A Vintage Recipe

Devonshire Cakes
This is a recipe from a very old and tattered cookery book, I'm not sure how old but there is also a recipe for 'Boiled head of a sheep' .

Some recipes, like this one for Devonshire cakes are really worth trying but I think I will give the sheep's head broth a miss.

Just as it was written many moons ago.

1 lb plain flour
1 1/2 level teaspoonfuls cream of tartar
1 level teaspoonfuls bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoonful baking powder
6 oz butter, or lard and butter, or lard and margarine or margarine
6 oz sugar
1/2 lb currants or other dried fruit
Mixed spice to taste
2 eggs, fresh or reconstituted
milk

Time: About 20 minutes.  Temperature: Regulo mark 4; electricity 350F; Solid fuel: moderate; oil: moderate.

Method:  Grease some patty pans.  Sieve the flour, a pinch of salt, the cream of tartar, the bicarbonate of soda and the baking powder into a bowl.  Rub the fat in lightly.  Add the sugar, currants and mixed spice.  Beat the eggs in a basin and stir into the mixture, add enough milk to make a dough.  Put into the prepared tins and dust over with sugar.  Bake in a moderate oven for about 20 minutes.  Cool on a wire sieve.


Makes about twenty to twenty four cakes, according to size.