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