All Saints Day Soul Cakes - Recipe

Some historic treats for All Saint's Day, Samhain, Halloween, etc. Soul cakes originated in ancient Europe. They were handed out by folks during the day and upon evening they were placed upon the resting places of deceased ancestors to ease relief to the souls. These were gifts to the poor and needy in exchange for prayers for those who have recently passed. In modern times, they have become Halloween treats to hand out to those who show up at your door.

Here is one of many recipes for All Saints Day Soul Cakes:

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups of regular oatmeal
• 1/2 cup of butter
• 1 cup of molasses
• 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
• 2 1/2 cups of flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2/3 cup of brown sugar
• 1 tsp. ginger
• 1/4 cup of milk
• 1 tsp. baking soda

Directions:
1) Grease an 8-inch square baking pan and set it aside. If you don't have an 8-inch pan, you can use any pan with dimensions that add up to 32 inches. This is the measurement of the amount of space you will need for the amount of cake mixture you are making.

2) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F before you start to Make All Saints Day soul cakes.

3) Melt the butter and molasses in a pan over a low heat. This mixture will burn if left too long or melted over high heat.

4) Remove the mixture from the fire when melted and stir it once in a while to prevent clumps.

5) Mix the flour, oatmeal, ginger, salt, brown sugar and the cream of tartar in a large bowl. Set this bowl aside for now.

6) Mix the milk and baking soda in a separate bowl. Mix slowly with a fork to avoid creating froth in the mixture.

7) Pour the butter and molasses mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients. Mix this thoroughly with a fork until the mixture starts to stick to the sides of the bowl.

8) Pour in the milk and baking soda mixture. Continue to mix everything with a fork to be sure it all blends in together.

9) Place the sticky dough into your greased pan.

10) Place the pan in the center rack of your oven and leave your cake to bake for about an hour.

11) Check the cake after about 45 minutes. Stick a toothpick in the middle to see how it is progressing. If the toothpick comes out dry, your cake is done.

12) Remove the pan from the oven and set it in a safe place to cool.

13) Take the cake out of the pan and slice it into several pieces.

14) Garnish your cake slices with powdered sugar or butter and a sprinkling of brown sugar and cinnamon. Serve.

You can garnish your soul cake with other ingredients of your choice. For instance, you can try powdered sugar over sliced fruit in a light syrup.