Makes 12
Ingredients
250g self-raising flour
½ tsp sea salt
100g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
100g caster sugar, plus 1 tbsp to finish
100g currants
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp milk, plus a bit extra if needed
1. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. With your fingertips, lightly rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, then add the caster sugar and currants.Mix in the beaten egg and bring the mixture together with a fork to form a soft dough, adding as much milk as you need to do so.
2. Turn on to a floured surface and use your palm or a rolling pin to pat or roll out to a 6mm-7mm thickness. Using a scone cutter or upturned glass, cut out 6cm-7cm circles.
3. Heat an ungreased griddle or frying pan over a medium heat. It needs to be hot, but not so hot that it will blacken the cakes.
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Drop the cakes on to the hot surface and cook one side before turning over to cook the other. The rule of thumb is to cook for about three minutes on each side until a lovely medium caramel colour. If they are browning more quickly than this, your griddle is probably too hot.
4. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack and leave to cool. Before serving, sprinkle with a little caster sugar.
Variations Honey replace the sugar with 2 level tbsp honey and add the grated zest of an unwaxed lemon or an orange.
Mincemeat omit the milk and add 3-4 tbsp mincemeat to the mixture. Use a star cutter to shape festive cakes.
Leek and cheese soften 100g finely sliced leeks in a little butter, cool and add to the dough with 50g grated Cheddar or Caerphilly cheese.
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Recipe taken from Cakes — River Cottage Handbook No 8 by Pam Corbin with introduction by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, published by Bloomsbury on Monday, March 14 at £14.99. It is available for £13.49 at timesbooks.co.uk
Text © Pam Corbin 2011