Lardy Jacks Johnny Boys Medieval English Sweet Cakes Recipes

LARDY CAKE

Steps:

• Mix together the flour, salt and yeast in a mixing bowl. Rub in 20g/¾oz of the lard using your fingertips until there are no pieces of lard visible.
• Add three-quarters of the water and hand-mix the flour into the water to form a dough. Add as much of the remaining water as you need to get a dough that is soft and leaves the sides of the bowl clean.
• Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth. Place in a clean bowl, cover and leave to rise until doubled in size. This depends on the temperature of the room, but should take 1-2 hours.
• Tip the dough onto a floured work surface and roll into a rectangle about 20x50cm/8x20in and about ½cm thick.
• Dot a third of the remaining lard and a third of the butter over the surface of the dough. Scatter over a third of the fruit and a third of the sugar. Fold the top third of the dough down and the bottom third up so that the dough is folded in three and roughly square. Turn the dough a quarter turn. Roll out and repeat the out process twice more, to use up all the lard and fruit.
• Line a 23x23cm/9x9in square loose bottomed tin with baking parchment. Roll out the dough to fit the tin and place it inside. Cover with clingfilm, or place inside a large plastic bag, and leave to rise for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden-brown.
• Leave to cool slightly before removing from the tin. Cut into squares and serve warm or cold, with butter.

LARDY JACKS & JOHNNY BOYS (MEDIEVAL ENGLISH SWEET CAKES)

Steps:

• Basic English Egg Dough:.
• Pour scalded milk over butter, salt, & sugar.
• Cool.
• Dissolve yeast in warm water.
• Let stand until it bubbles.
• Add yeast to beaten eggs and then to cooled milk.
• Gradually add flour - only enough to make an easily handled dough.
• Turn out on floured surface and knead until smooth & elastic.
• Place in greased bowl, cover and let rise about 1 hour.
• Punch down and shape into 3 loaves.
• Place in greased loaf pan and let rise until doubled.
• Bake at 450º F for 10 minutes. Lower temperature to 350º F and bake 40 minutes longer.
• For Lardy Jacks:.
• After first rising of the Egg Dough,knead in the sugar, butter, raisins, & nuts. Roll dough to 1/2-inch thick. Cut into triangles.
• Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake on greased baking sheet at 400º F until done about 15 minutes.
• For Johnny Boys:.
• Follow Lardy Jacks recipe above, but add 3 Tbs. cinnamon to the sugar. Shape the triangles like a boy with outflung arms (or use a gingerbreadman cookie cutter).

LARDY CAKE

Steps:

• Mix the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a bowland rub in the lard.
• Make a well in the middle and pour in the water, bit by bit- mix to a soft dough.
• Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.
• Place in an oiled bowl& cover with oiled clingfilm; Leave to rise for about 1 hours or until doubled in size.
• Turn out onto a floured surface and roll out to a rectangle about 1/4 in thick.
• Dot the surface with about 1/3 each of the lard, butter, dried fruit and sugar.
• Fold into three, bringing one end up and the other end down (or to the left and right) Seal the edge to trap the air and then give the dough a quarter turn.
• Repeat with the remaining fat, fruit and sugar.
• Lightly butter a 9in by 12 in roasting tin, lightly roll out hte dough to fit and place the dough in the tin.
• Cover with oiled clingfilm and leave to rise until doubled in size (about 30 mins).
• Score the top of the dough in a criss-cross pattern and bake in a preheated oven at gas mark 6/200 degC/400degF for about 30 mins until well risen and golden brown.
• Leave to cool in the roasting tin for about 10 mins- this is to let the cake soak up the sugar/fat mixture that will have run out.
• Dissolve the caster sugar in the boiling water& brush on top of the loaf.
• Eat when cool.

LARDY CAKE

Steps:

• Using a rolling pin, roll out half of the dough into a 16-inch square on a lightly floured work surface. Cover remaining half with plastic; set aside. In a small bowl, combine spices. In a large bowl, combine dried fruit.
• Spread 2 ounces shortening over top of dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around perimeter. Sprinkle 6 tablespoons turbinado sugar over shortening. Sprinkle one-fourth of combined spices over sugar. Sprinkle one-fourth of dried fruit over spices. Using the palms of your hands, gently press fruit into dough.
• Fold 4 corners of square into center, creating a smaller square, enclosing filling. Gently press down on dough with rolling pin. Spread 2 ounces shortening over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around perimeter. Sprinkle 6 tablespoons sugar, another one-fourth of spices, and another one-fourth of fruit. Using palms of your hands, gently press fruit into dough; fold dough into thirds.
• Transfer dough to a piece of parchment paper; roll dough out into an 11-by-17-inch rectangle. Carefully lifting parchment, transfer to baking sheet. Let stand about 20 minutes.
• Repeat steps 1 through 4 with remaining dough, shortening, turbinado sugar, spices, and dried fruit.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine jam and cognac in a small saucepan. Set over low heat; cook until liquefied. Strain jam, discarding solids. Brush surface of lardy cakes with jam.
• Bake cakes until golden and puffed, 35 to 45 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving. Lardy cake will keep for up to 1 day, wrapped in aluminum foil; reheat cake before serving.

LARDY CAKE (LARDY BREAD)

Steps:

• Sprinkle yeast into 1 cup warm water with the pinch of sugar. Leave until frothy, about 15 minutes.
• Put the flour and salt in a bowl. Cut in 1 tablespoon lard with 2 knives or pastry blender. Make a well in the center and pour in the yeast liquid. Beat with an electric mixer until a dough forms and starts to pull away cleanly from the sides of the bowl, adding more water if necessary.
• Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in a clean bowl and cover with a clean tea towel. Leave in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Turn risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to a 1/4-inch thick rectangle. Dot 1/3 of the remaining lard over the surface, then sprinkle with 1/3 each of the raisins, currants, orange zest, and sugar. Fold the bottom third of the dough up and then the top third down and give a quarter turn on the work surface. Repeat the process twice more, starting with the rolling.
• Grease an 8x10-inch pan. Roll out the layered dough to fit and place in the pan. Cover and leave in a warm place until puffy, about 30 minutes. Score the top in a criss-cross pattern with a knife.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Bake in the preheated oven until well risen and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately or leave to cool on a wire rack.