Soul Cakes for All Saints Day

Going to try to make these "Soul Cakes" today for All Saints Day.

DIRECTIONS
Cream shortening and sugar. Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup lukewarm water to which a teaspoon of sugar has been added. Set aside. Scald milk and add to the creamed mixture. When cooled add yeast mixture and stir until thoroughly blended. Sift together flour, salt, and spices, and add gradually to other ingredients, kneading into a soft dough. Set sponge to rise in warm place in greased covered bowl. When doubled in bulk, shape into small round or oval buns. Brush tops with slightly beaten egg white. Bake in moderately hot oven (400° F.) for 15 minutes. Drop temperature to 350 ° F. and bake until delicately browned and thoroughly done.

INGREDIENTS
6 cups sifted all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 envelope active dry yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1 egg white, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

This is how I subbed out my recipe:
I used 1 cup of butter,
1/2 cup of granulated sugar and
1/2 cup of powdered sugar
No cinnamon. Not a fan.
Just nutmeg.

After letting this rise carefully in the oven (turned on to 175 then turned off to receive the sponge), I ended up very gently kneading an extra cup or so of flour into the dough. It was way too sticky to work with, even with oiled hands. I made small cakes, about the size of walnuts, since I need to pass them out to 50 children. This recipe made about 60 cakes.

Also, I did NOT use the egg wash. Instead, I baked at 400degrees for 10 minutes, then put butter on the top of each cake. (The pan was greased generously as well). Another 5 minutes at the same temp, and they were perfect. They have a delightfully sweet bread flavor, with that hint of nutmeg that freshens them up. Great plain, but you could add a glaze or jam as well.

Soul Cakes

Early and Medieval Catholics would go “Souling” instead of trick-or-treating on All Saints Day and All Souls Day.

In exchange for a prayer for a poor soul in purgatory, each child would receive a soul cake.

Children would often sing a traditional rhyme while going from house to house to say prayers and collect soul cakes:

A soul-cake a soul-cake,
Please good missus a soul-cake.
One for Peter, one for Paul,
Three for Him who saved us all.

As you eat your sweet soul cake, think about someone you would like to say a prayer for!

Here is a good prayer to say for the souls in purgatory:

O Lord Jesus Christ, King of glory,

through the intercession of Mary and all the saints,

please free from purgatory the faithful departed,

and lead them to Thy redemption in Heaven.

Amen

St Teresa of Avila praying for the souls in purgatory.