Soul Cakes

It was said by some that for every cake given away and eaten, a soul was released from purgatory.

For two dozen buns or cakes, quantities are 
2 cups flour, 
2 oz. sugar, a generous pinch each of freshly ground nutmeg, powdered cloves and mace, 
4 oz. butter, 
1/2 pint sack (use sherry well diluted in water), 
1 oz. yeast 
4 oz. currants or about 
1/2 teaspoonful of saffron filaments.
First put the saffron to steep in a little of the warmed sack, while you prepare the dough. Whatever the recipe may say, modern fresh or dried yeast prefers its liquid warmed, so melt the butter in the rest of the sack and, as soon as it has cooled to blood heat, dissolve the yeast in some of it. Mix together the flour, sugar and spices, work in both the saffron and yeast mixtures, and add as much more sack as you need to make a light, firm, elastic dough. Leave it to rise, shape it into buns, range them on baking sheets and leave them to prove again in a warm place. Bake 20 minutes in a hot oven [400 degrees F.])

 

Soul Cakes
A good pinch of saffron
Warm milk
ale
6 oz. butter
6 oz. caster sugar
(a sugar that is finer than granulated but coarser than powdered)
3 egg yolks
1 lb. plain flour
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon mixed spice
3 oz currants

Pre-set oven to 350 degrees F. Soak saffron in a little warmed milk. Cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg yolks. Sieve flour, salt, and spices together and add to mixture. Lastly add currants and drained saffron milk. Add more milk if necessary, to make a soft dough. Make into flat cakes, mark each one across top, and bake on a greased baking tray in pre-heated oven for about 15 minutes or until brown.