Figgie ‘obbin, also called figgie hobbin, is an old Cornish recipe. It is good served hot with clotted cream, burnt cream, or baked custard; or cold with tea or coffee or cocoa.
Ingredients
- 2 parts by weight of self raising flour (or plain flour plus baking powder)
- 2 parts by weight of raisins (and/or sultanas if desired)
- 1 part by weight (i.e. half the weight of the flour in total) of a 50/50 mix of suet and other fat
- Water or milk
Procedure
- Rub the suet, fat, and flour together.
- Mix in the raisins, and add enough water or milk to make a stiff dough.
- Roll out to about 1 inch thick. Press gently into a prepared shallow baking tin or dish.
- Bake in a hot oven for about 35–45 minutes.
Notes, tips, and variations
- Currants and/or sultanas may be mixed with or substituted for raisins.
- Vegetable suet, vegetable lard, or butter, can be used instead of beef or mutton suet and dripping; this will give a lighter cake.
- Figgie/Fig/Figs are Cornish dialect words pertaining to raisins
- From Perranporth W.I. in Cornish Recipes, Ancient & Modern, 22nd Edition, The Cornwall Federation of Women’s Institutes 1965. First collected & published by Edith Martin, Tregavethan, Truro, 1929, for The Cornwall F. of W. I.