Cattern Cakes Recipe

Cattern Cakes  Recipe - devised by Diane Wells from ideas in books and the web

1lb / 500g flour – white bread flour/whole meal/spelt
5 oz/150 g butter -  4 oz for dough and remainder for brushing on dough before roling up
4oz/125g    white sugar
1 ½  oz/ 50 g dark brown sugar  
4oz/125 g ground almonds
4 oz/125 g dried fruit - mixed or single variety eg currants
2 eggs
2 teasp caraway seeds
1 teasp ground cinnamon
1 oz / 30 g fresh yeast or equivalent dried yeast
For glazing – syrup made from 2 tablesp sugar and 3 tablesp water

Method

Keep every thing warm but not hot.

Measure flour into large warm bowl and make a well in the centre.

In another bowl mix – ground almonds, dried fruit, white sugar, caraway seeds and ground cinnamon.

Prepare yeast by creaming fresh yeast together with a teaspoon of sugar and then add some warm water and pour into the middle of the warm flour. For dried yeast follow instructions on the packet/tin.

Melt  4 ozs butter and add to 2 beaten eggs.

Add the melted butter and eggs to the flour, yeast and water mixture. Then add the almonds, sugar, fruit and spices, with enough warm water to make a dough.

Knead for a few minutes until the dough is smooth and springy.

Place this into buttered warm dish and cover with tea towel that has been wrung out in warm water. Allow to rise in warm place until it doubles in bulk. Alow one to two hours depending on the warmth.

Knead the dough again and roll out into a rectangle.

Warm the remaining portion of butter. Brush this all over the rolled out dough and then sprinkle with the dark brown sugar. Sprinkle with  a teasp mixed spice here if you like them spicy.

Roll the dough into a fat sausage like a swiss roll and cut into about 15 slices – like cutting a swiss roll.

Place these slices on a buttered baking tray and leave to rise again for about half an hour – to double in size again.

Bake in hot oven regulo 7 for about 25 minutes

Glazed top (optional) – simmer together, half a cup of water and 2 tablespoons of sugar to make a syrup and brush this over the cooked buns.

Tip– High quality baking tins (eg Silverwood) usually create a crisp crust on the bottom. With tins that fail to do this - place the baking tray on a solid (pastry) shelf for part of the cooking time. Rayburn cookers provide this or you can use the bottom of the Rayburn oven for a crisp bottom to your buns.  

References

Fitzgibbon, Theodora. (1972) A Taste of England, the West Country.  JM Dent

Jones, J and Deer, B. (1987) Cattern Cakes and Lace.  Dorling Kindersley