Welsh Griddle Cakes
Baked with Love!
– Valentine’s Day –
Love is in the Air with Romantic Welsh Griddle Cakes for Tea Time Treats
Tea Time Treats
I have already ventured into romantic culinary ideas and have suggested some savoury treats for the big “Lovey Dovey” day on the 14th February with My MasterChef Romantic Appetiser – Pan-fried Scallops with Black Pudding and Warm Fennel Salad a well as A Romantic Meal for Two – Pan-Fried Duck Breast Salad with Mixed Berries & Walnuts. I like to think that both of those meals will bring cupid and his bow to the table and hearts will fall from the skies…….but, where’s the SWEET stuff I hear you saying! Well, you could buy chocolates of course and they are always well received, however, what about a bit of romantic baking, some melt in the mouth griddle cakes perhaps? I know it’s usually all about cream filled squidgy cakes, but my husband is not a lover of cream and as I am still on the “New Year New Me” diet, I cannot eat a whole cake to myself, no matter how hard I try.
Welsh Griddle Cakes
We BOTH love things baked on the griddle however, and my home-made crumpets from last week certainly hit the tea time treats spot. I thought about what I could bake for February’s Tea Time Treats challenge, which is being hosted by the LOVELY Kate this month, her theme is “Romance” of course and I know she will be looking for delectable romantic treats. Kate is Welsh, so it was then that I had a blinding brainwave of an idea, I would make Welsh Griddle Cakes BUT, I would make them a wee bit sweet and soppy by cutting them out into heart shapes!
Welsh Griddle Cakes
This recipe is simple, it is from my mum and grandmother’s scrapbook, an amended recipe taken from my grandmother’s 1940’s Be-Ro cookbook. I am sure there are many variations on a Welsh Cake, but this is how we make ours. Welsh cakes, or Welsh Griddle Cakes are quite simply a cross between a scone and a pancake, or a drop scone – they are baked ON a griddle as opposed to being baked IN an oven. Welsh Cakes are also known as picau ar y maen, pice bach, cacen gri or teisen radelli in Welsh, not that I can pronounce them in Welsh! You may also hear people calling them “Bakestones”, with reference to the bake-stone that they are cooked on – a cast iron griddle which is placed on the fire or cooker. Whatever the name, all I know is that they are just delicious when eaten warm with a little butter or home-made jam. So why not rustle up a batch for your sweetheart this year. Not only are they wonderful for a romantic afternoon tea, but the children will love them and when they are back to school after half-term they will love a couple of these tucked into their lunch boxes, plus they can help you make them, up to the hot griddle stage that is.
Welsh Griddle Cakes
So Kate, my wee Welsh Dragon, here is my entry for February’s Tea Time Treats! I will be back tomorrow with another loved up recipe, see you then, Karen.
Romantic Welsh Griddle Cakes
Print recipe
| Serves | 15 to 18 Welsh Ca |
| Prep time | 5 minutes |
| Cook time | 6 minutes |
| Total time | 11 minutes |
| Region | British |
| By author | Karen S Burns-Booth |
Ingredients
- 225g self-raising flour
- pinch salt
- 110g butter (or margarine)
- 50g caster sugar
- 75g currants
- 1 medium free-range egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
- butter or oil (for greasing)
Note
The baking griddle should be well-greased and then heated until a little water sprinkled on the surface skips about in balls, evaporating. A frying pan makes a good substitute, but make sure it is a heavy based pan for even and good heat retention.
Directions
| Step 1 | Mix flour and salt together, rub in butter/margarine, then stir in sugar and currants. Mix to a fairly stiff dough with the egg and milk. |
| Step 2 | Roll out about 5 mm (¼ inch) in thickness and cut into rounds, or as I have done, stamp out heart shapes with a biscuit cutter, re-roll the trimmings to make more griddle cakes. |
| Step 3 | Cook on a moderately hot greased griddle for about 3 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and dust with caster sugar while still warm. Serve buttered, hot or cold. |
Welsh Griddle Cakes
so fabulous!havent tried these ….its pretty similar to smtg my grandma used to dish up..only hers had no egg,no currants but lots of fennel seeds.now i’m going to try these cute hearts!
LOVE the sound of your smtg as I adore fennel seeds!
Awwww, Karen, thank you so so much! I’m truly touched by the Welsh theme for your fab fab Tea Time Treats entry! These are my favourite ever Welsh bake-aren’t they just lush?! Diolch yn fawr-thank you!!x
De rien darlink! xxx
Delicious recipe will be making this for sure x
Thanks! SO lovely to see you posting again too….how is that wee babe?
Welshcakes! Hurrah 🙂 I love them, I was just reading your recipe wondering why it didn’t sound as familiar as I had expected and realised I’ve never made them in metric. I shall go and hide, and catch up with the twenty first century sometime presently 🙂
Thanks Penny! I have a confession to make, my gran’s original recipe was in Imperial and I had to try to convert the measurements, so used my trusty Be-Ro book to help, which is a similar recipe!
Nothing says I Love You quite like Griddle Cakes (a lot less calories than any other cakes anyway!). Lovely idea for Valentines.
Thanks! I love them as much as my husband, so it’s a win win situation when I bake these! xx
Romance and griddle cakes… who would have thought!
Looks perfect
Dave
Not a natural combination eh Dave? But it somehow works!
Love the look of these adorable griddle cakes. I wish I had the time to make them before tomorrow. They would be so sweet to wake up to.
Thanks! I DO love these little griddle cakes whether they be heart shaped or normal rounds!
Very nicely done, Karen. I would never have thought that Welsh Cakes could be made so special!
It’s funny how just cutting them into hearts makes them appear so special, they still taste the same however!
I can almost smell, them from here. I love stuff cooked on the girdle (as we call it in Scotland)and these look fun, esp with the heart shapes – you old romantic!
I call it a girdle too Janice, it is a Yorkshire saying as well, but was worried about spam if I had girdle in the title! LOL!
oh! Yum!
I have made Welsh cakes twice before and loved them!
I will certainly have to try this recipe very soon:)
Thanks Hesper, they are lovely little griddle cakes aren’t they?
They’re so cute! I really love anything with currants, so I’ll have to give these a go. I’ve been wanting a proper griddle for a long time and you’ve provided me with the perfect excuse to get one!
GO buy that griddle! LOL!
Mmm they do look scrummy, I shall add them to my long list of recipes to try 🙂
THANKS Mari! xx
Oh yum, my husband would love these!
I would welsh cakes and so does hubby, he will love me forever when i make these for him <3