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Singin' hinnies with spiced butter

Sophie Grigson from Market Kitchen
Sophie Grigson recalls a fond childhood favourite - a Sunderland recipe of fried scones that appear to 'sing' as they sizzle while being cooked

Singin' hinnies with spiced butter

Method

1. For the singin' hinnies: preheat the oven to 230C/gas8.

2. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cream of tartar and salt.

3. Rub in the butter and lard, then mix in the raisins. Add enough milk to make a firm dough.

4. Roll out the dough about 2cm thick onto a floured work surface, and then cut into rounds of about 6 cm in diameter.

5. Heat a griddle pan. Spear the lamb fat with a fork and grease the heated griddle with it thoroughly.

6. Put on the cakes and turn them when the bottoms turn golden brown. Cook until the other side is also golden. Remove from the heat and slice in half horizontally. Sandwich a big knob of butter in between each half.

7. Place the singin’ hinnies in the oven for 10-15 until they are all cooked. Pile onto plates.

8. For the spiced butter: in a small bowl, mash all the ingredients together, and then pile into a bowl to serve with the singin’ hinnies.

Cook's note
Singin' hinnies are a type of fried scone that is called so as it 'sings' and sizzles while cooking. 'Hinny' is a Northern term for endearment used especially to children. Similar to singin' hinnies are Northumbrian gridle cakes, also known as Gosforth gridies.
If you are making them for a children’s party or at Christmas, put coins that have been briefly boiled, then wrapped in greaseproof paper, in the middle of some of the singin’ hinnies.

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Serves: 4

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 20 min

Ingredients

For the singin’ hinnies

250g Flour
1/8 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp Salt
60g Butter, at room temperature
60g lard
85g raisins
Milk, to bind
piece lamb fat, fat for the griddle
knobs of Butter

For the spiced butter

120g lightly salted or unsalted Butter, softened
2 tbsp icing sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated Nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground Cloves
squeeze of lemon juice