Welsh Cakes

Combine the sifted flour, mixed spice, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the cold butter and lard cubes, then rub them in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse, uneven breadcrumbs — leave some pea-sized pieces for flakiness. Stir in the caster sugar and currants.

Add the beaten egg and 2 tbsp milk to the flour mixture, stirring with a fork until the dough just comes together into a firm but pliable ball; add an extra splash of milk only if the dough feels dry and crumbly. Do not overwork.

Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the dough to approximately 8 mm thick. Stamp out rounds using a 7 cm fluted cutter, re-rolling the scraps once, to yield around 16 cakes.

Rest the cut cakes on a lightly floured tray for 15 minutes — this relaxes the gluten and keeps them from shrinking on the griddle.

Heat a cast-iron bakestone or heavy griddle over medium-low heat for 3–4 minutes until a pinch of flour dropped on the surface turns pale golden in 20 seconds — the surface must be hot but not smoking.

Cook the Welsh cakes in batches, without crowding, for 4–5 minutes on the first side until deep golden brown and the edges begin to look set — resist pressing them down.

Flip each cake and cook for a further 4–5 minutes until the second side is evenly golden and the cakes feel just firm to a gentle press in the centre.

Transfer to a wire rack and dust generously with caster sugar while still warm. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight tin for up to 3 days and reheat briefly on a dry pan.