Welsh Cakes

Welsh Cakes, a traditional tea-time treat, are really easy to make. These little cakes can be traced back in time to one of the earliest forms of baking, where a flat-stone or bake-stone would be placed onto an open fire. This stone, the equivalent of today’s hotplate, was then used as the cooking surface for the Welsh Cakes. The cake mixture would be placed onto the stone and cooked on one side and then turned to cook the other side. They can be eaten warm from the stove, or stored in an airtight container for up to a week for later consumption.

Ingredients:

225g self-raising flour

110g butter, diced

85g caster sugar, plus extra for dusting

handful of sultanas

1 egg, beaten

milk, if needed

extra butter, for greasing
Method:

Sift the flour into a bowl and add the diced butter.

Rub with your fingertips, or pulse in a food processor, until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Add the sugar, sultanas and beaten egg and mix well to form a ball of dough, using a splash of milk if needed.

Roll the dough out on a floured board to a thickness of about 5mm/½in.

Cut into rounds with a 7.5–10cm/3-4in plain cutter.

Rub a bakestone or heavy iron griddle with butter, wipe away the excess and place on the hob until it is heated through.

Cook the Welsh cakes a few at a time for 2–3 minutes on each side, or until golden-brown.

Remove from the griddle and dust with caster sugar while still warm.