Charlotte Pike

Food & Drink Expert

Baking

Welsh Cakes

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I first tasted an excellent Welsh Cake on a trip to Cardiff around five years ago. I was visiting with my sister, and we decided to take a walk around the waterfront. We passed a tiny shop, which had just enough space for a small counter and griddle, on which a steady stream of fresh Welsh cakes were cooked and sold piping hot in paper bags. I couldn’t resist buying a few, and I can only describe them as a complete revelation. I would liken them to scones; when shop bought, they are hideous, but when cooked fresh, they are scrumptious – soft, light dough, packed with juicy sultanas and a faint spicy note, topped with a light dusting of crunchy sugar.

I’ve been meaning to make them ever since, but producing four cookbooks in quick succession has left me with less time for experimentation than I’d have liked. However, I’ve finally had time to have a play around and have come up with this recipe. It’s based on a Be Ro recipe which must be 30 years old at a guess, but I’ve adjusted the quantities and flavourings to make it even more delicious. I do hope you enjoy them, too. They’re ever so easy to make, and would be really fun to make with children, too.

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Welsh cakes

Makes around 20

Ingredients

500g self-raising flour, plus extra for the work surface

100g caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

1 generous pinch sea salt

1 tsp mixed spice

250g salted butter

150g sultanas

1 large egg, beaten

3 tbsp whole milk

Method

Place the flour, sugar, salt and spices into a large mixing bowl and stir well to evenly distribute the flavourings amongst the flour. Add the sultanas and stir again.

Next, whisk the egg and milk together, and pour into the dry ingredients. Gently stir to form a stiff dough.

Lightly dust the work surface with flour and turn out the dough. Roll it in flour to cover all surfaces and roll out to just under 1cm thick. Taking a 5-6cm round cutter, stamp out discs of dough. Bring the remaining dough into a ball and roll again, using a little more flour if you need it.

Once all your dough is used, place a large non-stick frying pan onto a medium heat to warm. Your pan needs to be hot, but not smoking, or too hot even, as the Welsh cakes will burn too quickly. Place the discs into a dry pan and cook for around 3-4 minutes on each side until they are a medium brown colour. Transfer to a wire rack to cool before eating. They keep well for 3-4 days, stored in an airtight container.

 

Lemon Butter Biscuits

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Being the busy bunny that I am, I frequently receive visitors at home or pop to see friends and family. A home baked treat is always well received, and for me, it always must be homemade.

You see, it’s not about projecting images of being a domestic goddess – that I do not claim (or have any desire) to be. Cooking, for me is something I do for pleasure, especially baking. But I also fundamentally believe in using the very best ingredients I can find, which I believe taste better and are better for our planet, environment and health. It’s worth remembering just how much better these are for you than shop-biscuits, which are packed full of synthetic ingredients. Biscuits are hardly health food, but at least you know exactly what’s in them, and it’s all natural.

That’s why I’m such a fan of these simple lemon butter biscuits. They’re so easy to make and keep very well in an airtight container. I’ll make a batch and keep them stashed for any visits, and they’ll always disappear quickly. I think there’s something especially enticing about home baked biscuit, as they can be bought two-a-penny, so many people don’t think to make them.

But these, made from good quality butter, British flour, Organic lemons, local free-range eggs and fair trade sugar represent everything I think baking should be about: making delicious treats from superb quality ingredients. Then, it’s nothing but a pleasure for everyone involved.

N.B. The ratio of ingredients in these biscuits is the simple foundation for any butter biscuit recipe. Lemon is a lovely flavour to use here, but feel free to play.

Lemon Butter Biscuits 

Makes around 12-16, depending on size

Ingredients 

100g caster sugar

130g butter

Pinch salt

Finely grated zest of two unwaxed lemons

1 large egg, beaten

200g plain flour

Method 

Place the sugar, butter, salt and lemon zest together into a bowl. Beat together well until light and fluffy. Add the beaten egg and mix well. Sift in the flour and mix to form a stiff dough.

Bring the dough together to form a flat-ish disc. Wrap in cling film and chill for 20-20 minutes until firm. Forming a disc, rather than a ball, will help your dough to chill evenly throughout.

When the dough is firm and chilled, preheat the oven to 180C Fan. Line two baking trays with non-stick baking paper and set aside.

Pinch of pieces of dough and roll into balls, about 1” in circumference. Flatten and place well spread out on the baking trays. Bake for around 12 minutes until crisp and lightly browned around the edges. Allow to cool fully on a wire rack before eating.

Cinnamon, sultana and oat cookies

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I’ve been having a play around with cookies recently. After working on a chocolate cookie recipe, I wanted to experiment with an oat cookie.

The classic combination is oat and raisin and this is something I’ve worked with. In fact, I have a recipe in my book for oat and sultana cookies.

Personally, I only cook with sultanas as I’m not keen on the flavour or texture of raisins. However, I’m absolutely not a fan of either when they are baked as they tend to go a bit crusty for my liking. I thought about how best to overcome this and went for soaking them in tea for half an hour before using them. This turned out to be a good call, as the flavour of the tea was subtle, enhancing the flavour of the sultanas, which stayed lovely and juicy.

The salt and two sugars give a lovely flapjack-like texture and depth of flavour and are a combination I shall certainly use again.

I’ll warn you – these are moreish – a cross between a cookie and a flapjack. Although they don’t look particularly spectacular, they really are delicious and I guarantee they won’t hang around for long. They are brilliant for picnics, packed lunches and for a mid-morning or afternoon nibble, and I’m sure children would adore them, too.

Cinnamon, sultana and oat cookies

Makes 12

Ingredients

175g sultanas

1 cup Earl Grey tea

150g butter

150g light brown soft sugar

70g Demerara sugar

1 large egg, beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

150g plain flour

1 pinch sea salt

2 heaped tsp ground Organic cinnamon

150g rolled oats

Method

Put the sultanas and tea in a bowl for about 30 minutes to soften. Drain and set aside.

Cream the butter and sugars together in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer. Add the beaten egg, vanilla and beat again. Now add the flour, salt and cinnamon. Mix well and finally, add the sultanas and oats and stir in. Bring together into a ball, flatten and wrap in baking paper. Refrigerate until firm.

Preheat the oven to 170C/Gas Mark 3.

Pinch off evenly-sized pieces of dough and roll them into ball. Place well spread out in the prepared baking sheets and flatten slightly.

Bake for 15 minutes. They should be a medium brown colour around the edges and a little soft still in the centre. Remove from the oven. Cool on a tray for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool fully.