Welsh Cakes (my recipe)

So my wife is half English, half Welsh. And she loves-loves-loves Welsh Cakes, which are basically a scone that you cook on a stove top (or, if you’re camping and/or a shepherd in the field, on a piece of metal over a fire) the way you’d cook a pancake.
 
So here’s the recipe I came up with. It’s non-traditional (because it contains vanilla), but you could sub out the vanilla for… creme de cassis, sortilege, or some other sweet dessert liqueur (or even, like, ice cider) if you wanted to, or just add extra milk to make up the liquid.
I’m using dried black currants in this recipe, but dried red currants, raisins, craisins, or diced dried peaches, pears, or apples will also all work – making it a handy way to incorporate preserved (dried) local fruit into your baking. 😀
 
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Welsh Cakes
 
INGREDIENTS
 
1.5 C flour
0.3 C icing sugar
1 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
pinch each: nutmeg, ginger
 
0.25 C softened butter[1]
 
1 egg
0.25 C milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
 
0.25 C dried currants
 
 
DIRECTIONS
 
1) Combine dry ingredients in a bowl
2) Add butter and blend (you can use your fingers) until you have a “crumb-like texture” going on
3) In a glass measuring cup or a very small bowl, mix the wet ingredients together
4) Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and blend with a fork (switch to your hands if need be) until you have a soft dough
5) Add the dried currants and knead until well incorporated
6) In a large cast iron frying pan, melt a teaspoon of butter or so and let it coat the bottom of the pan
7) Form dough into balls and flatten them into disks (about 2″ across)
8) Fry on LOW heat, COVERED (you don’t have to cover them, but I did – it helps them to cook through) for 10 minutes – the bottom of each cake should be golden brown.
9) Flip with a metal spatula and cook for another 5-10 minutes until the other side is golden brown.
10) Cut open, spread with butter (you can add jam or other fruit preserves if you like), and serve – ideally while still hot from the pan.
 
 
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And there you have it. Welsh Cakes, or something like them. Quick, easy, and delicious. 🙂
 
 
TTFN,
Meliad the Birch Maiden.
 
 
[1] You can sub out part of this in favour of a dribble of oil, but the key is to get a “crumb” texture when you’ve combined the fat with the dry ingredients.