Tuesday 1st March 2016 is St David’s Day, so we’re celebrating the patron saint of Wales with these traditional Welsh cakes, perfect for accompanying a cup of coffee. St David was a bishop in the diocese of Menevia, Swansea, in the 6th century and later became canonised. He was a native of Wales, and as a bishop his life is relatively well-documented for someone of his period. This recipe for pice ar y maen or Welsh cakes is a simple treat for morning coffee time and perfect to make with children.
You’ll need:
What to do:
Sieve the flour into a large mixing bowl and stir in the sugar and salt. Rub in the butter with the tips of your fingers, as though you’re making pastry. Beat the egg in a separate bowl and add it to the flour mixture, working it with your fingers until you have a soft dough. If it seems a bit dry and all the flour mixture won’t work into the dough, add a little trickle of milk until it all incorporates without being sticky.
Tip the dough onto a work surface dusted with flour, and roll it out to about 1cm thick. Cut out rounds with a 6cm cutter. When you’ve finished, roll the leftover trimmings back into a ball and start again until all the dough is gone. Transfer the completed rounds to a lightly floured plate.
When all the rounds are cut, heavy the remaining butter in a heavy bottomed frying pan, or, if you have one, a special griddle pan. Cook the cakes through over a medium heat for a couple of minutes on eat side until golden brown and crisp. These are best eaten immediately with a large cup of coffee, but if there are any leftover they can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.
For the perfect accompaniment to your Welsh cakes, visit our main website at www.rijo42.co.uk for coffee beans, coffee accessories and coffee supplies.
