Have you ever heard of a soul cake? Some say the tradition of giving soul cakes is the predecessor to modern trick-or-treating. The cakes were traditionally set out on All Hallows Eve as an offering for the dead, and on All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day local children would go door to door signing songs and saying prayers for the dead to collect soul cakes. Some traditions held that eating the cakes would release souls from purgatory. The cakes were often filled with fall spices like allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger, and before baking each wafer was marked with a cross, to signify that these were alms.
Traditional Soul Cake Recipe for All Hallows’ Eve Treats
From NPR.org
Makes 12 to 15 2-inch soul cakes
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
Generous pinch of saffron
1/2 cup milk
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup currants
For the Glaze:
1 egg yolk, beaten
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Combine the flour, the nutmeg, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. Mix well with a fork. Crumble the saffron threads into a small saucepan and heat over low heat just until they become aromatic, taking care not to burn them. Add the milk and heat just until hot to the touch. The milk will have turned a bright yellow. Remove from heat. Cream the butter and sugar together in a medium bowl with a wooden spoon (or use an electric mixer with the paddle attachment). Add the egg yolks and blend in thoroughly with the back of the spoon. Add the spiced flour and combine as thoroughly as possible; the mixture will be dry and crumbly.
One tablespoon at a time, begin adding in the warm saffron milk, blending vigorously with the spoon. When you have a soft dough, stop adding milk; you probably won’t need the entire half-cup. Turn the dough out onto a floured counter and knead gently, with floured hands, until the dough is uniform. Roll out gently to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Using a floured 2-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out as many rounds as you can and set on an ungreased baking sheet. You can gather and re-roll the scraps, gently. Decorate the soul cakes with currants and then brush liberally with the beaten egg yolk. Bake for 15 minutes, until just golden and shiny. Serve warm, with cold pumpkin juice.
T Susan Chang/National Public Radio
