WELSH CAKES (Currant Round Griddle Butter Scones)
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Ingredients
| 12 tbsp. | cool unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks) | | 1-1/2 to 2 cup | all purpose flour | | 1/3 cup | sugar | | 1/4 tsp. | salt (scant if using salted butter) | | 1 dash | of grated nutmeg | | 1/8 tsp. | ground black pepper | | 1/8 tsp. | cinnamon | | 1/8 tsp. | powdered ginger | | 1 dash | of ground cloves | | 1/2 cup | currants | | 2 | extra lg. eggs |
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Instructions
BY HAND: Cut the butter into small pieces. Place 1 1/2 cups of the flour in a bowl. Add the butter and cut with a knife or a pastry cutter to blend together into the texture of coarse meal.
USING A FOOD PROCESSOR: Cut the butter into several chunks, place in a processor bowl with 1 1/2 cups flour, and process to the texture of coarse meal; turn out into a bowl.
Add the sugar, salt, spices, and currants to the flour mixture and stir to mix. Break the eggs into a bowl and beat briefly with a fork to blend, then add to the mixture. Turn and stir to moisten so it comes together as a firm, moist dough.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and flatten under you palms, or use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll it out to about 1/4 inch thick. Use a round 3-inch cookie cutter to cut out cakes. You should be able to get 12 or 13 from the dough.
Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. When it is hot, rub the cooking surface with a lightly buttered paper towel, then lower the heat to medium low. Wait several minutes, then place 3 or 4 rounds top side down in the skillet and cook for about 2 minutes. Flip them over and cook on the other side for 3 minutes. Both sides will be touched with brown and a little black; the cakes will have risen a little, and their sides will still be moist looking. Turn back over and cook on the first side for another minute or so. Lift out and onto a rack to cool and set for 10 minutes or more before eating. Cook the remaining cakes the same way. (If you have two skillets, once you’re comfortable with the timing, you can work with both.) Makes about 12 currant dotted, round butter rich scones. 3 to 3 1/2 inches across.
Author's Comments
In Welsh, the word for griddle in planc. In Welsh houses, food was traditionally cooked over an open fire, either in a large pot or on iron planc set over the coals. A cast iron or other heavy skillet on your stove top is a successful substitute for cooking these scone like griddle cakes. The heat must be moderate so the cakes have time to cook through before the outside gets too crisp. They’re also easy to make over a campfire, as long as you place the skillet over coals or at a distance from the flame so it doesn’t get too hot.
Home Baking
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