Welsh Cakes Currant Round Griddle Butter Scones Food

WELSH CAKES

Steps:

• Sift flour, baking powder and salt into bowl. Put in butter and lard and mix until resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in sugar and currants or raisins. Beat the eggs lightly and add to flour mixture with just enough milk to make a firm dough similar to shortcrust pastry.
• Chill dough 1 to 2 hours.
• Roll the dough to 1/4 inch on floured surface and cut with 3 inch rounds. Bake the cakes on a greased griddle or frying pan (I use my electric skillet with just a little non-stick spray) over low heat until golden brown. Cool and sprinkle with sugar. These also freeze well.

WELSH CAKES

Steps:

• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon zest. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut in butter until mixture is a sandy consistency. Stir in currants, candied citrus peel, egg, and milk until a soft dough forms. Gently knead to combine.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough 1/4 inch thick. Using a 2-inch fluted square cutter, cut out squares; transfer to prepared sheets. Reroll scraps once and cut out more squares.
• Preheat a cast-iron griddle over medium. Lightly brush with butter. Working in batches, transfer dough squares to griddle and cook, turning once, until golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Adjust heat as necessary. Transfer to a serving plate; sprinkle with superfine sugar, as desired. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container at room temperature 3 to 5 days.

WELSH CAKES (CURRANT ROUND GRIDDLE BUTTER SCONES)

Steps:

• BY HAND: Cut the butter into small pieces. Place 1 1/2 cups of the flour in a bowl. Add the butter and cut with a knife or a pastry cutter to blend together into the texture of coarse meal.
• USING A FOOD PROCESSOR: Cut the butter into several chunks, place in a processor bowl with 1 1/2 cups flour, and process to the texture of coarse meal; turn out into a bowl.
• Add the sugar, salt, spices, and currants to the flour mixture and stir to mix. Break the eggs into a bowl and beat briefly with a fork to blend, then add to the mixture. Turn and stir to moisten so it comes together as a firm, moist dough.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and flatten under you palms, or use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll it out to about 1/4 inch thick. Use a round 3-inch cookie cutter to cut out cakes. You should be able to get 12 or 13 from the dough.
• Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. When it is hot, rub the cooking surface with a lightly buttered paper towel, then lower the heat to medium low. Wait several minutes, then place 3 or 4 rounds top side down in the skillet and cook for about 2 minutes. Flip them over and cook on the other side for 3 minutes. Both sides will be touched with brown and a little black; the cakes will have risen a little, and their sides will still be moist looking.
• Turn back over and cook on the first side for another minute or so. Lift out and onto a rack to cool and set for 10 minutes or more before eating. Cook the remaining cakes the same way. (If you have two skillets, once you're comfortable with the timing, you can work with both.) Makes about 12 currant dotted, round butter rich scones. 3 to 3 1/2 inches across.
• Home Baking.

WELSHCAKES

Steps:

• Rub the butter into the flour as you would if making biscuits, then stir in the sugar, spice, and dried fruit. Add the egg to make a soft but not sticky dough. Form a disc, cover with plastic wrap, and leave in the refrigerator for a minimum of 20 minutes.
• Roll out on a floured surface to a thickness of about 1/4 inch, and cut out your little cakes; you will need to re-roll and so forth but that shouldn't be problematic. Preheat your unoiled griddle or cast-iron frying pan and cook the cakes for about 3 minutes each side, until golden brown. Remove to a cold plate and sprinkle with sugar.

WELSH CAKES

Steps:

• Sift dry ingredients together in a bowl and cut in shortening finely. Add fruit, then eggs mixed with milk to make a stiff dough. (I ended up using my hands to get it to combine.)
• Roll to 1/4-inch thickness on a floured surface. (It is more convenient to roll out half the dough at a time.) Cut out rounds with a sharp two-inch cookie cutter.
• Bake on a heated griddle on low heat, or an electric fry pan set at 250F for 8 to 10 minutes. When golden brown on one side, turn and bake second side until golden.
• Serve hot with butter as a tea cake or serve cold. Store in a covered container.
• NOTE: Shortening is satisfactory in this recipe but butter or hard margarine gives a richer flavour and colour. (I used hard margarine.) I estimated two as a serving. (Don't think you'll stop with two!).
• Makes about 4 1/2 dozen.

WELSH CAKES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk and egg; stir just until moistened. Fold in currants., Pat or roll dough to 1/4-in. thickness; cut with a floured 2-in. biscuit cutter. Preheat griddle over medium heat. In batches, place cakes onto griddle; cook until tops puff and bottoms are golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. Turn; cook until second side is golden brown. Cool on wire racks.