A Baker's Odyssey & Welsh Griddle Cakes Recipe

Tuesday, March 18th, 2008

A Baker’s Odyssey & Welsh Griddle Cakes Recipe

To find some of the best recipes, award-winning author Greg Patent went into the homes of 60 talented bakers all over the country. The result is A Baker’s Odyssey, a cookbook and DVD with recipes that originated all over the world. I got the inside scoop from Greg Patent who shared some of his favorite recipes, tips for novice bakers and recommendations.

What recipe surprised you the most and why?
If I had to pick just one, it would be Welsh Griddle Cakes. I’d never encountered anything like them before, and I was blown away by how easy they are to make, their melt-in-your mouth texture, and how fantastic they taste.

Which recipes from the book do you make most often?
Lamingtons and Roman Chocolate Cookies. Both really easy, they taste great, and they look so appealing. Another favorite is Welsh Griddle Cakes.

Any favorite Passover or Easter recipes?
Believe it or not, home made,Matzoh for passover. Also the Norwegian Hazelnut Torte, which contains no flour. Kulich and Paskha for Easter, part of my Russian heritage.

Which recipes do you recommend for the novice baker?
Thai Shrimp and Bean Sprout Fritters, fried and not baked, is easy for anyone. Lots of baked recipes are suitable for the novice baker, among them: Anzac Cookies, Torta di Limone, South African Crumpets, Noreen Kinney’s Irish Soda Bread.

Why did you decide to include a DVD with the book?
I felt that some of the more complicated-sounding techniques such as making and stretching strudel dough, making kransekake, and shaping and baking authentic German pretzels are best seen to be fully understood. I also wanted to show users of my book how to measure flour properly, how to make, roll, and shape a pie crust, and how to make a basic sponge cake batter (Hungarian Walnut Torte) with the proper technique for folding in the dry ingredients. Shaping and frying cannoli shells is easy, but again, visuals show the process clearly.

Welsh Griddle Cakes

Makes 24 cakes

4 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter plus 1/2 cup lard or 2 sticks butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar plus more for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup golden raisins or currants, or a mixture
Finely grated zest of 1 large lemon
1 large egg
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon whole milk, plus more if needed
All purpose flour, for rolling dough

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. Stir in the sugar, nutmeg, allspice, raisins and currants, and lemon rind.

In a small bowl with a fork, beat the egg, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of milk. 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.

Lightly flour your work surface, 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.

Heat the electric griddle to 250-275 degrees or the cast-iron skillet over low heat. Add as many cakes as will fit spacing them about 2 inches apart. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until the bottoms are deep golden brown. Turn over carefully with a pancake turner 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.

Transfer the cakes to a wire rack and sprinkle them with sugar. Cook the remaining cakes in the same way. Serve the cakes warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.

—-Amy Sherman

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