I wanted a Hobbit based treat for the Dewey's 24 hour Readathon. This is very likely what J R R Tolkein grew up eating. I had to substitute poppy seeds for the caraway as my brother has trouble with caraway. Original recipe said to bake for 1 hour - cake is too dry. 50 minutes would work better. Otherwise, this is a light scone in texture.
Recipe is taken from Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management, 1861 and I give credit to this link for posting it. http://www.innatthecrossroads.com/seedcake-the-hobbit/
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. of butter (2 sticks)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground mace
- 1 Tbs seeds (caraway is traditional, but I like poppy seeds)
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup brandy
- 2 cups flour
Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the spices and seeds, followed by the eggs and brandy, beating to combine. Gradually
add the flour, stirring until everything is mixed together completely.
Pour this thick batter into a tin lined with buttered paper, and bake it
at 350F for 50 minutes.
No pan size indicated, but other suggest 8-9 inch pan. I used an 8 in square with parchment paper.
