If you do an internet search for baking recipes from Wales, Welsh cakes are what comes up. This recipe is a combination of four recipes that I found. The pan must be hot before you add the cakes. They are a little crumbly when you remove them from the heat but set up nicely after a minute or two.
Welsh Cakes
1½ cups stirred all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ground mace or nutmeg
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ cup butter
⅓ cup lard
⅓ cup currants, rinsed and patted dry
1 egg
2 to 3½ tsp water
Stir together flour, sugar, cinnamon, mace (or nutmeg), baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Mix in the butter and lard using a pastry cutter, your fingers, or a food processor until it looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in currants. Set aside.
Combine egg and 2 teaspoons water and beat well. With a fork, stir the egg mixture vigorously into the flour until you have soft dough. Add another 1 to 1½ teaspoons of water if dough is not holding together.
Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface to ¼ inch thick. Cut out rounds using a 2 inch cookie cutter or juice glass. Reroll scraps and cut again.
Heat a heavy frying pan to medium hot. Grease with lard or oil. Cook Welsh cakes for about 3 minutes per side. Welsh cake should be golden brown, crisp, and cooked through. If needed, adjust temperature. Remove to a plate and allow to cool a little. Serve warm or cool. Makes 25 cakes.
Nancy Weir – WICC Office Administrator
Welsh cakes are traditionally cooked on a griddle (old fashioned cast iron utensil). I use an electric griddle (Black & Decker) which keeps a constant temperature and allows me to cook about 10 – 12 Welsh cakes at a time.