St. David’s Day is every March 1st and if you read my post from last year, you might recall that it is the celebration of St. David, the patron saint of Wales. If you can’t be in Wales to celebrate St. David’s Day, then you can at least make some Welsh Cakes right at home and enjoy with a cup of your favorite tea or if you’re really up for it, some Twinings Prince of Wales Tea!
What is a Welsh Cake? It’s like a cross between a pancake, cookie, or a scone but they are nothing like it. These are somewhat similar in appearance to Eccles Cakes but Welsh Cakes are a bit flatter than an Eccles Cake and unlike an Eccles Cake, Welsh Cakes are not filled. In order to make Welsh Cakes, these must be made on a griddle or a bake stone. Once you get the hang of cooking these, it’s literally a piece of cake!
- 225g/8oz plain flour
- 100g/4oz butter
- 75g/3oz caster sugar
- 50g/2oz currants (or raisins can be used)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp mixed spice (to make mixed spice, simply mix 1 tablespoon ground allspice, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of ground nutmeg, 2 teaspoons of ground mace, 1 teaspoon of ground cloves, 1 teaspoon of ground coriander, and 1 teaspoon of ground ginger)
- 1 egg
- A pinch salt
- A little milk to bind
Sift the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, mixed spice) together into a mixing bowl. Cut up the butter and rub into the flour. Stir in the sugar and fruit, pour in the egg and mix to form a 
dough, use a little milk if the mixture is a little dry. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about the thickness of a biscuit. Use a pastry cutter to cut out rounds. Cook the cakes on a greased bake stone or griddle until golden. The heat should not be too high, since the cakes will cook on the outside too quickly, and not in the middle. Once cooked sprinkle with caster sugar and serve with butter.
According to the Welsh Travel Website where this recipe comes from, an alternative you can try is mixed dried fruit or tropical fruit instead of currants or raisins. Some grated lemon or orange rind is also good, too! An unusual but delicious addition is 1 
teaspoon of lavender flowers with some citrus zest. Add a little orange juice, zest and icing sugar to some soft butter to serve with the Welsh cakes.
Have a Dydd Gwŷl Dewi (Sant) hapus!
-CD
