01409 271284
Tamar Valley Cottages - Boutique dog friendly accommodation in Cornwall
  • Home
  • Cottages
    • View All Cottages
    • Hendra
    • Treneglos
    • Bodrugan
    • Penhale
    • The Cottage Grounds
    • Seasons at Tamar Valley Cottages
    • Location >
      • How to find us
      • Places to Visit >
        • Local Attractions
        • Local Beaches
        • Places to Eat Out
  • Availability / Tariff
    • View All Availability
    • Hendra Availability
    • Treneglos Availability
    • Bodrugan Availability
    • Penhale Availability
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
    • Booking Request
    • General Enquiry
  • T&Cs

Cornish Fairings - a delicious and easy local recipe

7/3/2018

Comments

 
To many Cornish folk, fairings are as much a part of the local food heritage as pasties and clotted cream.  In this blog post, we share our tried and tested recipe for these delicious Cornish biscuits.
Picture

To many Cornish folk, fairings are as much a part of the local food heritage as pasties and clotted cream.  In this blog post, we share our tried and tested recipe for these delicious Cornish biscuits.

Fairings were sweet snacks traditionally bought for children and sweethearts at fairs, and were recorded as far back as the 1100s.  At one point in history, every region in the country would have had their own take or their own speciality, but it seems that gingerbread was a common incarnation.  

Cornish fairings - sweet, spiced biscuits - were originally bundled up with sugared almonds and macaroons, but it is now just the biscuits which have retained the name.

In Victorian times, a baker from Truro (Furniss) started to produce them on a larger scale using a recipe from Launceston, our local town.  This company ended up baking them for over a century, and supplying them by mail-order across the world.

However, in our humble opinion, nothing can beat the freshly made version.  Sweet, spicy, crunchy and just a little chewy, they are a real treat, and very easy to make.  Have a go and let us know how you get on.
​


Ingredients:

220g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp ground ginger (less for a more subtle flavour)
2 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tablespoon of mixed peel, finely chopped (optional)

110g butter, chopped into pieces.

100g caster sugar
4 tbsp golden syrup
​

Picture

Method:

Heat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-based ovens) / Gas mark 6. 

Line 2 large baking sheets with greaseproof paper.

Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, bicarb, spices and mixed peel in a large bowl.

Add the diced butter and rub in with your finger tips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

Stir in the sugar.

Warm the golden syrup gently, either by briefly heating it in a microwavable mug, or by gently warming in a pan, and add it to the dry mix.  

Stir with a spoon, and then bring together with your hands to form a dough.  (Add extra golden syrup or water if the mix doesn't hold together).

Pinch golf-ball sized lumps of the dough and space them out onto the baking sheet, with approximately 1 inch between them.  (You can make them smaller if you like).  Don't worry about making them perfectly spherical - they sink down anyway.

Bake for 8-10 minutes but keep an eye on them as they can burn quickly.

Let them cool on the baking sheet before moving them to a wire rack.

Enjoy!  

Best cream teas in North Cornwall

Picture

Dog-friendly biscuits

Picture

Picture
Multi Award-winning Cottages
  • Over 2 acres of grounds in the Cornish countryside
  • Designer interiors and boutique furnishings
  • Perfect tranquil location from which to explore North Cornwall and Devon.

Find out more!


Comments
    Picture
    View our boutique cottages

    Late Availability in our Cornish Cottages


    Tweets by @TamarValleyCott

    Click here to view our dog-friendly cottages


    Categories

    All
    Arts
    Attractions
    Autumn
    Beaches
    Bude
    Charlotte
    Christmas
    Cornwall
    Coronavirus
    Cottages
    Dartmoor
    Devon
    Dog Blog
    Dogs
    Easter
    Eating Out
    Family
    Food
    Gardens
    History
    Launceston
    Music
    Plants
    Poldark
    Recipe
    Tamar Valley
    Website
    Whatson
    Wildlife


    Picture
    Family friendly holidays

    Picture

    Picture
    Dogs are welcome!

    Picture
    Guide to Poldark filming locations

    Picture
    The best dog-friendly attractions

    Picture
    Our cream tea guide

    Picture
    Local filming locations

    Archives

    January 2021
    November 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015

    RSS Feed

​We never sell or share your information with third parties.
Read our Privacy Policy for more details.

Telephone

01409 271284   /  07860 726957

Email

bookings@tamarvalleycottages.co.uk

Social Media


Tamar Valley Cottages, North Tamerton House, North Tamerton, Cornwall, EX22 6SA

Stargazy Solutions Web Design   -  © Copyright Tamar Valley Cottages 2018, All rights reserved unless otherwise stated