Melt-In-Your-Mouth Welsh Cakes Recipe Is a Cross Between Pancakes & Biscuits by Donna John

Love pancakes? Can't get enough biscuits? Well, do I have a recipe for you! Welsh cakes are traditional sweet breads from Wales that are a cross between a pancake and a biscuit. No joke! Tender, melt-in-your-mouth Welsch cakes have been around since the late 19th century, but are apparently a secret in the U.S. But I'm letting the sweet secret out of the bag!

Welsh cakes are made with a fat, flour, sugar, dried fruit and are cooked on a griddle or in a skillet (preferably cast iron). These cakes, which can be served for breakfast, brunch or as a snack, are simple to prepare and cook. Here is your shopping list: flour, caster sugar (see Recipe Notes), baking powder, ground mace, salt, ground cinnamon, lard, butter, dried currants, eggs and milk.

Serve this tender Welsh cake recipe for breakfast or brunch with jelly or jam, or slice the cooked cakes open, toast them and spread with butter. Welsh cakes are best eaten hot the same day you've made them, but they can be reheated in a toaster or skillet, or quickly in the microwave.

Cuisine: Welsh
Prep Time: 20 minutes plus 30 minutes to chill dough
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 15

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup caster sugar (do not substitute, see Recipe Notes) 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mace
• large pinch of salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons lard, cold (do not substitute, see Recipe Notes)
• 4 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup dried currants
• 1  egg 
• 2 - 3 tablespoons milk
• granulated sugar, for sprinkling 

Recipe Notes

• Caster sugar is finer than granulated sugar but not as fine as powdered sugar. If you can't find caster sugar, you can make your own by pulsing granulated sugar until fine in a blender or food processor. You could also use superfine sugar. 

• You can substitute ground nutmeg for ground mace, if needed.

• Instead of currants, use whatever dried fruit you enjoy. Dates, raisins, cranberries or cherries would be delicious!

• Using anything but lard will affect the texture of the cakes.

• You can make the dough ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until ready to bake.

• Instead of granulated sugar, you could dip the tops in cinnamon-sugar.

Here's how to make it: 

1. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, mace and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. 
2. Add the lard and butter and use your hands or a pastry blender to cut it in until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the currants.
3. Add the egg and mix it into the batter, adding milk a little at a time, until a soft dough forms. The dough should not be wet or sticky. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. 
4. Put the dough onto a floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll it out to about a 1/4-inch thickness. Using a drinking glass or biscuit cutter, cut the dough into rounds. Take the scraps and re-roll to cut remaining biscuits. 
5. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat (you can add a tiny bit of butter to the pan, if desired). Add the cakes and cook until lightly browned on each side and cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove to a plate, then dip the tops into granulated sugar. Enjoy hot. 

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. Any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

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