We made these cookies for the John B. Sliney Cultural Celebration as a way to explore our Welsh heritage. We didn't grow up making a lot of Welsh food, so the Internet was a big help! (These instructions came from a website called "The Recipe Hunters.") We went searching for our own scallop shells at Branford Point but didn't have much luck; the good news is that you can use madeline cookie pans as a substitute for the shells if you don't happen to have a clean shell to use!
step 1
Preheat the oven to 350° F (165°C)
step 2
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Using your hands, rub the butter into the flour and sugar until fine crumbs are formed. Continue to rub and knead until a smooth dough is formed. If your dough is too dry and is not sticking together add a bit more butter or a squeeze of orange or lemon juice, about a tablespoon.
step 3
Grease a cookie sheet with a light layer of butter.
step 4
On a flat working surface, mix a bit of flour and sugar together and set aside. This will be used to coat the outside of the scallop shell so that the dough doesn't stick to the shell. Coat the shell with the flour & sugar before molding every cake.
step 5
To shape the cakes, take a golf ball sized amount of dough and press it at the base of the coated shell. Press evenly until the dough is about 1 cm thick. Flip the shell over and let the cake fall into your hand. You might have to pull at the edge a bit for the cookie to fall from the shell. Place the cake on the greased baking sheet.
step 6
Bake the cakes for about 10-15 minutes or until they are a light golden brown on the edges. *Since all ovens have different hot spots, check on the cakes about 5 minutes after baking to see if some are getting too brown on the bottom. Rotate the pan if needed.
1/4 cup (58 g) of Superfine Sugar or Caster Sugar +1 tbsp extra to dust the shell
1 stick (116 g) of Salted Butter (about 1 stick) at room temp.
1 1/4 cups (174 g) of All Purpose Flour + 1 tbsp extra to dust the shell
Cookie Sheet or Madeline Cookie Pans
Large Bowl
Measuring Spoons
Measuring Cups
Scallop Shells (optional)