Cornish Food & Recipes
Here we aim to add personal Cornish recipes to older traditional recipes recorded in Cornwall from historic times.
Cornish Splits
As most Cornish people know it is traditional to use splits with jam and cream rather than scones. So here is a recipe for Cornish splits
- 2 ozs lard
- 1 lb white flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 oz yeast
- 1 teaspoon castor sugar
- Half pint milk
Warm the milk. Cream the sugar and yeast together and mix with the milk. Sieve together the flour and salt, rub in the lard and add all this to the liquid mixture to form a soft dough. Knead thoroughly, leave in a warm place to rise, knead again and then shape into round buns. Lightly flour a baking tray, leave to prove once more, then bake for about 15 minutes at 400°F.
Splits can be served hot, cut open and buttered, or cold with jam and clotted cream.
Cornish Hevva Cake
Following her marvellous interview on Radio Cornwall during 2020 we are please to share the recipe of Margaret Stevens from St Ives for Cornish Hevva Cake. Margaret explains the story behind the cake as well as the recipe.
Ingredients
- 8oz (200g) Flour
- 2oz (50g) Marg. (butter would not have been affordable)
- 2 oz (50g) Lard (white veg. fat. - healthier nowadays!)
- 3 / 4oz (100g) Sugar
- 6 oz (150g) Currants (Mixed fruit)
- Approx 3 Tablespoons Milk to mix
Method
- Rub Fat into Flour. (Can be done in a mixer, but not too long!)
- Add Sugar & Fruit
- Mix with Milk
- Shape & Roll out on a floured board (or on greaseproof paper - for ease of transferring to baking tray) to an oval / oblong to fit baking tray about ½ “to ¾ " thick
- Score a fine mesh net over the surface. Brush with milk
- Bake for 15 / 20 minutes in the centre of oven 190°C. 375°F. Gas mark 6.
Serve warm. The saying goes: - “A bit of hot Hevva touched up light is rich.”
If you want to learn more about the story behind Cornish hevva cake go to St Ives Old Cornwall Society's 'Preserving and Sharing Knowledge' webpage where you'll also be able to click and hear the radio interview.