Our Favorite Holiday Recipe

Monday Mojo Topic
For this week, we would love for you to share your favourite holiday recipes! I am always looking for new things! (Any holiday will do!)

Welsh cookie

I’d have to say that our favorite holiday recipe, hands down, is Welsh Cookies. It’s a tradition that comes from my husband’s family. His two grandmothers brought their respective family recipes over from Wales. I had never had them until I met my husband. For his family, they are a cookie unique to Christmas. They’re not your typical sweet cookie either. They’re more of what I’d consider a tea sort of cookie. I guess that’s why in his family the kids are allowed to have them for breakfast during the holiday season.

Last year, we had some cookies, from an unknown bakery that were so good. They were soft and moist. I’ve been working to try and replicate that in our cookies. I’ll be honest. I totally threw out his family’s recipes and started from scratch. I found a recipe online at Joy of Baking. Then I was talking with a friend who does way more baking than I do (I cook, but not so much in the baking department). She gave me some suggestions, and this is what I’ve come up with. They are a much lighter cookie, and if cooked right, soft and moist too. Hint: DO NOT BAKE YOUR WELSH COOKIES. THEY ARE NOT THE SAME. Just to let you know. I tried that this year too instead of the griddle.

Welsh Cookie Dough

Ingredients:
2 cups cake flour (yes, it does need to be cake flour)
1/3 cup sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (to taste)
1/4-1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (to taste)
1/4 cup cold shortening
1/4 cup cold butter
1/3 cup currants (I find raisins to be too big and icky)
1 large egg
4 tablespoons milk (this may be more or less depending on environment)

To Make Dough:

In a medium bowl, mix dry ingredients. Add shortening and butter, cutting in like making a pie crust. Add currants. Add milk until dough comes together, but don’t over mix. Form dough into a ball and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes (I usually make dough while I’m making dinner, and make cookies the next day).

To Make Cookies:

Take half the dough and roll to 1/4″ thickness. Cut into 2″ circles. Cook on medium heat on a griddle until browned on both sides, much like pancakes. Sprinkle with sugar when they come off the griddle if desired.