Welsh Cakes

These small sweet cakes with a crisp crust and a soft crumb are similar to fried scones.

Ingredients make approx. 18

225 g plain flour

85 g caster sugar

½ tsp mixed spice

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

50 g grated cold butter

50 g finely chopped cold lard

50 g currants

1 egg, beaten

50 ml milk

Method

Place flour, sugar, mixed spice, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add the butter and lard, use your hands to rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles bread crumbs.  Add currants, egg and milk, mix you’re your hands until a firm dough has formed with the same consistency as shortbread. Place the dough on a workbench dusted with flour and roll or press out to a thickness of approx. 10mm. Cut rounds with a 6 cm. round cutter. Grease a flat griddle pan or heavy frying pan with lard or butter and place over a medium heat. Cook the Welsh cakes in batches until golden brown, crisp and cooked through approx. 3 minutes on each side. Place on a bed of granulated sugar and serve warm with butter and jam.

Note: Welsh cakes will keep well in a closed tin for approx. 1 week.