I will once again be flying in the Give Hope Wings fundraiser this year! Our June of 2024 flight will see us stop in many communities in Eastern Canada to raise awareness for this worthy cause. Last year 2023 we raised over $27,000 towards helping our neighbours - we made a positive difference in the lives of many. Here's the link to the 2024 fundraiser page: support.hopeair.ca/ghw2024/glens-hangar To learn more about the Hope Air Charity: hopeair.ca/
That sweet grandmother who printed that recipe would be both horrified at the controversy and delighted at all the people seeing her little recipe card. It looks wonderful.
Every country has traditional recipes - and within the respective countries there is furious debate as to which way is the "right" way. Truth is, the right way is the way you like them - so relax, cook/bake and enjoy. And, please, don't force your opinions on others 😊 Thanks, Glen and Julie for an entertaining and interesting channel.
Exactly, it happens everywhere when a recipe is so traditional that people feel their version is "the" version instead of acknowledging that everyone has different taste and experiences.
Her energy is always the greatest and it really brings the feel of someone who appreciates what the cook makes to the show, which is what cooking is for!
I got so tickled with Julie's enthusiasm over seeing the Welsh cakes, I had to run it back and watch it a couple of times. Thanks for the giggle, and all the work that I know must go in to making by far the best cooking channel on the internet!!!
The story of everyone being upset that you made them too thin, but you ended up preferring them thin is so classic. It's sort of a running gag with this channel that if the world likes a recipe one way, Glen and Julie prefer it the other way. It's funny but it's totally fine!
What is wrong with people that they find it necessary to be hurtful and negative to anyone? Yours is one of my very favorite channels. Somewhere to go that is safe and wholesome and fun. Please keep making videos just as you are. They are special. Thank you.
Exactly! Glen brings me recipes and history, in a calm and friendly Canadian way. Then Julie pops in and is all bright and cheery. It's a perfect combo and exactly what I need, at least once a week.
It is your kitchen AND you are the cook. You're not jamming it down anyone's throat. My dad came up with a recipe for vegetarian meatballs/patties. I have made them for our Thanksgiving day meal for most every holiday meal over the last 60 years since I don't eat turkey. Both my children began making them for me since cooking is starting to be a problem for me, the last 9 yrs. My daughter, makes them & I eat them. But my son, has picked up the banner and has been experimenting with great results. When he sets the dish out, I don't inquire as to how he prepared it. I am hungry & can taste the various flavors, texture and love just like when Dad cooked it.
My grandmother was a big supporter of using modern conveniences where possible, so I personally see no issue whatsoever with using modern appliances. There are no bonus points in everyday life for doing things the hardest way possible. Also, being trained by a Great Depression/WW2 rationing cook, I am very much of the "use what you have and learn how to substitute, because you won't always have exactly what the recipe calls for on hand" school of thought when it comes to cooking and baking.
Agreed, the people from back then would be looking at us saying "Are you daft? use the machine. " I could chip my knives out of rock because that is how my ancestors did it but why would I?
Yum!! My sister married bloke from Wales & has been making these for him for 35+ years now. She always uses butter. Her recipe is similar to yours. She uses cinnamon & currants in hers as that’s what her husband likes. (Most of my ancestors were from South Wales who moved to Australia in the mid-late 1800s.)
Glen, Thank you for providing this content. Thank you for giving me something to look forward to every Sunday after church. Thank you for sharing these recipes. Thank you for moving past the negative comments. Thank you for being someone who does and not someone who just criticizes. Thank you for giving us the best you, every time.
Great grandma's recipe calls for lard and brown sugar. The thicker ones have been likened to lembas bread so my family must be Hobbits as we have hand fulls every Thanksgiving
The Food Police! I never have paid attention to them. I come from a farming family. My grandfather did his share of farming before he started a restaurant. I learned to appreciate 'down home' flavors. I patronize traditional producers to this day. Flavor Rules!
I'm from the Glamorgan in Wales, and my mum & mamgu allways used butter. Every family has a slight variation on these cakes, so nothing wrong with your recipe. Modern ones can be made with choc chips as well.
I'm from Glamorgan as well, and yes you can get Choc Chip versions which are nice and the ones split down the middle with a little jam in them are nice also, my favourite are the "normal" ones though, and they look pretty much exactly like the ones Glen just made. There's loads of people on the internet moaning about "their food" now, carbonara with bacon instead of guanciale, or paella made with Chorizo or shrimp instead of being made with just rabbit, like their country is somehow going to cease to exist if someone cooks a dish of theirs slightly differently to the way it was cooked 100 years ago.
@@johnschmoe My wife and first got hooked on Carbonara in maybe(?) 1970 California, and Carbonara was always made with Dried Beef. It's still great that way. And with bacon!
My family originated in that region, as best I can tell. (So many people with the same names, when attempting genealogical research!) Tiesen flats (Welsh cakes/Welsh cookies) came across the pond with my great-grandparents in the 1890s, and persist in the family to this day. I'm curious -- what kind of spicing do you use? We use nutmeg.
Yea, I know about the whole "right way" thing. Learned the hard way when I, from the Rio Grande Valley, a friend from Arizona, another friend from Mexico tried to make tamels together. It was a blood bath, thankfully we all survived. 😵💫
I remember many years ago, my Italian-American Mom and her brother's son, my cousin, got quite heated over whether the Polenta went into the cold water, or only after it was boiling! There *mothers* were from different parts of Italy...
@@dbell95008 I can empathize with you there, I was talking to one of my Italian Aunts about this, when I told her my polenta did not turn out, she first looked at me and in a bit of exasperation said why did you start it out in boiling water. My other Aunt also Italian was both baffed and bemused. The funnies part of it was this was at a funeral so they had to keep it down. In the end they both agreed that I should use cold water method, why I only have one good arm lol.
When I was 22 and was setting up my first kitchen, at Christmas I asked my parents to give me an electric frying pan. That avocado square green frying pan was my most prized kitchen tool for several years. Fifty years later, I still remember it but have no idea where it is or how it got there. Thanks for the great recipe and reminder of times past.
I looooove Welsh Cakes and our family recipe is fairly close to how Glen made his. However, I have made a change that makes my Welsh Cakes even more delicious. I substitute half of the fat (butter, margarine, and/or shortening) for bacon fat. The flavour this adds to the recipe is simply divine… and I encourage everyone to try this… at least once. I doubt you will ever go back to your previous recipe again. Bon Appetit!
It's hard to believe people would get that out of control about using an ingredient. Recipes are living documents that change all the time. Just to drive the purest crazy, I'm going to make this with only butter and use dried cranberries. Just to stick it to 'em extra good, I'll throw in some walnuts.
I haven’t made them in years (since I was at Catering College in North Wales) I buy them ready made from Marks and Spencer’s store. They are basically a form of scone. In Scotland they are girdle Scones, cooked in exactly the same way on a cast iron Griddle. In England Scones are usually baked in the oven and are of course considerably thicker than Welsh cakes.
To digress, I, a Hongkonger, agree that Marks and Spencer is a great place to shop for food. I like their ground coffee, tea leaves, biscuits and potato crisps. The curry crisps are amazing, though a bit pricey.
"If you can't say anything nice"... keep it to your self! Thank you, I Love these too! 2xGreat-grandmother's 1860 recipe had lard written down. Everything was in extremely large amounts, like in pounds, and quarts, making over 12doz.
South Walian Granny here; I can confirm that everyone has their own version of Welshcakes as the recipe is handed down- there is NO right or wrong way. My Gran always used butter, most people use Margarine as it is economical, and some use lard. A lot of people don’t use any spice, most people use just currants, some omit fruit. The thickness is purely personal. One thing is constant though: they are always cooked in a bake stone which is made was usually made in the local steelworks here in S. Wales, and passed down the family.
THAT is very interesting to know, thank you! I am named for a character in How Green Was My Valley, by Richard Llewellyn, and the family in that book were miners whose coal went to the steelworks...
It blows my mind that you would have to moderate a cooking channel comment section. Wow. I guess it never occurred to me to be up in arms about something that is clearing just personal taste! Keep doing what you’re doing! I love your channel.
@@laertesindeed I won't tolerate bully comments that use foul language and personal attacks on Julie and myself - that are based on the commenters perception of who they think we are. The comments I have to moderate add nothing to the conversation and veer into rolling together politics, religion, and out and out attacks on our personalities.
You do not have to put up with personal attacks. No rational person would expect you to do so.But just remember what they want is a rise out of you, then they can brag to other haters about it. They are despicable. Hillary called them the deplorables. Why should I care how thin or thick you like your cookies. I just love that you show us how you make them.
id absolutely buy a cookbook of yours glen, one where you amass all the old recipes you've come across that you've liked and updated to modern standards, could be called traditional modern or something
I know many, many other people have said this before, but it is now my turn.... Thank you for giving me permission to experiment, use what I have on hand... I made your roasted garbanzo beans and rice. I had ground spices, instead of whole. I had tomato sauce instead of a fresh tomato. I had a sweet onion instead of a red one. I had just normal Arkansas rice instead of basmati. Yeah, it took more liquid, but I figured it out. It worked! I loved it! I will go a little heavier on the spice next time, but I was so thrilled. I just wanted you to know that you DO make a difference! Thank you!
My nan made the best Welsh cakes in the world! She would change the recipe a little bit every now and then, so don't worry haha. I don't like raisins, so my nan would either make some with none in, or with other fruit pieces in for me. She passed away around 10 years ago, but this video is bringing back some great videos... thank you! 😊
with this kind of dough, I enjoy doing a very basic lamination, just folding it over itself once before cutting so I can rip the cake in two horizontally after it is baked.
That's probably how originally made,very few had ovens back then,Just like in USA " hoe cakes" were cooked on open fire on a worker's garden hoe, cakes were cornbread . Folks learned different ways to cook out of hardship, necessaries
The thing food pedants don't realize is that their cherished, "unchanging" recipes they so ardently defend only exist because the people before them kept trying new things.
Being Welsh I do love a Welsh cake. Usually only make them for saint David’s day but I buy them often and pop them in the toaster for a minute to warm them through,butter them and a sprinkle of course sugar for the crunch. Never heard them called a cookie (uk biscuit) so if any of you do make them (which I highly recommend) don’t expect a crunchy biscuit or a chewy cookie. They’ve a type of drop scone/quick bread so aim for that and you won’t be disappointed.
I have no idea how "authentic" the Welsh Cake recipe I have is, though as I recall, I got it from the lady who organized the gymanfa ganu choir, whose phone answering machine message began and ended in Welsh. (Yes, she was actually of Welsh ancestry.) If it didn't call for butter, I'm sure that's what I used (cut in by hand, no food processor at the time), because I never keep shortening in the house and I loathe margarine. At any rate, they were delicious, though I only soaked the currants in water. I'll try dark spiced rum next time! Mine rolled out to the thickness of a thick pancake, about like yours, and I cooked them in my mother's vintage 1950s electric frying pan. They may not have been "right", but they were sure tasty, with a hot cup of tea.
Of course- people use what they have, and try to make it taste like something they enjoyed, or better than it was, or simply what you have. Good on you. I'll be trying these with chopped raisins myself- that's what I have!
The hand writing is identical to that of the recipe we have for Bara Brith, written on a piece of card from a Tetley's Tea box. It was given to my wife by her Auntie Nel, a neighbour in Pwllheli. Nel would be getting on for 120 if she was still going today.
When I used to make them for my brothers & sisters, they were served warm with butter & jam, a nice high tea favourite - they would never last to save for later!! Yes, English Mixed Spice used to be impossible to find around The Great Lakes, & for sure pre-War; butter milk or lard would have been used - Marg was the Devil's making (like dog biscuits/kibble) to make something out of nothing & sell it to war time cooks like it was a God-send!! Happy travels...
the way glen says...my kitchen, my way...indeed, i do it to my own style and taste...otherwise...what's the point if i won't enjoy it 🤷♀😁 those look fabulous!
I really like Welsh cakes possibly due to having Welsh ancestry or just visiting Wales often and enjoying these with a cup of tea. The recipes vary so much from mass made commercial sold in supermarkets across the UK (with grotty artificial. additives) to home-made. I will give these ones a try as look, and I bet will smell wonderful. Thanks Glen.
Spectacular! I love these and other British tea dainties. You might want to re-invest in an electric tool, like a Zojirushi Gourmet Sizzler griddle. It hearts so evenly, and is perfect for this task and others... Pancakes anyone? 🥰
Glen & Julie, I make many of your recipes vegetarian to fully plant based. Some are true puzzles to veganize, but I learned what solid fats were “more solid,” so to speak. Your history of why a particular fat would be used is very useful when thinking about substitutions. Many thanks.
The first time I ever had this was on a flight. A much older man was sitting in the seat next to me and as they gave out the complimentary drinks him and I both got a tea. Next thing I know he's pulling out these small pancake looking things he calls Welsh Cakes. He offered me one and I remember loving them and asking for the recipe. He specifically told me, "Look for a recipe that says 'Grandma's Welsh Cakes' and make sure they use lard!" I tried to make them once. The batch was huge, and I failed horribly. Thank you for sharing this recipe I'll give it a go. I'll be using butter like you since my wife is vegetarian and wouldn't want the lard. I also prefer them on the thinner side.
We have something called dropped scones in the U.K cooked on a griddle, also we have Eccles cakes packed with currants. Both yummy . We do have Pontefract cakes which are actually round black disks of liquorice.
I was in a bit of a mood, but you have soothed my savage overthinking brain. Thank you, Glen. And those butts can go poo themselves. If you like it, you made it right. Goes the same for anyone. Bake/cook to your own heart's content. If someone else doesn't like it, that's their problem. Love your videos and your love of food.
Just tried these. The real batch, to go to the party is cooling but the odd one to use up the dough scraps is very good. I'm glad. I found currants, but now I have enough for several more batches. And my electric pancake griddle did a bang up job of even browning. Thanks for another good, fun, recipe.
Take any "classic" recipe and it is almost guarantee you're not making it as people did at some point or another. People are far to stuck up to how something "should" be made. Completely agree with the "make it your own" philosphy.
These look fantastic and I look forward to trying the recipe. People who are otherwise perfectly pleasant for some reason seem to lose their minds (and all sense of civility) when getting into the driver’s seat of their vehicles or when sitting at their keyboards and letting loose on the internet…. Happy cooking everyone! 😊
It's funny how seeing such a simple item like the biscuit cutter in this video can take you back to the days when my mum would drag us in to do things like baking and whatnot, but those memories have stuck with me and have made a cycle that will hopefully go on forever
Hi mate, Welsh man here. Wanted to say sorry about the hate comments on the prior video on behalf of the Welsh, I’m honestly surprised you received backlash as I’m truly happy someone even covered a Welsh dish as we’re not the most culinarily strong country. Welsh people are usually friendly so don’t be put off by those cretins from way back when. Welsh cakes vary massively from household to household so no worries about thickness, dough mixing, etc. I even use a nonstick frying pan instead of a bakestone or griddle cos I’m a student that moves around, so props to you for that. A note on the margarine and shortening, original welsh cakes yes were predominantly made from lard and/or butter due to the diet of the Welsh at the time. When margarine was accessible in the UK it was introduced as a cheaper alternative to butter which became very popular in Wales. As for vegetable shortening, honestly never heard of people using it for Welsh cakes but maybe it was a good vegetarian alternative? I use butter usually as I don’t use lard, works just as well don’t mind what purists say. Also, mixed spice would be the preferred spice mix as opposed to allspice :) If anyone is looking to up your welsh cake game a bit here are a few tips that I’ve personally found useful over years of making them: I wouldn’t personally use a food processor to incorporate the butter and dry ingredients, you can easily overmix the dough and make it tougher. When hand mixing you also get clumps of butter and flour that I feel add to a more crumbly, soft dough than just blitzing it. I’d also make them a little thicker if you’re struggling with a dry Welsh cake (doesn’t apply to the video recipe, just in general). Welsh cakes can be easy to make dry so when thicker they can brown on both sides without drying out entirely in the centre if slightly thicker. In terms of spice, british mixed spice is typically the go-to a lot of Welsh people will use for convenience. I like to use it as it has that distinctive Welsh cake flavour but I additionally add cinnamon, mace and nutmeg to intensify that flavour. Add more if you like a stronger spice, and even add others. Personally I like to add ground green cardamom as it pairs well. If they come out too dry another trick could be to increase the butter content of the cakes, if they need oil to cook then they ain’t fatty enough. The butter from the cakes should be enough to ensure a sear but without sticking to the cooking surface. I’d also recommend after they’re cooked and slightly cooled, still warm but won’t fall apart when picked up, that you dip the top side of the cake into a bowl of sugar and cinnamon. Give the top of the cake a thin layer of cinnamon sugar, it does wonders. Finally, experiment! Have fun experimenting and experiencing welsh cuisine, try replacing currants with chocolate chips or nuts, cut them in half and add a layer of raspberry jam or lemon curd, have them your own way and make sure to share the recipe somewhere so someone else can try them maybe!
Best welsh cakes? Somewhere in non- English northern Wales after your goddaughter spent 15 minutes showing you how to say it in Welsh. You sit in a park with her and munch away happily. Bliss
Really enjoyed this episode. I'm an Aussie (pronounced Ozzie NOT Ossie) of Scottish descent. From memory my Nana would have called these griddle cakes. I like the 'chew' of unsoaked raisins but soaked in black tea to accompany a cuppa is delicious too. As you say, your kitchen, your way. Allspice for those who don't know, is ground pimento berry.
Glen not a video goes by that you do something that I'm think... Why didn't I think of that brilliant. Today's video the Lazer thermometer for the pan temp. Love these videos.
I am glad I discovered your youtube "channel" . I am fascinated by the way people have taken various food stuffs and with imagination and creativity combine and cook them to produce amazing dishes. Your historical details are so much more then what is usually just "this is the best way" to cook this.
YASSSSS! I have always been fascinated by Welsh Cakes, but you can't really get them fresh where I am here in the States, and the mail order ones are awful. Thank you, Glen!
I’m Welsh and I use salted butter in my Welsh cakes. Everyone has their own variations - some use currants, some use sultanas, some use shortening and some use butter. I use mixed spice but some prefer Allspice. Your cakes look amazing use whatever you prefer.
I will once again be flying in the Give Hope Wings fundraiser this year! Our June of 2024 flight will see us stop in many communities in Eastern Canada to raise awareness for this worthy cause.
Last year 2023 we raised over $27,000 towards helping our neighbours - we made a positive difference in the lives of many.
Here's the link to the 2024 fundraiser page: support.hopeair.ca/ghw2024/glens-hangar
To learn more about the Hope Air Charity: hopeair.ca/
Thanks for all you do
Welcome back to another episode of Glen educates the UA-cam comment section.
Always my favorite. The comments always lose.
"My kitchen, my way" - or as Chef John might say, "You are, after all, the Jonathan Frakes of how thick to make your Welsh Cakes"
And that's a fact,
It's beyond belief how many people don't realize they're #1 in their own kitchens.
That sweet grandmother who printed that recipe would be both horrified at the controversy and delighted at all the people seeing her little recipe card. It looks wonderful.
Every country has traditional recipes - and within the respective countries there is furious debate as to which way is the "right" way. Truth is, the right way is the way you like them - so relax, cook/bake and enjoy. And, please, don't force your opinions on others 😊 Thanks, Glen and Julie for an entertaining and interesting channel.
Devon and Cornwall will probably go to war over whether the cream or jam goes on the scones first.
Totally agree!!
Exactly, it happens everywhere when a recipe is so traditional that people feel their version is "the" version instead of acknowledging that everyone has different taste and experiences.
They haven't yet! Probably because they know they would both lose in an actual war, probably to the angles again. But also because who cares?
Well put. I think that has always been Glen's philosophy and it seems to frustrate him to argue with the keyboard warriors lol.
I love when Julie showed up, her enthusiasm and excitement to see the Welsh cakes is fantastic
Her energy is always the greatest and it really brings the feel of someone who appreciates what the cook makes to the show, which is what cooking is for!
I got so tickled with Julie's enthusiasm over seeing the Welsh cakes, I had to run it back and watch it a couple of times. Thanks for the giggle, and all the work that I know must go in to making by far the best cooking channel on the internet!!!
The story of everyone being upset that you made them too thin, but you ended up preferring them thin is so classic. It's sort of a running gag with this channel that if the world likes a recipe one way, Glen and Julie prefer it the other way. It's funny but it's totally fine!
What is wrong with people that they find it necessary to be hurtful and negative to anyone? Yours is one of my very favorite channels. Somewhere to go that is safe and wholesome and fun. Please keep making videos just as you are. They are special. Thank you.
Hear, Hear!
Exactly! Glen brings me recipes and history, in a calm and friendly Canadian way. Then Julie pops in and is all bright and cheery. It's a perfect combo and exactly what I need, at least once a week.
"My kitchen, my way". I love that! Yes, Sir!
Always fun when he lays down the law lol
It is your kitchen AND you are the cook. You're not jamming it down anyone's throat.
My dad came up with a recipe for vegetarian meatballs/patties. I have made them for our Thanksgiving day meal for most every holiday meal over the last 60 years since I don't eat turkey. Both my children began making them for me since cooking is starting to be a problem for me, the last 9 yrs. My daughter, makes them & I eat them. But my son, has picked up the banner and has been experimenting with great results. When he sets the dish out, I don't inquire as to how he prepared it. I am hungry & can taste the various flavors, texture and love just like when Dad cooked it.
@@kateburk2168 Oh, we need your dad's recipe now.
My grandmother was a big supporter of using modern conveniences where possible, so I personally see no issue whatsoever with using modern appliances. There are no bonus points in everyday life for doing things the hardest way possible.
Also, being trained by a Great Depression/WW2 rationing cook, I am very much of the "use what you have and learn how to substitute, because you won't always have exactly what the recipe calls for on hand" school of thought when it comes to cooking and baking.
Agreed, the people from back then would be looking at us saying "Are you daft? use the machine. " I could chip my knives out of rock because that is how my ancestors did it but why would I?
Absolutely agreed!
The recipe I use says to roll them as thick as your little finger. I love old fashioned recipes with instructions like that.
Yum!!
My sister married bloke from Wales & has been making these for him for 35+ years now. She always uses butter. Her recipe is similar to yours. She uses cinnamon & currants in hers as that’s what her husband likes.
(Most of my ancestors were from South Wales who moved to Australia in the mid-late 1800s.)
Glen,
Thank you for providing this content.
Thank you for giving me something to look forward to every Sunday after church.
Thank you for sharing these recipes.
Thank you for moving past the negative comments.
Thank you for being someone who does and not someone who just criticizes.
Thank you for giving us the best you, every time.
Great grandma's recipe calls for lard and brown sugar. The thicker ones have been likened to lembas bread so my family must be Hobbits as we have hand fulls every Thanksgiving
Brown sugar would be really good - I'll have to give that a try.
The Food Police! I never have paid attention to them. I come from a farming family. My grandfather did his share of farming before he started a restaurant. I learned to appreciate 'down home' flavors. I patronize traditional producers to this day. Flavor Rules!
Exactly; do what works for you and your family.
I'm from the Glamorgan in Wales, and my mum & mamgu allways used butter. Every family has a slight variation on these cakes, so nothing wrong with your recipe. Modern ones can be made with choc chips as well.
I'm from Glamorgan as well, and yes you can get Choc Chip versions which are nice and the ones split down the middle with a little jam in them are nice also, my favourite are the "normal" ones though, and they look pretty much exactly like the ones Glen just made. There's loads of people on the internet moaning about "their food" now, carbonara with bacon instead of guanciale, or paella made with Chorizo or shrimp instead of being made with just rabbit, like their country is somehow going to cease to exist if someone cooks a dish of theirs slightly differently to the way it was cooked 100 years ago.
Yay! Chocolate chips!
@@johnschmoe My wife and first got hooked on Carbonara in maybe(?) 1970 California, and Carbonara was always made with Dried Beef. It's still great that way. And with bacon!
My family originated in that region, as best I can tell. (So many people with the same names, when attempting genealogical research!) Tiesen flats (Welsh cakes/Welsh cookies) came across the pond with my great-grandparents in the 1890s, and persist in the family to this day. I'm curious -- what kind of spicing do you use? We use nutmeg.
I love that the recipe card has PTO on the bottom right corner. Only the older generations would do that. So polite.😀
What is PTO?
I believe it means please turn over.
@@pamackenzie PTO means "Please turn over" - the recipe continues on the back side of the card.
@@joeking1956 SO CUTE!
Yea, I know about the whole "right way" thing. Learned the hard way when I, from the Rio Grande Valley, a friend from Arizona, another friend from Mexico tried to make tamels together. It was a blood bath, thankfully we all survived. 😵💫
I remember many years ago, my Italian-American Mom and her brother's son, my cousin, got quite heated over whether the Polenta went into the cold water, or only after it was boiling! There *mothers* were from different parts of Italy...
As a New Mexican that was once served bell pepper as “green Chile” I feel your pain 😂
@@dbell95008 I can empathize with you there, I was talking to one of my Italian Aunts about this, when I told her my polenta did not turn out, she first looked at me and in a bit of exasperation said why did you start it out in boiling water. My other Aunt also Italian was both baffed and bemused. The funnies part of it was this was at a funeral so they had to keep it down. In the end they both agreed that I should use cold water method, why I only have one good arm lol.
Best cooking show on the innerwebs! 😊
When I was 22 and was setting up my first kitchen, at Christmas I asked my parents to give me an electric frying pan. That avocado square green frying pan was my most prized kitchen tool for several years. Fifty years later, I still remember it but have no idea where it is or how it got there. Thanks for the great recipe and reminder of times past.
As a man who has proudly lived in Wales for over 15 years this is a really great recipe. Thanks for sharing Glen! All the best pal!
When Julie digs into the food before discussing it, you know it must be good!
Glen's thumbnail game is on point.
I love that handwritten recipe card! Your friend's mama will always be there.
Rum or whisk(e)y soaked raisins sound like they'd be DYNAMITE in a cookie like that!
I looooove Welsh Cakes and our family recipe is fairly close to how Glen made his. However, I have made a change that makes my Welsh Cakes even more delicious. I substitute half of the fat (butter, margarine, and/or shortening) for bacon fat. The flavour this adds to the recipe is simply divine… and I encourage everyone to try this… at least once. I doubt you will ever go back to your previous recipe again. Bon Appetit!
It's hard to believe people would get that out of control about using an ingredient. Recipes are living documents that change all the time. Just to drive the purest crazy, I'm going to make this with only butter and use dried cranberries. Just to stick it to 'em extra good, I'll throw in some walnuts.
If white chocolate mini chips are available, throw in some of those for the trifecta! 😍
That sounds great! I was thinking of chopping up some dried apricots because I don’t like raisins. Walnuts or pecans also sounds great to add!
My Great Grandma used lard most of the time, but occasionally used butter. Never saw her use shortening or margarine.
I haven’t made them in years (since I was at Catering College in North Wales) I buy them ready made from Marks and Spencer’s store. They are basically a form of scone. In Scotland they are girdle Scones, cooked in exactly the same way on a cast iron Griddle. In England Scones are usually baked in the oven and are of course considerably thicker than Welsh cakes.
To digress, I, a Hongkonger, agree that Marks and Spencer is a great place to shop for food. I like their ground coffee, tea leaves, biscuits and potato crisps. The curry crisps are amazing, though a bit pricey.
How did you know it was my first day on the internet?
"If you can't say anything nice"... keep it to your self!
Thank you, I Love these too!
2xGreat-grandmother's 1860 recipe had lard written down. Everything was in extremely large amounts, like in pounds, and quarts, making over 12doz.
South Walian Granny here; I can confirm that everyone has their own version of Welshcakes as the recipe is handed down- there is NO right or wrong way. My Gran always used butter, most people use Margarine as it is economical, and some use lard. A lot of people don’t use any spice, most people use just currants, some omit fruit. The thickness is purely personal. One thing is constant though: they are always cooked in a bake stone which is made was usually made in the local steelworks here in S. Wales, and passed down the family.
THAT is very interesting to know, thank you! I am named for a character in How Green Was My Valley, by Richard Llewellyn, and the family in that book were miners whose coal went to the steelworks...
An awesome recipe with a great story. Thanks Glen
What a great recipe and a history lesson too!
It blows my mind that you would have to moderate a cooking channel comment section. Wow. I guess it never occurred to me to be up in arms about something that is clearing just personal taste! Keep doing what you’re doing! I love your channel.
@@laertesindeed I won't tolerate bully comments that use foul language and personal attacks on Julie and myself - that are based on the commenters perception of who they think we are. The comments I have to moderate add nothing to the conversation and veer into rolling together politics, religion, and out and out attacks on our personalities.
You do not have to put up with personal attacks. No rational person would expect you to do so.But just remember what they want is a rise out of you, then they can brag to other haters about it. They are despicable. Hillary called them the deplorables. Why should I care how thin or thick you like your cookies. I just love that you show us how you make them.
@@GlenAndFriendsCooking I would love to see a Glenn reads mean comments video lol.
I don't know that much about spices, but I learned that allspice wasn't "all spices" when I learned its name in French: piment de jamaïque.
That's just one of its names. It's not specific Jamaican at all, but grows in Central America and the Caribbean Islands and the Guyana's.
id absolutely buy a cookbook of yours glen, one where you amass all the old recipes you've come across that you've liked and updated to modern standards, could be called traditional modern or something
*_#1 RULE OF COOKING :_*
do what makes you happy.
My kitchen, my way. Love it. 😄
I know many, many other people have said this before, but it is now my turn.... Thank you for giving me permission to experiment, use what I have on hand... I made your roasted garbanzo beans and rice. I had ground spices, instead of whole. I had tomato sauce instead of a fresh tomato. I had a sweet onion instead of a red one. I had just normal Arkansas rice instead of basmati. Yeah, it took more liquid, but I figured it out. It worked! I loved it! I will go a little heavier on the spice next time, but I was so thrilled. I just wanted you to know that you DO make a difference! Thank you!
Don't even get into the griddle / girdle argument. 😂
Thanks for yet another great show Glen ❤
Please don't cook anything on a girdle!😂😂😂❤❤
My nan made the best Welsh cakes in the world! She would change the recipe a little bit every now and then, so don't worry haha.
I don't like raisins, so my nan would either make some with none in, or with other fruit pieces in for me.
She passed away around 10 years ago, but this video is bringing back some great videos... thank you! 😊
with this kind of dough, I enjoy doing a very basic lamination, just folding it over itself once before cutting so I can rip the cake in two horizontally after it is baked.
Neat idea!
My mom used to do that to baking powder biscuits when she wanted to use them for strawberry shortcake. 😊
I love the recipe card!!!
Butter is far better for us than all those wacky chemicals they add into the fakes. We love you two! Happy Landings Glen!
Thank you Glen as usual a Great Recipie, and a Grand Story.
I want to try making these on a blackstone or bbq griddle
That's probably how originally made,very few had ovens back then,Just like in USA " hoe cakes" were cooked on open fire on a worker's garden hoe, cakes were cornbread .
Folks learned different ways to cook out of hardship, necessaries
That's exactly what I did today, since it finally stopped raining for a few minutes.
These with a lemon zest and blue berries to make it taste like a blue berry muffin sounds really good. Thanks for showing this!
The thing food pedants don't realize is that their cherished, "unchanging" recipes they so ardently defend only exist because the people before them kept trying new things.
Also there is no standard way to cook anything in Wales! There are as many ways to make different cakes as there are Welsh mam-gus
Side-of-the-fridge recipe!
This should be a series. We could all send the old recipes pinned to the sides of our fridges when Glen runs out.
Being Welsh I do love a Welsh cake. Usually only make them for saint David’s day but I buy them often and pop them in the toaster for a minute to warm them through,butter them and a sprinkle of course sugar for the crunch. Never heard them called a cookie (uk biscuit) so if any of you do make them (which I highly recommend) don’t expect a crunchy biscuit or a chewy cookie. They’ve a type of drop scone/quick bread so aim for that and you won’t be disappointed.
I have no idea how "authentic" the Welsh Cake recipe I have is, though as I recall, I got it from the lady who organized the gymanfa ganu choir, whose phone answering machine message began and ended in Welsh. (Yes, she was actually of Welsh ancestry.) If it didn't call for butter, I'm sure that's what I used (cut in by hand, no food processor at the time), because I never keep shortening in the house and I loathe margarine.
At any rate, they were delicious, though I only soaked the currants in water. I'll try dark spiced rum next time! Mine rolled out to the thickness of a thick pancake, about like yours, and I cooked them in my mother's vintage 1950s electric frying pan. They may not have been "right", but they were sure tasty, with a hot cup of tea.
Of course- people use what they have, and try to make it taste like something they enjoyed, or better than it was, or simply what you have. Good on you. I'll be trying these with chopped raisins myself- that's what I have!
I have some copies of my grandma's hand written card recipes. I love these kind of recipes.
The hand writing is identical to that of the recipe we have for Bara Brith, written on a piece of card from a Tetley's Tea box. It was given to my wife by her Auntie Nel, a neighbour in Pwllheli. Nel would be getting on for 120 if she was still going today.
When I used to make them for my brothers & sisters, they were served warm with butter & jam, a nice high tea favourite - they would never last to save for later!! Yes, English Mixed Spice used to be impossible to find around The Great Lakes, & for sure pre-War; butter milk or lard would have been used - Marg was the Devil's making (like dog biscuits/kibble) to make something out of nothing & sell it to war time cooks like it was a God-send!! Happy travels...
We do half butter, half lard. If we omit the lard the texture becomes too dry and crumbly. Make it like you enjoy it.
the way glen says...my kitchen, my way...indeed, i do it to my own style and taste...otherwise...what's the point if i won't enjoy it 🤷♀😁 those look fabulous!
Hey Glen.. Did ever think of putting together some of your favorite recipes in a book? I'd buy one.
I've looked into it, but I've never had the time to make it work. There's a much longer story story there about Ghost writers, and zero margins.
But what about someone's old cookbook show in the year 2067? They'll need the reminder about using methods over strict recipe adherence.
:)
These are in our family and we make them all the time. Passed down on our Welsh side. So awesome to see a recipe alive and well.
Pilot's hardtack. Love it.
I really like Welsh cakes possibly due to having Welsh ancestry or just visiting Wales often and enjoying these with a cup of tea. The recipes vary so much from mass made commercial sold in supermarkets across the UK (with grotty artificial. additives) to home-made. I will give these ones a try as look, and I bet will smell wonderful. Thanks Glen.
Spectacular! I love these and other British tea dainties.
You might want to re-invest in an electric tool, like a Zojirushi Gourmet Sizzler griddle. It hearts so evenly, and is perfect for this task and others... Pancakes anyone? 🥰
Glen & Julie,
I make many of your recipes vegetarian to fully plant based. Some are true puzzles to veganize, but I learned what solid fats were “more solid,” so to speak. Your history of why a particular fat would be used is very useful when thinking about substitutions.
Many thanks.
My mum was a war bride from Ebbavale S.Wales. Which is no longer ..loved her Welsh cakes. And her Fried cookies
Welsh Cakes are ELITE!
Thank you so much for sharing this with us. A grandmothers recipe - what a treat 🌸💚💙🌸💙💚🌸
Welsh Cakes with currants made me wish I was Welsh. Really enjoyable little things.
The first time I ever had this was on a flight. A much older man was sitting in the seat next to me and as they gave out the complimentary drinks him and I both got a tea. Next thing I know he's pulling out these small pancake looking things he calls Welsh Cakes. He offered me one and I remember loving them and asking for the recipe. He specifically told me, "Look for a recipe that says 'Grandma's Welsh Cakes' and make sure they use lard!" I tried to make them once. The batch was huge, and I failed horribly. Thank you for sharing this recipe I'll give it a go. I'll be using butter like you since my wife is vegetarian and wouldn't want the lard. I also prefer them on the thinner side.
Fun show. Love history of foods.
In before Glen closes the comments!
Just found your video, and I love them 👍👍
We have something called dropped scones in the U.K cooked on a griddle, also we have Eccles cakes packed with currants. Both yummy . We do have Pontefract cakes which are actually round black disks of liquorice.
Pontefract cakes are my favorite licorice! Hard to find herein the US but so worth the effort.
I was in a bit of a mood, but you have soothed my savage overthinking brain. Thank you, Glen. And those butts can go poo themselves. If you like it, you made it right. Goes the same for anyone. Bake/cook to your own heart's content. If someone else doesn't like it, that's their problem. Love your videos and your love of food.
Just tried these. The real batch, to go to the party is cooling but the odd one to use up the dough scraps is very good. I'm glad. I found currants, but now I have enough for several more batches. And my electric pancake griddle did a bang up job of even browning. Thanks for another good, fun, recipe.
Take any "classic" recipe and it is almost guarantee you're not making it as people did at some point or another. People are far to stuck up to how something "should" be made. Completely agree with the "make it your own" philosphy.
These look fantastic and I look forward to trying the recipe. People who are otherwise perfectly pleasant for some reason seem to lose their minds (and all sense of civility) when getting into the driver’s seat of their vehicles or when sitting at their keyboards and letting loose on the internet…. Happy cooking everyone! 😊
It's funny how seeing such a simple item like the biscuit cutter in this video can take you back to the days when my mum would drag us in to do things like baking and whatnot, but those memories have stuck with me and have made a cycle that will hopefully go on forever
They look so simple!
Looks delicious, I'll have to try them. It surprised me that you pan fried them as I imagined them to be baked.
People can get wound up over recipes and food origins. I'm just happy to have it wherever it comes from.
Hi mate, Welsh man here. Wanted to say sorry about the hate comments on the prior video on behalf of the Welsh, I’m honestly surprised you received backlash as I’m truly happy someone even covered a Welsh dish as we’re not the most culinarily strong country. Welsh people are usually friendly so don’t be put off by those cretins from way back when. Welsh cakes vary massively from household to household so no worries about thickness, dough mixing, etc. I even use a nonstick frying pan instead of a bakestone or griddle cos I’m a student that moves around, so props to you for that.
A note on the margarine and shortening, original welsh cakes yes were predominantly made from lard and/or butter due to the diet of the Welsh at the time. When margarine was accessible in the UK it was introduced as a cheaper alternative to butter which became very popular in Wales. As for vegetable shortening, honestly never heard of people using it for Welsh cakes but maybe it was a good vegetarian alternative? I use butter usually as I don’t use lard, works just as well don’t mind what purists say. Also, mixed spice would be the preferred spice mix as opposed to allspice :)
If anyone is looking to up your welsh cake game a bit here are a few tips that I’ve personally found useful over years of making them:
I wouldn’t personally use a food processor to incorporate the butter and dry ingredients, you can easily overmix the dough and make it tougher. When hand mixing you also get clumps of butter and flour that I feel add to a more crumbly, soft dough than just blitzing it.
I’d also make them a little thicker if you’re struggling with a dry Welsh cake (doesn’t apply to the video recipe, just in general). Welsh cakes can be easy to make dry so when thicker they can brown on both sides without drying out entirely in the centre if slightly thicker.
In terms of spice, british mixed spice is typically the go-to a lot of Welsh people will use for convenience. I like to use it as it has that distinctive Welsh cake flavour but I additionally add cinnamon, mace and nutmeg to intensify that flavour. Add more if you like a stronger spice, and even add others. Personally I like to add ground green cardamom as it pairs well.
If they come out too dry another trick could be to increase the butter content of the cakes, if they need oil to cook then they ain’t fatty enough. The butter from the cakes should be enough to ensure a sear but without sticking to the cooking surface.
I’d also recommend after they’re cooked and slightly cooled, still warm but won’t fall apart when picked up, that you dip the top side of the cake into a bowl of sugar and cinnamon. Give the top of the cake a thin layer of cinnamon sugar, it does wonders.
Finally, experiment! Have fun experimenting and experiencing welsh cuisine, try replacing currants with chocolate chips or nuts, cut them in half and add a layer of raspberry jam or lemon curd, have them your own way and make sure to share the recipe somewhere so someone else can try them maybe!
Best welsh cakes? Somewhere in non- English northern Wales after your goddaughter spent 15 minutes showing you how to say it in Welsh. You sit in a park with her and munch away happily. Bliss
Just made these and I really like them! I used powdered sugar on top with a little cinnamon. Thanks for another great recipe Glen!!
Really enjoyed this episode. I'm an Aussie (pronounced Ozzie NOT Ossie) of Scottish descent. From memory my Nana would have called these griddle cakes. I like the 'chew' of unsoaked raisins but soaked in black tea to accompany a cuppa is delicious too. As you say, your kitchen, your way. Allspice for those who don't know, is ground pimento berry.
I like that you just 'fry' them on top of stove and not have to bake them. That's great for hot summer days. You won't heat up your kitchen. ❤
It is horrible that some people are rude and upset in comments. Best from Colorado!
These look yummy!
Thanks for sharing.
Another top notch video, as usual.
Quite a novel idea... "Make the recipe your own..." I would wear a t-shirt with that on! Fantastic as always!
awesome, thank you!
Everything rolled to my desired thickness is cut into diamonds with a pizza cutter and set close to bake❤❤❤
Love that, no waste and less trouble.
Glen not a video goes by that you do something that I'm think... Why didn't I think of that brilliant. Today's video the Lazer thermometer for the pan temp. Love these videos.
Tried this recipe but with oat flour and sugar substitute. Turned out great. Tastes really good. Thank you
I've seen worse welsh cakes and Im Welsh, loving them Glen! Da Iawn!
I am glad I discovered your youtube "channel" . I am fascinated by the way people have taken various food stuffs and with imagination and creativity combine and cook them to produce amazing dishes. Your historical details are so much more then what is usually just "this is the best way" to cook this.
I'm so glad you explained Allspice. I'm going to share this😊 Looking forward to making these soon. They look really good. Thank you for sharing this ❤
Would love a guided tour of your cookbook collection. Thanks for the efforts, and the results of them. Really enjoy your videos.
My Welsh grandmother always served them with a drizzle of honey. So good. Pretty much the same recipe,. Great show. 14:23 14:25
Always delish.
YASSSSS! I have always been fascinated by Welsh Cakes, but you can't really get them fresh where I am here in the States, and the mail order ones are awful. Thank you, Glen!
I’m Welsh and I use salted butter in my Welsh cakes. Everyone has their own variations - some use currants, some use sultanas, some use shortening and some use butter. I use mixed spice but some prefer Allspice. Your cakes look amazing use whatever you prefer.