Welshcakes
The art of a good Welshcakes is to cook them quickly on both sides so that they stay moist in the centre, but take care not to burn them!
Ingredients (makes 15-18)
225g self-raising Flour
pinch of salt
1 tsp mixed spice (a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves)
100g butter or margarine
75g caster sugar
75g mixed currants & sultanas
1 large egg beaten
Grated rind of half a lemon
Method
Sieve the flour, salt and spice into a mixing bowl. Rub in the fats until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, lemon rind and dried fruit. Pour in the beaten egg and stir to make a firm dough.
On a floured board, roll or press the dough to approximately ¼ inch (5mm) thick. Cut into discs with a 1 ½ or 2 inch (4 / 5 cm) cutter. Or cut into squares, you will not need to keep re-rolling if you use this shape.
Bake the Welshcakes on a medium hot griddle, turning once, until golden brown on both sides but still a little soft in the middle. Dust with caster sugar while still hot. If you do not have a griddle you could use a heavy base frying pan, lightly buttered.
For a modern twist why not try baking Chocolate and Orange Welshcakes. Just substitute the 75g of the dried fruit with chocolate chips and replace the lemon rind with the zest of an orange.
Welshcakes are best eaten warm but will keep for up to 10 days in an airtight container. You can also serve them with lightly-whipped fresh cream and jam.