Welsh Cakes (picau ar y maen)

Category, DifficultyBeginner

In Cardiff, Wales, there’s a big food market where you can get both fresh produce from regional farms, or very localised dishes to eat at plastic tables under the great glass roof. This market has been trading since the 1700’s, and is the best place to try Welsh food. It was here I sat and had a big hearty breakfast of blood pudding, eggs, cockles and laverbread (boiled minced seaweed from the British coastline). You’ll also find lines of Welsh grandmas, scooping up what look like little pancakes into paper bags as fast as they can and sprinkling with fine sugar as the orders pour in for one of the simplest, most addictive cakes you can ever imagine. Perfect with a cup of black tea and milk.

 

welsh cakes hot off the griddle
Yields20 Servings
Prep Time25 minsCook Time15 minsTotal Time40 mins
 ½ cup chilled unsalted butter
 1 ⅔ cups self raising cake flour
 ¼ cup sugar
 ¼ tsp ground allspice
 ½ cup golden raisins
 1 large egg, beaten
1

Rub the butter into the flour as you would if making scones, then stir in the sugar, spice, and dried fruit.

2

Add the egg to make a soft but not sticky dough. Form a disc, cover with plastic wrap, and leave in the refrigerator for a minimum of 20 minutes. This step is very important – don’t skip, or you will end up with a sticky mess!

3

Roll out on a floured surface to a thickness of about 1/4 inch, and cut out your little cakes with a round cutter about 3 inches wide; keep re-rolling until you have used all the dough.

4

Preheat a dry griddle or cast-iron frying pan and cook the cakes for about 3 minutes each side, until golden brown. Remove to a cold plate and sprinkle with sugar.

Ingredients

 ½ cup chilled unsalted butter
 1 ⅔ cups self raising cake flour
 ¼ cup sugar
 ¼ tsp ground allspice
 ½ cup golden raisins
 1 large egg, beaten

Directions

1

Rub the butter into the flour as you would if making scones, then stir in the sugar, spice, and dried fruit.

2

Add the egg to make a soft but not sticky dough. Form a disc, cover with plastic wrap, and leave in the refrigerator for a minimum of 20 minutes. This step is very important – don’t skip, or you will end up with a sticky mess!

3

Roll out on a floured surface to a thickness of about 1/4 inch, and cut out your little cakes with a round cutter about 3 inches wide; keep re-rolling until you have used all the dough.

4

Preheat a dry griddle or cast-iron frying pan and cook the cakes for about 3 minutes each side, until golden brown. Remove to a cold plate and sprinkle with sugar.

Welsh Cakes (picau ar y maen)