Grandmother’s Welsh Cakes
Jean Kerr is the author of four cookbooks and a contributing editor at The Cook's Cook.
This recipe is featured in Wales: Britain's Best Kept Secret
I still have this recipe for Welsh cakes in my grandmother’s faded but legible handwriting. Be sure to include the spices, as they are essential for authentic flavor.
- Servings Makes 24 cakes
Ingredients
- 480 grams (4 cups) all-purpose flour, plus additional as needed
- 20 ml (4 teaspoons) baking powder
- 2.5 ml (½ teaspoon) cinnamon
- 2.5 ml (½ teaspoon) allspice
- 2.5 ml (½ teaspoon) mace
- 2.5 ml (½ teaspoon) salt
- 85 grams (6 tablespoons) butter
- 85 grams (6 tablespoons) lard
- 300 grams (1½ cups) plus 30 ml (2 tablespoons) granulated sugar
- 284 grams (2 cups) currants
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 118 ml (½ cup) milk or buttermilk
- Oil or butter, for greasing pan
Preparation
1. Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, mace, and salt. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut in the butter and lard until the dough resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in 300 grams (1 1/2 cups) of the sugar and the currants.
2. Add the eggs to the flour mixture with just enough milk or buttermilk to make a firm dough. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough to .6 cm (1/4 inch) thickness and cut into 7.6 cm (3 inch) rounds. Preheat a griddle or well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and grease lightly with oil or butter. Add the cakes and cook until lightly browned on both sides, about 2 minutes a side.
4. Transfer the cakes to a platter, and sprinkle with remaining 30 ml (2 tablespoons) sugar. Serve warm or cool. These freeze well.
Jean Kerr
Jean Kerr is the former Editor and founder of Northeast FLAVOR magazine, which was named one of the top ten new magazines in the United States in its first year of publication. She is the author of four cookbooks and is a two-time Foreword magazine Book of the Year nominee. She has written for Yankee magazine, is a regular contributor to Cruising World and is currently a Contributing Editor to The Cook’s Cook.
Courtesy photo
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