Title: Banbury Cakes
Categories: Medieval Dessert Cake
Yield: 14 Cakes

3/4	c	Light cream
1/2	c	Butter
1/4	c	Sugar
1	ts	Salt
1	pk	Yeast
1/4	c	Water; tepid
2		Eggs, plus 1 white; lightly beaten
1/4	ts	Nutmeg; freshly grated
1/4	ts	Cinnamon
1/4	ts	Cloves
1/8	ts	Mace
4	c	Sifted unbleached white flour; up to 4 1/2 cups
1/3	c	Currants
OPTIONAL ICING
3	tb	Confectioners' sugar; dissolved in
1	tb	Milk;and
	ds	Anise extract

Banbury cakes, serve warm with butter and jam, are delicious at breakfast or tea.

1. In a saucepan, scald cream. Add butter, sugar, and salt. Stir to dissolve. Pour mixture into a large bowl and cool to lukewarm. 2. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. 3. Add yeast, eggs, and spices to cream mixture. 4. In a large bowl, combine 4 cups of flour and currants, stirring until currants are lightly coated. 5. Add flour and currants to cream mixture. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour if necessary. 6. Place dough in a greased bowl. Cover with a clean, moistened towel, and set bowl in a warm place for dough to rise until double in bulk. This will take about 1 1/2 hours. 7. Punch down dough; then knead it again for an additional few minutes. 8. Shape dough into 14-16 2 1/2-inch balls and place them on a greased cookie sheet. 9. Cover "cakes" with a towel, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour. 10. Bake on cookie sheet at 375F about 25 minutes or until tops are golden. 11. Remove cakes from cookie sheet and cool on a wire rack. 12. Frost with icing, if you wish.

Yield: 14-16 Banbury cakes

from To The Queen's Taste by Lorna J. Sass "Miscellaneous" posted by Tiffany Hall-Graham

previous

next