Nana's Welsh Currant Cookies (Frying Pan Cookies)

Submitted by Jen_Wilsbech

"These are wonderful cookies and I have fond memories of making them with her and sharing a cup of tea."

 

• Ready In: 2hrs 23mins
• Ingredients: 10
• Yields: 3 Dozen

ingredients

• 3 cups flour, sifted
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1⁄4 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons nutmeg
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup raisins or 1 cup currants
• 1 cup shortening
• 6 tablespoons milk
• 2 eggs

directions

1. Heat frying pan to 350°F.
2. Beat together 2 eggs and 6 Tbsps Milk.
3. Add dry ingredients & shortening in a mixing bowl, blend well.
4. Add Egg and Milk mixture to dry ingredients, stir until well mixed.
5. Place plastic on bowl to cover dough & chill dough in refrigerator about 2 hours.
6. On floured board, roll dough in 4 parts to 1/4" thickness.
7. Cut shapes with floured glass or cookie cutter.
8. Fry in electric fry pan until golden.

Reviews

[lwlit]

I've been making these cookies for over 40 years. My original recipe gives credit to Mrs. Del Lanphear, Washington. Her recipe is slightly different. : 3 1/2 c. flour/ 1 tsp. nutmeg/ 1 large egg/ 1/2 c. milk/ 1 1/4 c. raisins. It has this variation: Add 1 tsp. grated lemon rind instead of the raisins. Good! I have found that margarine or oil will not substitute for the shortening. Also, cook on med. heat or they'll burn before they are cooked through. This dough keeps for a week or so in the frig. - also can be frozen.

 

[Ambrosia 2009]

The origin of this recipe must surely be as old as the hills and is known in its native Wales (and the rest of the UK), as Welsh cakes, though they are really not quite cake and not quite cookie. The end result should really be more cake or pastry-like in texture, but flat like a cookie. It's reallyinteresting to find that this recipe has survived almost 100 percent faithful to the original, despite its travels. I usually stick to a mixture of raisins AND currants, and use mixed spice with just a little additional grated nutmeg, but adding the citrus zest suggested by another reviewer does taste great. An electric fry pan works well but is not absolutely necessary. The 'cookies' were obviously cooked over an open fire originally, so a griddle would have been used. If you have a griddle, so much the better, but these cook equally well in any lightly greased,heavy frying pan.

 

[Nikoma]

I can't believe there aren't more recipes for these floating around. It seems like in other parts of the country these are unheard of, but around here (north east Pennsylvania) You can find these pretty easily. There are a couple home business' that supply 1/2 the state's grocery stores with these cookies. Plus you can get them at any fair or farmer's market. Everyone loves these cookies. But I could never find a recipe. Unfortunetely the batter for these never changed in the fridge. I definately couldn't roll it which was disappointing. But I salvaged the dough and made drop cookies out of it. 400 for 13-14 minutes in my oven. They taste good but it's just not the same. I'll be trying again, adding more flour and playing around till I get it right!

 

[NikiM]

I too have fond memories of my Great Grandmother and me making Welsh Cookies on cold winter days. We would make them for our church coffee hour. I can remember all the older ladies making such a fuss over them. My Great Grandmother would always give me the credit for making them 'all by myself'. LOL! I plan on making them with my kids this Christmas season to pass along the Welsh Cookie tradition. The receipe seems identical to my grandmother's! I can't wait to give it a go.

 

[blancpage]

FYI 2 eggs are mentioned in step 2 of the recipe directions, but eggs aren't listed in the ingredients. Hope to try this someday, never heard of these kind of cookies before, but they sound interesting. :)