Traditional Welsh Cakes

Take a bite out of something that is actually sweet, spicy, and everything lovely to alleviate the boredom brought on by this commercialized celebration of love?

What Are Welsh Cakes?

Welsh cakes, which are similar to scones, are light and delicate teacakes with a charmingly rustic and casual flavor. Milk is added in the form of “splashes” to help the dough come together, and the pancakes are grilled instead of baked.

They’re like a cross between a currant scone and a stack of fluffy pancakes, and they’re perfect for a romantic breakfast. To go with a cup of strong English tea, they are delicately sweet and mildly flavored with nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon.

When they are warm and a little fluffy inside and have a slightly crispy surface from the caramelized sugar and butter, they are ideal when bit straight from the griddle.

Ingredients:

• 1 beaten egg
• 2 cups of self-rising flour or 2 cups of all-purpose flour with 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ cup of butter (cold and diced; more for the griddle)
• ½ cup of superfine sugar
• ½ cup of currants
• 2-4 tablespoons of milk1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon of allspice
• ⅛ teaspoon of cinnamon

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt. Blend the butter in by either rubbing it in with your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. A food processor can be used instead.
2. Put in the sugar, currants, and spices and stir everything together using a wooden spoon. Mix in the egg and enough milk to make a dough that’s pliable but not sticky. About four teaspoons would have been ideal for me. Pie crust dough is what you’re going for here. No more than a few quick kneads should be enough to bring it all together. Welsh cakes that are too tough are a disaster.
3. The dough should be rolled out to a thickness of about 1/4 inch on a lightly floured board. Use a pastry cutter to slice the dough into rounds until all of the dough is gone (just ball up any excess and re-roll in order to cut out as many as you can). To make this, I took a 2-inch circle with scallops and a heart of the same size.
4. Spread some butter in a griddle or heavy frying pan and cook it over medium heat. There’s room for seven welsh cakes in my cast-iron pan, and that only requires a thin pat for each batch.
5. Welsh cakes should be cooked for about 3–4 minutes on each side over medium heat or until they are firm and golden. Careful with the initial flip; they’re still a little delicate, like American pancakes. It’s possible you’ll need to adjust the temperature somewhere in the middle of cooking. I varied the volume between medium and low.
6. Cakes should be cooked in batches and allowed to cool on a wire rack between baking sessions. They taste greatest when served warm and freshly prepared. They are deliciously dusted with powdered sugar and paired with a hot cup of tea.