Rock cakes
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Ingredients
- 8 oz plain flour, chilled
- 3 oz butter or margerine, chilled
- 3 oz brown sugar, preferably Bajan, though Demerara will do
- 3 – 4 oz dried fruit (sultanas, raisins, currants)
- 1 egg
- Milk to bind
Instructions
- Rub the fat into the flour, until the mixture is of a bread-crumb like consistency. Use the tips of your fingers, not the palm of your hand, or a pastry blender.
- Add the sugar, stir in to distribute evenly.
- Add the dried fruit, breaking up any large clusters, again stirring to distribute evenly.
- Lightly scramble the egg, make a well in the center of the flour/sugar/fruit mix, and pour in the egg. Blend into the flour with your fingertips, attempting to spread the egg throughout the mixture.
- Add a small splash of milk, no more than a teaspoon. Combine into the flour/sugar/fruit/egg mixture. Your aim is to bind the ingredients together, without making a wet mixture a la cookies or bread (this takes a bit of practice). Continue to add small amounts of milk until the mixture just about hangs together when compacted.
- Tear off table-spoon sized chunks, optionally dip the rough side in some more brown sugar, and place rough side up on a baking tray. Greaseproof paper or similar is optional. Properly made, the mixture does not spread out like cookies will, so you can pack them fairly tight.
- Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, checking the tray at the 20 minute mark. Rock cakes are done when they start to brown on the outside.
- If the mixture is too wet, bake them anyway, they’re still delicious.