WELSH CAKES

Welsh Cakes image

Welsh cakes are sweet little cakes that are crisp on the outside and tender, crumbly on the inside. The right pan temperature is a key to this recipe. Jamie Oliver's recipe for Welsh cakes has the extra bonus of whipped cream and berries. You can serve the Welsh cakes plain and they are still really yummy. See note below to make...

Provided by Kathy D

Time 1h

Number Of Ingredients 14

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Ingredients

3 1/4 c self-rising flour, plus extra for dusting
2/3 c granulated sugar
1 tsp mixed spice (see note to make your own batch)
18 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold
1 pinch sea salt
2/3 c mixed raisins and sultanas
1 large egg
a couple splashes of milk
FILLING (OPTIONAL):
1 1/4 c double cream
1 Tbsp (heaping) granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
4 c fresh berries (such as: strawberries, raspberries, blackberries)
lemon

Steps:

1. Sift the flour into a large bowl and add the sugar and mixed spice. Slice up the butter and add to the mixture with a pinch of salt. Rub this mixture together until you reach a fine breadcrumb consistency. Mix in the raisin and sultana combination.
2. Form a well in the middle of the mixture, crack in an egg and add a splash of milk. Use a fork to mix this all together. Then, use your hands to pat and form the mixture into a dough ball (do not over work).
3. Place a large, heavy-bottomed, non-stick skillet (or a cast iron skill will work) over medium heat. Meanwhile, dust some flour onto a work surface and roll the dough into an inch-thick disc. Use a round pastry cutter to cut out about 4-inch rounds. Gather the dough and roll out to cut more rounds; continue until the dough is gone.
4. Test pan temperature by cooking one Welsh cake for a few minutes. If the cakes are too light, you know you'll have to turn the heat up, if the cakes are too dark, you'll have to turn the heat down and wait a few minutes. Once you can cook a cake to a golden brown color, 4 minutes per side, you know you're ready to cook up the rest. Cook them up in batches. As you take them out of the pan, place onto a wire rack and sprinkle with sugar while hot.
5. You can serve them as is, or with a filling. If you'd like to serve with a filling, gently cut each cake apart for a top and bottom. Whip the cream, sugar, and vanilla paste together until you get soft peaks. Put the berries into a bowl (slice up larger berries) and toss them with the lemon juice and a sprinkling of sugar. Open the cakes up and add a dollop of whipped cream, top with berries, and add the top cake. Enjoy!