Make these Cattern Cakes for St Catherine’s Day or to remember the Catherine Wheel on Bonfire Night

St Catherine’s Day falls on 25 November and celebrates St Catherine of Alexandria, who was condemned to death on a torture instrument known as a breaking wheel. Catherine wheel fireworks are named after her because of this association and foods celebrating her day – such as cattern cakes – are made in the shape of swirls. The day was once widely celebrated and known as Catterntide. In Medieval times it marked the beginning of Advent, which actually begins on 29 November this year.

St Catherine is the patron saint of spinners, weavers and lacemakers, and the latter used to take their annual holiday on this day. In her wonderful book Cattern Cakes and Lace (Dorling Kindersley), Julie Jones writes that lacemakers would set aside a small sum of money to provide tea and cakes on this day. This is based on her recipe for Cattern cakes, but slightly adapted.

Makes 8-10 cakes
275g self-raising flour
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
25g currants
50g ground almonds
2 tsp caraway seeds
200g caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
100g butter, melted
1 medium egg, beaten

1 Preheat the oven to 190C/Fan 170C/ Gas 5. Sift the flour and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl and add the currants, almonds, caraway seeds and sugar.
2 Add the melted butter and beaten egg and mix to form a soft dough.
3 Roll out onto a floured surface to about 2cm thick and cut out rounds using an 85mm biscuit cutter, then lay them onto a piece of baking parchment on a baking tray.
4 Take a knife with a sharp point and draw a swirl into the surface of the biscuit, then sprinkle on a little sugar.
5 Bake for around 10 mins or until they are browned and slightly risen. Cool on a wire rack.

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