Welsh Cakes

by David Leite
Makes about 1 dozen cakes

The secret to perfect cakes is the bakestone, called a planc or maen in Welsh. Essentially a thick cast-iron griddle, it heats slowly and evenly. A cast-iron frying pan or even an electric griddle will work nicely in its place. Whatever pan you use, don’t overcrowd it; you’ll need the extra room to reposition the cakes during cooking to avoid burning them.—David Leite

convert Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup (4 ounces) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
1/3 cup sultanas or golden raisins
1/3 cup dried currants
1 large egg, well beaten

Method
1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, pulse the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until thoroughly blended. Add the butter pieces, and process until powdery, about 15 to 20 one-second pulses.

2. Dump the mixture into a large bowl, add the dried fruits and the egg, and mix with a fork to form a firm dough. (If it appears dry, work it with your hands until it comes together.) Turn the dough out onto a clean surface, and knead it several times.

3. Lightly flour the surface and roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/2 an inch. Using a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter, cut out the disks, pressing firmly to cleanly cut through the dried fruits. Gather any leftover dough, knead briefly, reroll, and repeat.

4. Heat a lightly buttered cast-iron frying pan or griddle over medium heat. Place 3 or 4 cakes in the pan and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, adjusting the heat and repositioning the cakes until they’re an even pancake-brown. Flip and cook another 3 to 4 minutes. Continue until all the cakes are cooked. Let cool completely before serving. The cakes will keep for a week wrapped in plastic in a cookie tin.

Recipe © 2003 David Leite. All rights reserved.
© 2009 Leite’s Culinaria, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use.