Rainy Fridays and Welsh Cakes

This is a very unusual post for me. I’m not known for my cooking. Well maybe I am, but what’s known isn’t good. I hate it, get out of it anyway I can (mostly by working my but off), and am no good at it when I do try it. But today . . .  I really wanted Welsh Cakes. They are a fried cookie, so for summer they work pretty good since you don’t have to heat up the oven to cook them.

I got to use my favorite cast iron frying pan, my grandmother’s old one piece rolling pin and my cowboy’s grandma’s cookie cutter (the whole in the top is just the size to stick my finger though and pop any ones that stick out of the cutter).

My father was a immigrant from Wales, “Rhydw’n hanner Cymraes” (I’m half Welsh). He taught me a little of the language which I think is real pretty, like people singing, which Welsh people are kind of known for (not me). Although, there aren’t many famous Welshmen (Tom Jones, the singer is the only one I know) and I think they like it that way. My mom went to visit once and she said everyone liked to sing in the pubs, hymns and such. She thought that was odd.

My dad (animals and little kids loved my dad) liked his food plain, meat and potatoes, not too much spice and he liked these cookies. So meat and potatoes I can cook (but lasagne or quiche are way out of my league) and these cookies. 

You know how friends share recipes sometimes, well, today I thought I maybe could share this one with you.

WELSH CAKES 

3 cups of flour

1 cup of sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/4 tsp. salt

2 tsp nutmeg

1 cup shortening (I use butter)

1 cup currants

2 eggs

6 Tbsp. milk

Sift dry ingredients, work in shortening ( I use a pastry blender), then add currants. Beat eggs and milk together and add to dry ingredients. Dough will be stiff. Chill for 1-2 hours. Roll out and cut with cookie cutter. Grease skillet (I never seem to have to) and heat (I find it takes a little practice to know what temperature to set the burner). Fry slowly a few minutes until tops puff and are shiny. Flip and bake other side to a golden brown. Cool on rack and store in tightly covered container (if you can keep people from eating them for that long).

I wish I liked cooking as much as I do roping. Happy TGIF.