Pages

Thursday 1 March 2012

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus!

Happy St David's Day.



It's 1 March, the one day of the year that Welsh people everywhere get in touch with their inner nationalist. Children all over Wales have been taking part in eistddfodau, cultural competitions that involve singing, dancing, poetry readings and art. The younger ones will be dressed up in costume and wearing the daffodil or leek with pride. St David's Day is a not an uproarious drunken celebration but a day for the nation to take quiet note of its long history.

Today I'm going to give you a little taste of Wales. Traditionally cawl, a lamb stew is eaten, but I'm going to give you a recipe for something more yummy, Welsh cakes or picau ar y maen.

I'd like to say that this recipe was handed down from my mother. It's not. She did everything by sight and didn't possess a set of scales. On the numerous occasions I've asked her she's said that you just judge it.
Right!

This recipe is in Imperial. For metric I'll give you links to other recipes with better photos.

Picau ar y Maen
1lb self raising flour
4oz butter
4oz hard margarine
4oz currants
6oz caster sugar
1/2 teasp mixed spice (optional)
1 egg
pinch salt


Sift the flour and salt together. Rub in the fat until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add all the other dry ingredients.

Beat the egg lightly and bind the mixture to make a firm dough. You can add milk to make it more manageable.

Roll out on a floured board to a thickness of 1/4 inch and cut into rounds.

Cook on a lightly greased griddle or heavy frying pan for about three minutes each side until golden brown.

Sprinkle lightly with caster sugar and serve. Sometimes they are split and then sandwiched with jam.


After that you can sit back and enjoy!


For metric measures check BBC Food. For a Welsh site that sells the traditional bakestone try Welsh Griddles.

Do try them out. They're yummy!

8 comments:

WoolnHook said...

Slurp! Just washing mine down with a nice cuppa tea. Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus!

Bebby said...

I sooo much want a Welsh cake now! They look sooo yummy! And I love the embroidery onthe table cloth!

SJ Egan - Fragment Designs said...

Cardiff was buzzing today! I even ended up going to a little welsh class!

Happy St Davids Day

Marilyn said...

Happy St Davids Day...my husbands name is David, but, not being Welsh he was unaware of the day!! Nesxt year I'll get him some leeks!! If I have self raising flour I'm making some cakes...what a treat that will be. Thank you so much for the recipe...I too like the table cloth... :)

Baban Cat said...

Thanks ladies. You're welcome to tea anytime. I'll get my best tablecloth out for that!

Ciliegia Designs said...

Happy St David's Day, by the way great treasury on Etsy today

Helen said...

I had a great day around roath park lake in the morning with my mate and my son .. then the pub!!

Brains had a promo on a free pint of stout for the day!! yay!!!!!

A very happy saint david's day for me!

Lots of love cariad xxxxxxxx

Baban Cat said...

Don't tell me I missed out on a pint of Brains dark! Glad you had a good day.