Hagrid's Rock Cakes

J.K. Rowling has a wonderful knack for details and consistency. Everything that happens and everything that is said adds more, perfectly, to each character, and you get the impression that she has extensive lists of back stories and details that will never make it onto the page. (If you're interested, I found this: a collection of Rowling's own sketches and handwritten lists of Hogwarts students with her own codes signifying various traits). Hagrid, the lovable, loyal oaf with a habit of putting his foot in it, is a perfect example of Rowling's attention to detail and fine character crafting.

Hagrid is a wild beast at heart, half-giant and totally comfortable with nature. He's also incredibly kind and always strives to make Harry feel at home. Rowling ensure's that Hagrid's relationship with food perfectly reflects both sides of his character, be it through his home cooked beef casserole containing a suspicious looking talon or treacle toffee which Hagrid eats with ease but ends up cementing Harry's jaws together. His culinary mishaps mirror his tendency to slip up in conversations, which result in his trademark, heavily west-countried accented catchphrase, 'I should not have said that...'. 

Hagrid offers Harry his infamous rock cakes, with somewhat predictable results...

"The rock cakes were shapeless lumps with raisins that almost broke their
teeth, but Harry and Ron pretended to be enjoying them as they told
Hagrid all about their first -lessons
[...]
As Harry and Ron walked back to the castle for dinner, their pockets
weighed down with rock cakes they'd been too polite to refuse, Harry
thought that none of the lessons he'd had so far had given him as much
to think about as tea with Hagrid."

(Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter Eight - The Potions Master)

I wanted to make rock cakes and knew exactly where to get the recipe from - The Hairy Bikers. 

The recipe I used came from the 'Mum's Know Best Series', which are a number of recipes submitted by viewers that have been passed down from their mums. I thought this appropriate for Hagrid inspired cakes as although homely, there was a slight element of danger here as the recipes were not all tried and tested by professional chefs.

Following the instructions and using a bit of my own Hagrid-esque flair, I mixed flour, salt, mixed spice and butter using a 'rubbing in' method. Then, I stirred in sugar and sultanas.

After making a well in the centre of the of the mixture, I stirred in a beaten egg and some milk. It was still far too dry so I followed my instinct and added more (perhaps just a little too much) milk. Luckily mum was on hand to supervise and jump in when necessary (those cookery classes paid off!). I placed in rough heaps on a greased baking tray and left to bake for 15 minutes.

I took them out of the oven and was greeted with perfectly golden rock cakes.

Mum and I enjoyed the cakes with a flagon of steaming tea and, I'm pleased to say, suffered no broken teeth, just warm, full tummies.