tina@stc.uk (Tina Coulson) (08/15/86)
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.RH MOD.RECIPES-SOURCE WELSHCAKES D "19 Jun 86" 1986
.RZ "WELSH CAKES" "Traditional Welsh biscuity cakes"
This is a very old traditional Welsh recipe from my boyfriend's family.
It was passed on to his mother from his grandmother, whose family ran
the village bakery in Ammanford, near Swansea, Wales. The family name
is Morgan, of course. They claim to be related to Captain Morgan the
pirate.
.PP
The Welsh for welsh cakes is \fIteisen lap\fR (tea 'ion lap)
which means ``plate cake''.
It is traditionally cooked on a ``maern''(pronounced marn),
which is a
.AB "half-inch" "1.5-cm"
thick piece of cast iron placed on the fire or cooker. A heavy
frypan or griddle will do.
.IH "Makes 40\-50"
.IG "\(12 lb" "flour" "200 g"
.IG "\(12 lb" "self-raising flour" "200 g"
.IG "4 oz" "butter" "120 g"
.IG "4 oz" "lard" "120 g"
.IG "3 oz" "currants" "100 g"
.IG "\(34 cup" "sugar" "175 g"
.IG "1 tsp" "mixed spice" "5 ml"
(see note)
.IG "1 tsp" "ground nutmeg" "5 ml"
.IG "1" "large egg"
.IG "" "milk,"
to mix
.PH
.SK 1
Sieve flour and spices into a mixing bowl.
.SK 2
Add fat and mix to crumbs like pastry.
.SK 3
Stir in remaining dry ingredients.
.SK 4
Break up the egg in a seperate bowl.
.SK 5
Add broken egg to dry ingredients, mix well until it starts to form a lump.
.SK 6
If it is s not sticking together, add a little milk (it should be moister than
pastry but should not be soggy)
.SK 7
Roll out on a floured board to about
.AB "\(14 to \(12 inch" "\(12 to 1 cm"
thick.
.SK 8
Cut into rounds using a biscuit cutter.
.SK 9
Heat ``pan'' (see above) grease ``pan'' and when fat has melted wipe off with
absorbant paper. This leaves a residue of fat, the cakes actually cook
in their own fat. The ``pan'' is hot enough when you can hold your hand just
above it for about a minute.
.SK 10
Place some cakes on ``pan'' and wait till they turn a speckled golden brown
colour.
.SK 11
Turn them over and repeat on the other side. They are better cooked quite
slowly about 3\-5 minutes each cake.
.NX
Mixed spice is a mix of ground spices that is available premixed here in
England. It is typically 60% coriander, 30% cinnamon, 5% nutmeg, with small
traces of ginger and clove. Sometimes it has 10\-15% caraway or 10% cassia
(Saigon cinnamon) mixed in. Since almost all ``cinnamon'' sold in North
America is really cassia, and cassia has a stronger flavor than true
cinnamon, a North American formula for mixed spice would be 70% coriander,
15% cinnamon, 5% nutmeg, and 10% caraway.
.PP
Welsh cakes are great eaten hot or cold, with or without butter,
though I never use butter myself.
I usually make a double batch because they don't keep.
But to store them, allow to go cold and place in an airtight box. They
will keep for up to a week.
.PP
I often add a little more of the spices to give them more of a kick.
.SH RATING
.I Difficulty:
easy.
.I Time:
5 minutes preparation, 20 minutes cooking.
.I Precision:
Measure all ingredients.
.WR
Tina Coulson
STC Telecomunications Ltd, New Southgate, London.
tina@stc
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