Welsh Cheesecakes

Tuesday 1 March 2011

Welsh Cheesecakes 

 Living here on the doorstep to Wales, we are very cognizant of the fact that today is St David's Day. 

 March 1st, every year, is the feast day of Saint David, the Patron Saint of Wales, a national day of celebration in the land of sheep, daffodils and leeks since the 18th century!  


  Welsh Cheesecakes  

I thought I would bake a tasty little tidbit to honor the feast day in a special way . . . you know, I do love my tasty tidbits . . . and feasting on them just goes down so well with me. 

  Welsh Cheesecakes  

I picked this tasty little recipe from a little book I picked up in Wales one time at a little tea shop, called Welsh Teatime Recipes.

It is filled to over brimming with a lovely and tempting selection of breads, scones, biscuits and cakes from this wonderful little country, and one of my favourite places on earth, I might add!

  Welsh Cheesecakes 

 Who wouldn't love Wales, with it's beautiful sing song accent, weird and wonderful place names.

All those wooly cotton boll sheep, beautiful rolling hills, crystal clear streams, and brilliant history, not to mention . . . ahem . . . Tom Jones!

  Welsh Cheesecakes  

I have no idea why these are called Cheesecakes, coz there isn't a scrap of cheese in them. Aux contraire mon frere! 

 They are tasty little tartlettes . . . flakey short crust pastry, filled with tasty raspberry jam, and topped with a light cake batter and baked until the pastry is crisp and the cake all light and puffed.

  Welsh Cheesecakes

Oh they were so scrummy with my cup of lemon ginger tea . . . but I do confess . . . the North American in me was screaming for a tiny bit more . . . and so what could I do??


  Welsh Cheesecakes 

 I topped them with an additional little puff of vanilla butter cream, not traditional I know . . . but what's a girl to do!! It rocked. Need I say more???

  Welsh Cheesecakes 

  *Welsh Cheesecakes*
(Teisen Gaws Gymreig)
Makes 12
Printable Recipe

Delicious little tartlettes containing a filling of raspberry jam, topped with a light sponge.

4 ounces of prepared shortcrust pastry (1/4 pound)
raspberry jam (I like seedless)
1 1/2 ounces butter, softened (3 TBS)
1 1/2 ounces caster sugar (3 TBS)
1 medium free range egg, beaten
a few drops of vanilla extract
3 ounces of flour (or a mixture of half flour and half ground rice) (about 2/3 cup)
1/2 tsp of baking powder
sifted icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7.  Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured board and cut into rounds to fit into a lightly buttered 12 hole bun tin. Press the rounds into the tin.   Drop about 1/2 tsp of jam into the bottom of each.  Set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg a bit at a time until well amalgamated.  Stir in the vanilla.  Sift the flour and baking powder together and fold into the creamed mixture,, together with the ground rice if using.  Combine well and then divide the mixture between the jam lined pastry cases.  Bake for 15 minutes, until well risen and golden brown.  Cool on a wire rack.  Serve dusted with icing sugar if desired.

21 comments

  1. Not seen a recipe like this before but they look delicious. I sort of mix of multiple tart and pie recipes. Yummy! The daffs are just starting to show in my garden, lets hope spring is here!

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  2. Oh, my but these look DANGEROUSLY GOOD, Marie... LOL! I have to try these! ;o) Yum-my! Happy Day, dear friend--LOVE YOU LOTS!! ((BIG HUGS))

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  3. You made them beautifully! little works of art..cracked up at au contraire mon frere:)

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  4. Be still my heart!!! Not only are these little cakes absolutely adorable, they sound divine! Love that you topped them with more sweets, Marie (so would I!)

    Off to catch up with more of your latest posts...being sick this week and sharing the computer with my husband (still home all day!) has really altered my visiting habits! Hoping to get back to normal one day soon!

    Love to you, sweet friend...hope your days are getting springier and springier!

    Julie

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  5. such an interesting recipe..cake in a tart! very pretty!

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  6. Oh man! Now I'm going to have to add these to my baking list too ;0)

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  7. Happy St David's Day! What lovely little delights!

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  8. OMG dear Marie these treats look absolutely delicious!! You always cook delicious my friend! send you huggsd and kisses, gloria

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  9. OH MY, THEY LOOK DELICIOUS! I'M HAVING THOSE THIS WEEKEND :) I LIVE IN BEAUTIFUL WALES AND WE HAD WELSH CAKES TODAY :) XX

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  10. Their diminutive shape and size are so attractive! Is a "bun tin" the same as a muffin tin?

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  11. Leonora, a bun tin is a lot shallower than a muffin tin. It's more like a tart tin!

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  12. mmm yummy! I'm going to make these tomorrow, I have a few frozen tart shells that need using

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  13. I have just made a batch of these for my Mum who remembers eating them as a child. Absolutely delicious is the verdict from us.

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  14. I used to get this regularly at school in the 1950/60s but didn't know proper name.
    Put lots of cherries in cake mix!

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  15. I grew up making these, one of the first things my Grand mother taught me to cook..........I'm old school....well done

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    1. I just love these old traditional recipes Anonymous! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! xo

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  16. Hi there, just wondering if I could bake this as one large cake? Would the recipe and timings remain the same? Thanks Jo 😊

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    1. Never having done so I cannot give a definitive answer. I can't see why it wouldn't work as a large tart. I am not sure on the timings for baking a larger one, but I would start checkint it at 25 minutes and go from there. Hope this helps Jo!

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  17. This is Teisen Lap not cheesecake.

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    1. No, this is Teisen Llap: https://www.visitwales.com/things-do/food-and-drink/welsh-food-and-recipes/teisen-lap-cake-recipe
      ~Marie

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