inch thick piece of cast iron placed on the fire or cooker. A
heavy frying pan or griddle will do. Yield: Makes 40-50.
* Mixed spice is a mix of ground spices that is available premixed here in
England. It is typically 60 percent coriander, 30 percent cinnamon, 5
percent nutmeg, with small traces of ginger and clove. Sometimes it has
10-15 percent caraway or 10 percent cassia (Saigon cinnamon) mixed in.
Since almost all “cinnamon” sold in North America is really cassia, and
cassia has a stronger flavor than true cinnamon, a North American formula
for mixed spice would be 70 percent coriander, 15 percent cinnamon, 5
percent nutmeg, and 10 percent caraway.
* Welsh cakes are great eaten hot or cold, with or without butter, though
I never use butter myself. I usually make a double batch because they don’t
keep. But to store them, allow to go cold and place in an airtight box.
They will keep for up to a week.
* I often add a little more of the spices to give them more of a kick.
: Difficulty: easy.
: Time: 5 minutes preparation, 20 minutes cooking.
: Precision: Measure all ingredients.
: Tina Coulson
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Yields
4 dozen