Welsh cakes

15 servings

Ingredients

QuantityIngredient
1poundsSelf-raising flour
2ouncesButter
4ouncesSugar
4ouncesSultanas and raisins
2Eggs
pintWater

Directions

cOn sale in every Welsh bakery, these are one of the great delights of teatime. The are easy to make. The Welsh use a flat iron "planc" (a griddle) to bake the cakes, which are cooked on top heat like Scotch pancakes. A heavy frying pan will do fine if you don't have a griddle. Makes 15-18 cakes.

Rub the fat into the flour and add the fruit and sugar. Mix the water with the eggs and use to make a soft dough just a little firmer than that for the scones. Tip on to a well-floured board and roll out to a thickness of ½-inch. Cut out circles with a 2-½-inch shell-edged cutter.

Heat a planc or heavy iron frying pan - get the heat up into it gently and thoroughly, and do not let it overheat. If the pan is not well-seasoned or non-stick, slick it with a little butter or vegetable oil.

Bake the cakes on the pan, turning them once, until well-risen and lightly browned. They will take about 5 minutes each side. Eat hot or cold, with or without salty butter, but always with a cup of piping-hot tea.

Source: Philippa Davenport in "Country Living" (British), April 1989.

Typed for you by Karen Mintzias