Thanks for
having me along today, ladies. I’m delighted to have the chance to share a
recipe that’s been in my family for generations. Welsh cakes are traditional
tea-time treats in Wales, and every home will have its own recipe for ‘the
perfect Welsh cakes’. (Everyone swears theirs are the best!) With that in mind,
I’ll mention some alternative choices up-front: I use currants whereas some
will prefer sultanas – if that’s a switch you choose to make, don’t add the
sultanas until after you’ve rubbed
the flour, salt and sugar to the breadcrumb stage…sultanas will squish; also, I
use all butter, while I know many people (my mother included) prefer to use all
cooking margarine, or half and half; finally, some will use the same amount of
sugar as butter, but I find this too sweet, hence the slightly reduced amount.
Ingredients:
1 lb
all-purpose flour
7 ozs
granulated sugar
1/4 tsp fine
salt
6 ozs
currants
7 ounces
chilled, cubed butter (I prefer slightly salted)
1 medium egg
Milk (as
necessary)
Flour for
rolling out
(Makes about
40 cakes, using 2 inch-diameter cutter)
Equipment:
Bakestone
(this is a large, flat disk made of cast iron – you’ll find most Welsh
households have one. It’s placed directly on the heat. When I migrated to
Canada I carried mine in my suitcase – it takes a lot to separate a Welshwoman
from her bakestone!)
Alternatively
– cast iron griddle or cast iron pan
Fork
Cutting ring
– your choice of diameter – I used 2 inches, fluted edge is traditional
Rolling pin
Metal
spatula/slice for flipping while cooking
Method:
1) Bring
bakestone/griddle to high heat, then turn down to low – heat needs to be
constant when you’re cooking
2) Mix
flour, salt, sugar and currents together
3) Rub
butter into the mixture until you achieve a breadcrumb-like consistency
4) Make a
well, crack in your egg
5) With a
fork, whisk the mixture into the egg, adding milk as you go to produce a
dry-ish mix that just hold and squashes together
6) Place in
a mound on a floured surface, roll out to about one quarter of an inch thick
7) Cut
rounds and place them on a large, cold plate
8) Put one
cake on your griddle to test temperature – the heat needs to brown the cake
without burning it. You flip it over just once, then cook until it’s no longer
squishy – meaning the center has cooked. This test allows you to work out
temperature and timing. Usually the first one doesn’t work out too well, which
is why you try just one, rather than loading the griddle.
9) Load the
bakestone/griddle and turn cakes just once.
10) Allow to
cool.
11) To be
served cold, without butter, jam, or anything at all – they are perfect just as
they are!
Either store
in an airtight container for a week, or freeze (for up to three months) and
allow to thaw naturally.
I'm delighted to offer a giveaway--a copy of The Case of the Missing Morris Dancer. Leave a comment below and I'll choose one winner (randomly!). US and Canadian comments welcome!
I'm delighted to offer a giveaway--a copy of The Case of the Missing Morris Dancer. Leave a comment below and I'll choose one winner (randomly!). US and Canadian comments welcome!
ABOUT THE
BOOK: In the second WISE Enquiries Agency Mystery, THE CASE OF THE MISSING
MORRIS DANCER, Henry, eighteenth Duke of Chellingworth, is getting married. One
of the troupe of Morris dancers due to lead the duke and his freshly-minted
duchess from the church to their stately home has disappeared, threatening this
critical (to the local community) Welsh wedding tradition. The four women of
the WISE Enquiries Agency – one is Welsh, one Irish, one Scottish and one
English, hence the acronym, who are softly-boiled but utterly professional
private investigators working out of a converted barn on the spectacular
Chellingworth estate in Powys, Wales – are aided and abetted by Althea Twyst, the
dowager duchess, as they investigate the case and try to save the day. As a
part of the wedding festivities the Young Wives’ Group in the village of
Anwen-by-Wye, led by the indomitable Marjorie Pritchard, have to produce a
couple of thousand Welsh cakes. Marjorie’s militaristic planning of the task is
quite spectacular!
“This charming sequel
to The Case of the Dotty Dowager will delight M.C. Beaton and Jeanne M. Dams
readers as the lively ladies use their individual talents to track down their
quarry.” Library Journal, January 2016. The book is released in February
2016, and can now be ordered at your local bookstore, online, or at your local
library. (NOTE: In April 2016, Cait Morgan Mystery #7, THE CORPSE WITH THE
GARNET FACE, is published.)
ABOUT THE
AUTHOR: Cathy Ace was born and raised in Swansea, South Wales, and worked in
marketing communications for decades across Europe. Having migrated to Canada
in 2000, she now lives in beautiful British Columbia, where her ever-supportive
husband (and two chocolate Labradors) ensure she’s able to write full-time. Cathy
writes two series of mystery books: the Cait Morgan Mysteries, and the WISE
Enquiries Agency Mysteries. Her fourth Cait Morgan Mystery, The Corpse with the
Platinum Hair, won the 2015 Bony Blithe Award for Best Canadian Light Mystery.
You can find
out more about Cathy and both her series of traditional, cozy mysteries at her
website (and sign up for her newsletter on the homepage) at: http://cathyace.com/
Like Cathy’s
Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/Cathy-Ace-Author-318388861616661/?ref=hl
Follow Cathy
on Twitter: @AceCathy
