Preparation time: 12 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
According to the version of the story I was told, these tasty little cakes gained their name from the Battle of Bosworth, fought on 22 August 1485. This was the last major battle of the War of the Roses which saw Yorkist King Richard III defeated by the Lancastrian Henry, who went on to found the Tudor dynasty as King Henry VII. Richard had gathered his army in Leicester, heading west as soon as his scouts brought in definite news of the enemy’s position. Richard camped on Albion Hill on the night of 21 August. Next morning his cook baked Richard these tasty little cakes to carry with him in a pouch so that he could whip them out for a quick snack in a break from the fighting. In the event, Richard rode out to battle before they were ready and was killed in the battle. The cakes were, therefore, scoffed up by the victorious Henry Tudor that evening. Personally I think that the original cakes must have been round, not S shaped. A thin, curly shape is not a robust one to carry around in a pouch all day. In any case, the S was a symbol of the Lancastrian cause - Henry himself wore a gold necklace of interlinked S-shaped links. I suspect the shaping of the cakes into S came after the battle as a tribute to the winner. Whatever the truth of their origin, they are very tasty little snacks - which is all that really matters.
6oz butter
6oz caster sugar
1 egg
Grated rind of 1 lemon
8oz flour
Preheat the oven to 180C Gas Mk 4.
Beat together the butter and sugar until it is white and fluffy.
Beat the egg well, then gradually add to the butter-sugar mix.
Add the grated lemon rid and stir well.
Add the flour a little at a time to form a stiff mixture.
Divide the mixture into small pieces and form into an S shape.
Place on a greased baking tray
Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
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