Bacon & Maple Welshcakes

Makes about 36

Welshcakes are a classic recipe here in Wales, but I like to experiment with different flavours and this is my most adventurous to date!

I took this to work to test out ad even those people who were initially sceptical loved them once they tasted them. 

Ingredients:

For the candied bacon:

6 rashers of streaky bacon

25g brown sugar

1tbsp maple syrup

For the welsh cakes:

567g self-raising flour

227g margarine/butter (if you can get it you can substitute the butter for Moose maple butter)

2 eggs

284g caster sugar

Milk

4-5 tbsps maple syrup

Candied bacon

Method:

For the candied bacon:

1. Preheat the oven to 170C fan.

Lay the bacon out on an oven rack. Mix the brown sugar and maple syrup, rub roughly 1/2 a teaspoon of the mix of each rasher, Bak in the oven for around 8-10 mins, the bacon should be crispy and brown, turn over the rashers and add another 1/2 a teaspoon to each rasher and cook for a further 5 mins approx. Allow the bacon to cool on the rack. Once cool break the rashers down into small pieces.

For the Welshcakes:

1. Heat the bakestone or cast iron pan on medium-low heat.

2. Beat the butter & sugar together in a large bowl, add the flour, a pinch of salt, eggs, syrup and enough milk to form a soft dough, continue to mix (I like to use an electric hand mixer.)

3. Add the candied bacon and form a soft dough by hand.

4. Roll the dough out to around 1/4 inch in thickness and cut into circles (you can use a glass if you don't have a cookie-cutter).

5. Cook the cakes on the heated bakestone on both sides for 2-3 minutes, the Welsh cakes should have good colour on the outside but the inside should feel a little soft as they continue to cook once off the heat.

6. Roll in caster sugar, then serve and eat as soon as they are cool enough to consume.