Burn O'Vat Rock Cakes recipe

Burn O’Vat is a beauty spot near Ballater in Aberdeenshire. For many years the tiny tea shop there, now long gone, was well known for its moist, crumbly, lightly spiced rock cakes. For a richer rock cake use the ‘luxury’ type of dried fruit mix, with cherries and apricots as well as raisins, currants, sultanas and chopped candied lemon and orange peel.

Ingredients

Details

  • Cuisine: British
  • Recipe Type: Snack
  • Difficulty: Medium
  • Preparation Time: 10 mins
  • Cooking Time: 15 mins
  • Serves: 10

Step-by-step

  1. Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6.
  2. Sift the flour and mixed spice into a mixing bowl. Add the diced butter and rub into the flour until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in the sugar and dried fruit with a wooden spoon. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the egg with the milk until combined, then stir just enough into the fruit mixture to bind to a very firm, stiff dough - it's important that the dough holds its shape, but if there are dry crumbs at the bottom of the bowl and the dough won't stick together, add more milk, a teaspoon at a time.
  3. Divide the dough into 10 and spoon on to the prepared baking tray in heaped peaky mounds (to look like rocks), spaced well apart. Sprinkle with the demerara sugar.
  4. Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cakes are a good golden brown and firm to the touch.
  5. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool. Eat warm or at room temperature, the same day.

Also worth your attention:

The Great British Book of Baking: 120 best-loved recipes from teatime treats to pies and pasties

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