Cooking Corner: Soul Cakes

by Dobbin

It's getting close to All Soul's Day on Roundworld so here is a recipe for a Soul Cake.

What is a Soul Cake?

It was a cake made for the souls of the dead and is placed on their graves on All Saint's Day (November the 1st). Alternatively, it was given to beggars or poor people. Traditionally, children sang a song called "The souling song", asking for a cake, and perhaps this is the basis of the "Trick or Treat" tradition today.

You can see the lyrics and music of the traditional song here:

http://sniff.numachi.com/pages/tiSOULCAKE;ttSOULCAKE.html

What is the Soul Cake Duck?

A traditional three day holiday on Discworld, Soul Cake Days start on the Tuesday after the first half-moon in Sektober. This day corresponds to the opening of the duck hunting season on Discworld and the sighting of the first duck on Soul Cake Tuesday is considered to be very lucky (although not for the duck).

The Soul Cake Tuesday Duck is the Discworld equivalent of the Easter Bunny and lays chocolate eggs on this day. Other traditions for this holiday include Trickle-Treating, Morris Dancing and Toffee Rats on a Stick (dwarfs like a good holiday as much as humans).

Why Tuesday? Terry Pratchett mixed Shrove Tuesday with Easter (and a Soul Cake is basically a hot cross bun without the cross.)

Anyway, here is the recipe. It makes around 12 Soul Duck cakes:

50g (2 oz) caster sugar, plus 1 teaspoon

125ml (4 fl oz) warm water

125ml (4 fl oz) warm milk

1 tablespoon dried yeast (for fresh yeast see note below)

450g (1lb) plain flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 heaped teaspoon ground mixed spice

50g (2 oz) mixed peel

50g (2 oz) melted butter

1 egg, beaten

For the glaze (optional):

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons water

Method

1. Add a teaspoon of sugar and the dried yeast to the warm milk and water and cover. Leave in a warm place until a thick froth has appeared on the surface of the liquid - this means the yeast is working. If this doesn't happen, you need new yeast.

2. Place the flour, salt, spices, sugar, currants and peel in a large bowl. Pour in the melted butter, egg and the yeast, milk and water mixture. Combine to form a dough.

3. Knead the dough on a clean, floured surface for 10 minutes. Place the dough in a clean bowl and leave to rise in a warm place (this may take an hour.)

4. Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F, gas mark 7).

5. Roll the dough out gently and, with a duck shaped cutter, cut into 12 buns. Place them on a greased baking sheet and leave to rise again for 45 mins.

6. Bake the buns in the oven for 15 mins until they are golden brown and when knocked underneath sound hollow.

7. While the buns are in the oven, you can make a sticky glaze by putting 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of water in a small pan and heating on a low heat. Brush this on as soon as the buns come out of the oven for a sticky finish.

Note: If you prefer to use fresh yeast, 25g (1oz) will be needed. Crumble the yeast into a bowl and cream with the warm milk and water at stage 1.

Eat these and think of all the times you've died on Discworld.

Thanks to KliKli for the motivation.