Welsh Cakes From Yorkshire (and gin)

Last weekend me and Rach had plans to bake some cupcakes and drink some cocktails at my house for a chilled friday night in (chocolate cupcakes with choc orange icing and gin, cucumber and elderflower cocktails, if you were wondering).

I used the Hummingbird book recipe for chocolate cupcakes and for the buttercream- i swear i had used this before- but they were very dry and just. blah. I always find this with chocolate cupcakes, is it from the extra dryness from the cocoa powder? Its def a weak point of mine! The "buttercream" icing was even worse! milk in icing?! are you crazy!! The only good bit was the orange flavoring which of course was from a supermarket and nothing to do with the hummingbird book. What a shame!
I should have stuck with good old nigella or the flawless magnolia bakery cupcake recipe. Shame on me! I will not even put you off your dinner with pictures because they looked very rude. Have you ever tried to use piping bags and chocolate icing for the first time after a few gin cocktails and a long day?

It was as very immature (hilarious).

It was also St.Davids day and rachel suggested we make welsh cakes, these were easy peasy and very tasty and very gin cocktail and gossip proof! We also cooked them in lard. This is very appealing after a  few drinks. I wanted to add bacon. I also insisted we use my teapot cookie cutter. This was an excellent decision.

We used James Martin's recipe from his book My Kitchen. Im not 100% i even like welsh cakes. Im not even 100% sure they were cooked all the way through. Im 100% it was way past bedtime at this point. But he is northern and strangely handsome. If he says make the welsh cakes. We make the welsh cakes.

225g plain flour

85g caster sugar

1/2tsp mixed spice

1/2tsp baking powder

50g butter cut into small pieces

50g lard small pieces and some for frying

50g currents

1 egg beaten

By hand mix the butter and dry ingredients til combined and crumbly. 

Add the currents. Mix in the egg and by hand mix until you have a dough. Add a bit of milk if needed.

Roll out on floured surface and cut with cutters. Making sure they're not too thin!

Heat a griddle and use some of the lard to grease. 

Cook the cakes a few minutes each side until golden brown.

Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve with jam and butter or enjoy on their own! (or with bacon and maple syrup... or ketchup... mmm)

Holly x