Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus pawb/ Happy St David's Day everyone! To mark the occasion, I've done my own fresh take on the traditional Welsh cake, using two of my favourite flavour combinations.
For those of you who are unfamiliar, Welsh cakes are a traditional tea time treat here in Wales sometimes called 'bakestones' as they would have traditionally been cooked on a bake-stone. They're sort of a cross between a scone and a pancake, but they have their own unique taste and texture. Recipes have been passed down through generations, and they remain an essential purchase to eat in-hand when walking around any market in Wales as they're best served warm straight off the griddle!
I've got two different flavoured mixtures for you to try; a zesty milk chocolate and orange, and an aromatic white chocolate and cardamon. Give them a try and let me know how you get on, and remember that Welsh cakes can be eaten on any day of the year!
For the Milk Chocolate and Orange Welsh Cakes...
INGREDIENTS
- 225g Self-raising flour
- 110g Butter (unsalted)
- 65g caster sugar (golden or white)
- 100g milk chocolate chips
- 1 Egg
- TINY drizzle of milk (just to bring the dough together)
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg and cinnamon
- Zest of one small orange
- 1/2 teaspoon orange blossom extract
DIRECTIONS
Place the flour, nutmeg and cinnamon into a large bowl/mixer, add the butter (chopped) and rub in until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add the caster sugar, orange zest, orange blossom extract, milk chocolate chips, and the egg. Mix to combine, then form a ball of dough, using a tiny splash of milk.
Wrap the dough in clingfilm and leave to sit in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Once firm, roll out the dough until it is 5mm thick and cut into rounds with a 5-6cm cutter.
Rub a heavy based frying pan with butter and wipe the excess away. Heat the pan on medium heat. Once heated up, place the welsh cakes on the griddle and cook for 2 minutes (don't overcrowd as you'll need space to turn them). Gently turn over and cook for a further 2 minutes on the other side. Keep doing this regularly to avoid burning until they're cooked through. The longer you have the pan on, the quicker these will cook. Using chocolate also adds a little moisutre, so don't worry if they come off the heat with a little give.
Remove from the pan and dust with caster sugar when still warm.
For the White Chocolate and Cardamon Welsh Cakes...
INGREDIENTS
- 225g Self-raising flour
- 110g Butter (unsalted)
- 60g caster sugar (golden or white)
- 100g white chocolate chips
- 1 Egg
- TINY drizzle of milk (just to bring the dough together)
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 5 or 6 cardamon pods (seeds removed and finely ground in a pestle and mortar)
DIRECTIONS
Place the flour, nutmeg and ground cardamon seeds into a large bowl, add the butter (chopped) and rub in until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add the caster sugar, white chocolate chips, and the egg. Mix to combine, then form a ball of dough, using a tiny splash of milk.
Wrap the dough in clingfilm and leave to sit in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Once firm, roll out the dough until it is 5mm thick and cut into rounds with a 5-6cm cutter.
Rub a heavy based frying pan with butter and wipe the excess away. Heat the pan on medium heat. Once it's heated up, place the welsh cakes in the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Gently turn over and cook for a further 2 minutes on the other side. Keep doing this regularly to avoid burning until they're cooked through. The longer you have the pan on, the quicker these will cook. Using chocolate also adds a little moisture, so don't worry if they come off the heat with a little give.
Remove from the pan and dust with caster sugar when still warm.
I hope you have with fun these! Just keep a constant watch as they burn easily. As long as you keep turning them regularly, you'll be fine :)
If you'd rather have a go at a traditional Welsh cake first, you can use the milk choc and orange recipe and just switch out the chocolate chips for 80g of currants, and take out the orange blossom extract and zest. If you want them sweeter, add an extra 15g of caster sugar.
As ever let me know how they go, and don't forget to take a snap and tag me on instagram if you give them a try. Mwynhewch!