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Welsh cakes
Picau ar y maen: griddle cakes with currants
Welsh cakes, picau ar y maen or 'cakes on the stone', are cooked on a cast-iron bakestone in kitchens across Wales and sold warm at markets and rugby matches, and they are a must on St David's Day, 1 March. The dough is like a rich scone with currants and mixed spice, and they are dusted with sugar while hot. Chef's tip: keep the heat medium-low; they need time for the middle to cook before the outside darkens.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 18
Ingredients
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Rub the 3 ⅞ oz butter into the 8 oz self-raising flour, ½ tsp mixed spice and 1 pinch salt until it looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in the 2 ⅝ oz caster sugar and 2 ⅛ oz currants.
6 minStep 2: Add the 1 egg and 1 tbsp milk and bring together into a soft dough, like shortcrust pastry.
2 minStep 3: Roll out 6 mm thick on a floured worktop and cut 6 cm rounds.
5 minStep 4: Heat a bakestone or heavy frying pan over a medium-low heat and grease very lightly. Cook the cakes in batches for 2–3 minutes a side, until golden brown and risen and the sides no longer look damp. A common mistake is a too-hot pan, which leaves raw centres.
15 minStep 5: Dust with caster sugar while warm and eat the same day.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 130 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does welsh cakes take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 18 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of self-raising flour?
- Plain flour + 2 tsp baking powder per 150g (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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