Soul Cakes

These cakes were traditionally made for All Saints or All Soul’s Day to celebrate the dead. The practice of giving and eating soul cakes is often seen as the origin of modern trick-or-treating

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp. salt
• 12 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup sour cream or plain greek yogurt with full fat
• 1/2 cup whole milk or milk preference
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 apple diced, patted dry (optional) 
• Additional milk and sugar for topping
• Additional 1/4 cup of flour for rolling out dough.

Method

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees
• Cream together sugar and butter with a hand mixer.
• Then add in sour cream, milk and vanilla extract and mix.
• Next add in baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice and mix.
• Add in the flour one cup at a time and mix well. Dough will be piece-y.
• Fold in the dried cranberries and apples and then chill dough for 20 minutes.
• Roll out dough on parchment paper and use extra flour on your hands, rolling pin and parchment paper as needed. You may beed as much as 1/4 cup extra flour depending on the moisture in your apples. Roll about 1/2 inch thick.
• Using a cookie cutter or a biscuit cutter, cut the Soul Cakes out and place them on a cookie sheet that's lined with parchment paper. Double line the cookie sheet if you are worried about browning or use a silicone baking liner.
• Cut the X in the top and decorate with dried fruit if you want to. Brush the tops with milk. Bake for 10 minutes.
• Remove them from the oven and brush the tops with milk again and then sprinkle on sugar. Bake for another 11-14 minutes until the tops have started to brown a bit. Do not bake them for longer than 26 minutes total.
• Transfer to a cooling rack right away and let them cool completely. Then serve them with coffee, tea, cider, ale or even wine! Soul cakes make an ideal trick-or-treat gift.

Source: Sugarmaplefarmhouse.com

Halloween, Seasonal, Baked Goods, Traditional Irish