Makes about 24
Lemon-flavored, and studded with golden raisins and currants, these crumbly Welsh cakes are made on a griddle. They come from Tottie Parmeter, who was raised in Cardiff, Wales. Her mother made them with lard and butter, she told "A Baker's Odyssey" author Greg Patent, "and the smell of lemon, wafting up from the griddle, just made my mouth water."
| 4 | cups flour |
| 2 | teaspoons baking powder |
| 1/4 | teaspoon salt |
| 1/2 | cup cold lard and 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut up or 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter |
| 3/4 | cup granulated sugar |
| 1/2 | teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg |
| 1/4 | teaspoon ground allspice |
| 1 | cup mixed golden raisins and currants |
| Grated rind of 1 lemon | |
| 1 | egg |
| 3 | tablespoons lemon juice |
| 3 | tablespoons whole milk, plus more if needed |
| Flour (for sprinkling) | |
| Sugar (for sprinkling) |
1. Have on hand an electric nonstick griddle pan or a heavy cast-iron pan, and a 2 1/2-inch plain round cutter. Line a baking sheet or tray with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the lard and butter, or just the butter, and using a pastry blender, or two knives, cut the fat into the flour until the particles are the size of small peas. With both hands, rub the dry ingredients rapidly between your fingers until the consistency is like coarse salt.
3. Stir in the sugar, nutmeg, allspice, raisins and currants, and lemon rind.
4. In a small bowl with a fork, beat the egg, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of milk.
5. Sprinkle the egg mixture over the flour mixture and use the fork to start stirring it in, tossing the dough until it forms medium clumps. Then reach into the dough with both hands and, working quickly, keep tossing it until it feels moist, squeezing the dough together to form one mass. If the dough won't hold together, add milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, and squeeze again. Keep the liquid to a minimum.
6. Flour the counter, place the dough on it, and roll over the dough to flatten it; continue rolling until it is 1/3-inch thick. Use the cutter to stamp out rounds. Transfer them to the sheet or tray. Reroll and restamp the scraps, using all the dough.
7. Heat the electric griddle to 250-275 degrees or the cast-iron skillet over low heat. Add as many cakes as will fit comfortably without touching. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until the bottoms are deep golden brown. Turn over carefully and cook the second sides for 5 to 6 minutes or until the cakes are cooked through. The tops will feel firm and the sides will have lost their softness; a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.
8. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack and sprinkle them with sugar. Cook the remaining cakes in the same way. Adapted from "A Baker's Odyssey"
