Traditional Soul cakes [Medieval biscuits]

A wooden square plate with pile of soul cakes sitting on a crochet table mat with pewter pitcher and mug in background along with pumpkins.

Course: Afternoon tea, Party, Snack

Cuisine: British

Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 50

Servings: biscuits

Calories: 118kcal

Author: Jacq

Our traditional Soul Cakes are crisp warmly spiced fruity biscuits that are perfect for dunking in a cup of tea. Soul cakes are also really delicious buttered and topped with cheese and chutney as they are like a thick oatcake and the dried currants, nutmeg, and allspice pair so well with the butter and cheese - we used vegan versions but of course you can use your usual ingredients.

Print Recipe

US Customary - Metric

Equipment

2 Baking trays
Baking paper.
sieve
Mixing bowl
Rolling pin
circular biscuit or cookie cutter about 6-7 cm diameter
Knife
cooling rack

Ingredients

300 grams plain flour [or all-purpose flour]
150 grams margarine [use one suitable for baking, we used Stork baking spread but you can use your usual baking margarine/butter]
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg [can switch out the spices for your preferred ground spices or spice mix]
1 teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon salt [we used sea salt]
150 grams caster sugar [or granulated sugar]
75 grams dried currants [or raisins or sultanas]
2 tablespoons medium oatmeal [or pinhead oatmeal, steel-cut oatmeal, or Irish oatmeal]
70 millilitres milk [we used almond milk but you can use your usual milk]
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions

Stir the milk and the vinegar together in a small bowl and set aside until its required.
70 millilitres milk, 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Preheat the oven to 160 Fan, 180C, 350 Fahrenheit, or Gas 4.
Line your baking trays with baking paper. You will likely need 2 trays.
Sift the flour into a mixing bowl.
300 grams plain flour
Add the margarine broken up into pieces and using your fingertips rub the margarine into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.
150 grams margarine
Stir through the salt, spices, oatmeal, sugar, and dried currants.
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon ground allspice, ¼ teaspoon salt, 150 grams caster sugar, 75 grams dried currants, 2 tablespoons medium oatmeal
Pour the milk mixture into the mixing bowl and stir until it all clumps together.
Dust your hands with flour and press the biscuit dough together into a ball.
Gently form a biscuit dough with your hands. If the biscuit dough seems too dry you can incorporate a few more drops of milk and if it seems too wet you can dust it with more flour until its easy to manage.
Dust your work surface with flour and slice the biscuit dough into two pieces as this will make it easier to roll out.
Dust your rolling pin with floor roll out the dough to about half a centimetre thick. Sprinkle flour over the dough if it sticks to the rolling pin during rolling.
Using the cookie cutter press out rounds and carefully lift them up and place onto the baking tray. If any dried currants stick out from the cookie cutter sides just trim these off with a knife before transferring the biscuit to the baking tray.
Continue pressing out rounds, and pulling the dough back together and rolling our whenever required. Repeat with the second round of biscuit dough. The first lot of biscuits can be baked while the second round are being prepared.
Thinner biscuits will be more crisp compared to a thicker rolled biscuit.
Use a knife to score a cross over each soul cake being careful not to cut the biscuit dough too deep.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. The soul cakes will be lightly golden brown and firm to touch, but will crisp up more as they cool.
If your biscuits were rolled quite thin they will require less baking time so check to see how they are going after 15-18 minutes especially if you are using a fan oven as these tend to bake faster.
Transfer the biscuits to a wire rack to cool.

Notes

Nutritional information is for guidance only and is not intended as a strict calculation as ingredients can vary.
These Soul Cake biscuits are similar to Garibaldi biscuits and McVities Fruit Shortcake biscuits, and are also along the same lines as home-baked traditional British Easter biscuits. However, Soul Cakes are still their own unique bake.
Soul Cakes can be stored for at least a week, probably a few days longer, within a biscuit tin or jar.
Or frozen, well wrapped, for 2-3 months.
As Soul Cakes are considered by some as a variation of an oatcake you can also enjoy the Soul Cakes the same way - such as spread it with butter or margarine, fruit jam, or other spread, and perhaps also top the biscuit with some sliced cheese.
A nice way to enjoy these biscuits is with a nice cup of tea or coffee for dunking the biscuit into. However, our kids also like a nice glass of chocolate soya or oat milk with their biscuits.
Instead of dried currants [which are a type of raisin] you can use raisins or sultanas although do chop any large raisins as currants are quite small.
As we are a plant-based family recipe blog we recommend using plant-based margarine and plant-based milk but of course if you have different dietary requirements you can use your usual ingredients.

Nutrition