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!



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.



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, and it 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!



Who wouldn't love Wales, with it's beautiful sing song accent, wierd and wonderful place names, all those wooley cotton boll sheep, beautiful rolling hills, crystal clear streams, and brilliant history, not to mention . . . ahem . . . Tom Jones!



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.



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??



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*
(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.