Welsh cakes (Picau ar y maen)
by Pam Corbin
Welsh cakes - or Teisen lap as they are referred to in Wales - are as symbolic of their country as the leek and daffodil. Similar to a scone, they are often referred to as `bakestones`, which harks back to times past when baking was done on a hot hearth or flagstone. These days, a good heavy-based frying pan will suffice.
Makes: 12
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
You will need:
250g self-raising flour
½ tsp sea salt
100g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
100g caster sugar, plus 1 tbsp to finish
100g currants
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp milk, plus a bit extra if needed
Method
1. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. With your fingertips, lightly rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, then add the caster sugar and currants. Mix in the beaten egg and bring the mixture together with a fork to form a soft dough, adding as much milk as you need to do so.
2. Turn onto a floured surface and use your palm or a rolling pin to pat or roll out the dough to a 6-7mm thickness. Using a scone cutter or upturned glass, cut out 6-7cm circles.
3. Heat an ungreased griddle or frying pan over a medium heat. It needs to be hot, but not so hot that it will blacken the cakes. Drop the cakes onto the hot surface and cook one side before turning over to cook the other. The rule of thumb is to cook for about three minutes on each side until a lovely medium caramel colour. If they are browning more quickly than this, your griddle is probably too hot.
4. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack and leave to cool. Before serving, sprinkle with a little caster sugar.
Variations:
Honey (Teisen mel) Replace the sugar with two level tablespoons of honey and add the grated zest of an unwaxed lemon or an orange.
Mincemeat (Teisen briwgig) Omit the milk and add three to four tablespoons of mincemeat to the mixture. Use a star cutter to shape festive cakes.
Leek and cheese (Teisen cennin) Soften 100g of finely sliced leeks in a little butter, cool and add to the dough with 50g of grated Cheddar or Caerphilly cheese.
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