Welsh Cakes

Course Breakfast

Cuisine British, Welsh

Keyword Black Currants

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Servings

Author Shireen Sequeira

Equipment

Non stick or cast iron griddle (tawa)
6 cm or 2-1/2 inch round or fluted cookie cutter (or any metal or plastic ring that helps cut out shapes)

Ingredients

225 grams/8 oz self raising flour (see notes)
pinch of salt
110 grams unsalted butter *see notes
85 grams / 3 oz caster sugar
85 grams black currants (large black kishmish)
1 egg lightly beaten
1 tablespoon milk (optional, you may not need to use it at all)
caster sugar for icing
oil for shallow frying

Instructions

In a large bowl sift in the flour (and the salt & baking powder if you are making your own self raising flour). Add the butter and rub it well with the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Stir in the sugar & currants.
Add the egg and knead the mixture into a smooth dough. Add drops of the milk or just moisten your fingers with milk to aid kneading. The dough should be smooth & not sticky
On a well floured working surface, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out circles of the dough using the cookie cutter. Gather the trimmings and roll into a dough again and cut out more circles until all the dough is used up.
Grease the griddle with oil and fry the cakes on 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Dust generously with caster sugar & serve warm or cold.
Store the extra cakes in an airtight box for 2-3 days at room temperature or in the fridge for upto a week.

Notes

1. Self raising flour is nothing but regular all purpose flour (maida) + baking powder. To make your own at home, place 1-1/2 teaspoons of baking powder+1/2 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup (237ml measure), sift flour into the cup and you are ready to go.
2. The original recipe calls for 55grams of white cooking fat (lard) + 55grams of butter. Instead of lard, you may use vanaspati/dalda but I simply substituted it with butter.