Welsh Cakes

Welshcakes are a sweet delicacy originally from Wales in the United Kingdom. They are cooked on a bakestone, (planc or maen in Welsh), a plate of cast iron heated over a fire. If you aren't fortunate to own a bakestone you can use a heavy bottomed frying pan.

I suspect that there are as many recipes for welshcakes as there are Welsh grandmothers, this is my take on it:

1lb self raising flour

6ozs sugar

4ozs margarine

4ozs butter

4ozs mixed fruit

1/2 teaspoon mixed spice (pumpkin spice in USA)

2 eggs

Milk (if needed)

1. weigh out the ingredients.

2. place the flour, butter and margarine in a food mixer, and combine until it looks like breadcrumbs.

3. add the rest of the ingredients (except milk) and combine to form a dough. If the dough is a little dry add a drop

of the milk, if too wet add a little more flour.

4. place the dough on a plate, cover with cling film and let rest for 30 minutes in a refrigerator.

5. roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick and cut into rounds using a 2 1/2 inch cutter.

Cooking on a bakestone is an art form, too hot and the cakes will burn on the outside before they are done in the middle, too cool and they take forever to cook. You can only cook a few at a time as they need constant attention.

Place the bakestone on a heat source, I'm using a gas cooker, but you can use an openfire or charcoal grill. It requires a low heat, it should feel a little hot with your hand about an inch above it.

Grease the bakestone with a little butter.

Place the cakes on the stone, allow to cook for a short while, and then flip them over. You are aiming for a golden brown colour. You may need to flip them a number of times to ensure even cooking.

They are done when they feel firm to the touch.

Allow to cool on a rack.

Sit down and enjoy the fruits of you labour with a nice cuppa.