General Chat

My mother was a diehard butter addict, swore the extra fat kept her warm in the winter!! Only used sweet butter, unsalted, but seems to me at some point she did use lard, prob when butter was too expensive or unavailable in the 40's 50's for baking. 1 ounce per person per week didn't go too far when we were on rations.
I am just grateful she didn't use bacon fat in the Welsh cakes LOL. My grandmother in Llangollen unfortunately didn't leave me any recipes!!
Mary

Mmmm they sound deliciously rich!
Thank you for sharing the recipe.

I think Mum used a mixture of lard and marg / butter.
I used block margarine on Sunday and SR. butter.


Gwyn

Hi maxiMary, just looked at your mother's recipe ( adapted by you) and noticed that you use butter. It jogged my memory as I'm pretty sure that both my mother and mother-in-law always used butter in their Welsh Cakes too, but I don't know if their mothers used butter too. All the recipes I see use lard and margarine so I'm wondering if they used butter from choice.

Thank you for the recipe.

Love, Sallie.xx

Sorry to take so long - here's our recipe for Welsh cakes -
1 lb (4 cups) flour
1 tsp baking powder
10 oz (1 1/4 cups) butter
6 oz (3/4 cup) sugar
pinch of salt
6 oz (1 1/2 cups currants)
1/2 tsp mixed spice (see note below)
1 egg
wee bit milk (approx 3 tbsp)

Mix together flour, bkg powder & salt, then cut in butter until crumbly. Add sugar, spice and fruit.
Mix in beaten egg, and add milk slowly until consistency of pie pastry.
Roll out on floured board to about 1/2 " thickness. Cut in rounds, cook on lightly greased griddle, medium temp, for approx 4 minutes each side.
If desired sprinkle white sugar on cooked cakes, and enjoy.
Note: we are unable to obtain mixed spice here, so make our own from equal quantities of cinnamon, coriander, caraway, nutmeg, ginger & cloves.

I nudged that one up Gwyn for Uzzi.

Any family recipes would be good to share.Not just Welsh ones.

If you have a special favourite, it doesn't matter what country it is from.

Please feel free to add.

EDIT
I've just seen that the culinary delights thread has been brought back to life, - that's great, so maybe that should be the place for more recipes?
I don't mind which......


Gwyn

Gwyn when you say any other family recipes would be welcome do you mean only Welsh recipes?

Thank you Mary.
A variation on the recipe would be great, please.
I expect all our mothers used the same basic idea and then added ingredients to suit their own family. I made a batch yesterday using a blend of the recipes from BBC and the ingredients posted on this thread.
New ideas are welcome.

Any other family recipes would be welcome too

Gwyn

I LOVE them too. such memories . . . my recipe is an adptation of my mother's recipe, as the flour is different here, and we no longer weigh ingredients, use cupsful and teasopoons. If you'd like the recipe I am happy to share. Love Bara brith as well, don't forget to soak the fruit in strong tea before using!!
Mary

Thank you Sallie...and Shaun

The proportions of fat to flour seem the same.
I like mixed spice so will add that too.

Like you, I'd not thought of a port soaking!
I think I'll leave that out of this batch, as teenage grandson is likely to eat rather alot of them over the next week.

Gwyn

Hi Gwyn, just got this recipe from Shaun, hope it's of some help to you.

PICE AR Y MAEN / WELSH CAKES
8ozs plain flour , 2ozs margarine , 2ozs lard, 3ozs sugar 2ozs currants, 1 egg,
half a teaspoon of baking powder, quater a teaspoon of mixed spice pinch of salt and a little milk. Rub fat into flour, add dry ingredients and mix well then add the egg and milk. Mix into a stiff paste, roll out to how thick you like them then cut into rings and bake on a girdle. I have not got a girdle so use frying pan. I'm also a bit naughty because if I have planed to make Welsh cakes I soak the currants in a little port over night,

Never thought about soaking the currants in port overnightLOL!


Love Sallie.

Thank you both for the suggestions.

I've just copied down a recipe and noticed one for Bara Brith too.
Maybe I ought to try that as well.

I'll be ready for St David's Day !

Gwyn

There is one on the BBC Website, from the Hairy Bikers Mums Know Best Series:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/welsh_cakes_16706

Hi Gwyn, if you go on Shaun's Wales thread on Chat, you might find that one of them on there will have a recipe. Even Shaun himself, might have one, as he does do quite a bit of cooking coooking himself.

I love Welsh cakes myself, but haven't made any for years, so have forgotten the recipe that my nan and mother used.


Good luck. Sallie.xx

Has anyone got a tried and tested recipe please?
I can't find the one I've used before and it's ages since I made them.

I know I can Google search, but would prefer a 'home' recipe.
I have Mum's old bakestone, so know how to cook them.

Thanks

Gwyn