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Peggy Morgan Speakman will put her apron back on and return to WSCO’s Kitchen in the next issue.
As we continue to celebrate WSCO’s 60th birthday, note that it has been 10 years since the National was held in Columbus when so many, many WSCO members rallied to present a memorable experience that is still talked about in hotel hallways at subsequent Nationals. There were two cooking seminars: “The Perfect Welsh Tea” and “The Welsh Table” presented by WSCO members Dianne Williams and Keith Turpie, along with Bill Ewing for the tea session. Following are several of the recipes from those seminars.
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| 2 lb. plums, stoned | 1 teaspoon ground ginger |
| 4 oz. dried fruit | 1 teaspoon chili powder |
| 1 Tablespoon pickling spice | 4 oz. vinegar |
| 1 teaspoon salt | 12 oz. demerara sugar |
Simmer the plums and dried fruit, pickling spice (tied in a muslin bag), salt, ground ginger, and chili powder in a saucepan with just enough vinegar to prevent burning. Cook gently until the fruit is soft, stirring from time to time.
Add the remaining vinegar and stir in the sugar thoroughly.
Boil the chutney steadily until the mixture is thick. Remove the spice bag.
Pour the chutney into hot clean jars and seal.
From Tastes of Wales by Gilli Davies.
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This rich and spicy scone is baked in one big piece. Dough can be refrigerated overnight (covered) or frozen.
| 2 cups self-rising flour | ¾ cup superfine sugar |
| ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon | ¼ cup raisins |
| ¼ teaspoon ground ginger | 1/3 cups pitted dates, quartered |
| ¼ teaspoon ground cloves | about ¼ cup milk |
| ¼ teaspoon ground mace | 1 egg yolk, beaten |
| ¼ teaspoon ground coriander | 1 Tablespoon packed light brown sugar |
| ½ cup solid vegetable shortening, chilled, cut in chunks | butter |
Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a large baking sheet; set aside.
Sift flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, mace, and coriander into a large bowl. With your fingers, rub in shortening until mixture is crumbly.
Add sugar, raisins and dates; mix well. Gradually add enough milk to form a lumpy dough, mixing with a fork.
Turn out onto baking sheet and pat with your hands to make an 8 inch round about ¾ inch thick. With a sharp knife, score top in 8 wedges. Brush with egg yolk and sprinkle with brown sugar.
Bake about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer scone to wire rack and cool about 5 minutes. Serve warm with butter.
Makes 8 servings.
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A mash of root vegetables, now a fashionable dish to serve with formal meals, has always been a favourite in Wales. Potatoes and baby white turnips are the traditional mix for punchnep but there are many alternatives such as swedes (rutabaga), peas, parsnips or carrots which can all be mashed together or individually with potatoes. If you have any left over, punchnep makes a superb morning-after fry up with a rasher or two of bacon. Very traditional and very good.
| 1 lb. potatoes, peeled | salt and freshly ground pepper to taste |
| 1 lb. baby turnips, scrubbed, topped and tailed | 2 oz. cream, buttermilk or yogurt (optional) |
| 2 oz. butter | chopped parsley, to garnish |
1. Cut the potatoes and turnips into about 1” chunks. Put into a large pan of cold, salted water, bring to a boil and simmer until tender.
2. Drain the cooked vegetables and whilst still warm mash together with the butter and plenty of seasoning.
3. Serve the punchnep as it is or, for a real treat, stir in some cream, buttermilk or yogurt. Garnish with the parsley.
May be prepared up to the end of stage 2. Then reheat with a thin layer of cream or melted butter spread over the top to stop a crust forming, and then mash in the cream just before serving.
From Lamb, Leeks and Laverbread by Gilli Davis.
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Bara Sinsir Cymreig -- Welsh Gingerbread Cake
Should read: ½ cup chopped mixed peel (similar versions online call for 2 oz. or 3 Tablespoons minced peel)
The baking pan should be 8” square x 2” deep.