Welsh Cakes
6
- Prep Time30 min
- Total Time1 h 15 min
- Makes20 cakes
Recipes and text by Camilla Wynne. Photography by Mickaël A. Bandassak. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the publisher. All rights reserved.
Camilla Wynne recaptures the beloved cookie-scone hybrid of her youth in this recipe, excerpted from her latest cookbook, Nature’s Candy.
Ingredients
210 g (1 1⁄2 cups) all-purpose flour
200 g (1 cup) sugar, divided
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg, divided
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground mace (optional)
58 g (1/4 cup) lard or shortening, cold, cubed
58 g (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, cold, cubed, plus more for frying
50 g (1/3 cup) currants
2 tbsp minced candied kumquat or clementine (see below)
1 egg, beaten
30–45 mL (2 to 3 tbsp) whole milk
Instructions
To begin, in a medium bowl, combine the flour, 100 g (1⁄2 cup) sugar, 1⁄2 tsp nutmeg, baking powder, salt and mace, if using. Add the lard and butter and use your fingers to rub it in until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the currants and candied fruit.
In a measuring cup, combine the egg and 2 tbsp milk, then pour into the flour mixture. Stir until a pliable dough with no dry bits forms. If it’s too dry, add up to 1 tbsp of additional milk. Alternatively, if the dough is too soft, chill in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 min to firm up.
On a lightly floured work surface, pat down the dough, dust with flour and roll out to 1⁄4 in. thick. Cut into 20 rounds using a 2 1⁄4-in. cutter (preferably fluted). You will need to gather the scraps and roll out again to get 20 rounds.
In a small bowl, combine the remaining sugar and nutmeg. Set a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Set aside.
To cook, heat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat and grease modestly with butter. In batches, cook the Welsh cakes, leaving at least 1⁄2 in. of space between them, until golden brown, 2 to 3 min per side.
When the cakes are ready, transfer one at a time to the sugar-nutmeg mixture and coat on both sides. Transfer to the prepared wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. Cakes will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Kitchen tips
No currants? Use raisins or dried cranberries. You can also use store-bought candied citrus peel or omit it altogether—you’ve still got a Welsh cake. Alternatively, follow this almost-all-purpose candied fruit recipe to whip up your own candied fruit.
Excerpted from Nature's Candy by Camilla Wynne. Copyright © 2024 Camilla Wynne. Photographs by Mickaël A. Bandassak. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the publisher. All rights reserved.
Check out two additional recipes for candied fruit from Nature’s Candy by Camilla Wynne.
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Camilla Wynne is a Toronto-based cookbook author, writer and recipe developer. Her most recent cookbook is Nature's Candy.
