St David's day recipes: From Welsh rarebit to leek and Caerphilly tart

These tasty mini bites of cheese on toast are perfect for parties, as a canapé, or as a starter or snack.

Prep: 10 minutes, plus cooling time
Cook: 10 minutes

Makes about 24

2 tsp English mustard powder
6 tbsp golden ale
50g butter
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, or to taste
350g Caerphilly cheese, grated
2 medium free-range egg yolks
6 slices sourdough with mixed seeds

For the pear and walnut relish

1 pear
2 tbsp lemon juice
5​0g walnut pieces, finely chopped
​25g pack fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Mix the mustard with a little ale to make a paste in the base of a pan. Stir in the rest of the ale, the butter and Worcestershire sauce over a gentle heat and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the cheese and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, being careful that the mixture doesn’t boil, until melted and smooth. Season, then remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Beat the yolks into the just-warm but still melted cheese.

Preheat the grill to high and toast the bread lightly on both sides, then leave to cool on the grill rack. Spread the cheese mixture over the cooled toast and grill for 3-4 minutes or until bubbling and golden. Coarsely grate the pear and immediately toss with the lemon juice. Stir in the walnuts and parsley. Cut each toast into 4 slices and serve with the relish, ready to spoon on top.

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These little teatime cakes are fruity and mildly spiced, delicious served warm on their own or buttered. Traditionally, they’re cooked on a sturdy griddle but a heavy-based frying pan makes a good substitute.

Serves 20

275g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
​80g slightly salted butter
​65g lard
75g raisins
​75g caster sugar, plus a little extra to sprinkle
1 medium egg, beaten
100ml milk

Put the flour, baking powder and spices in a bowl and add the butter and lard, cut into small pieces. Rub in with the fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the raisins and sugar.

Add the egg to the bowl and mix with a round-bladed knife, adding the milk to make a fairly soft dough (add a dash more if the dough feels dry). Roll out on a generously floured surface to 5mm thickness and cut out rounds using a 6cm cutter. Re-roll the trimmings and cut out more rounds so you use up all the dough.

Heat a griddle or frying pan with a little oil or butter and cook the cakes for 5 minutes on a low heat, turning once or until pale golden. You’ll need to cook in two or three batches. Transfer to a warmed serving plate and sprinkle with extra sugar. Serve freshly baked.

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With only 20 minutes hands-on time, this leek and cheese tart is well worth rolling your sleeves up for. Serve with steamed broccoli with a dash of lemon juice and olive oil.

Prep: 20-25 minutes
Cook 35 minutes

Serves 6

Small knob of unsalted butter
400g leeks, thinly sliced
3 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves stripped
300g Charlotte potatoes, diced
Plain flour, for dusting 
500g shortcrust pastry
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
100g half-fat crème fraîche
120g Caerphilly or Wensleydale cheese, crumbled
1 free range egg, beaten 

Heat the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat and cook the leeks and thyme for 5-10 minutes until softened. Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in a saucepan of boiling water for 8-10 minutes until just tender, then drain and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the softened leeks and thyme.

Preheat the oven to 200C, gas mark 6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out three-quarters of the pastry to the thickness of a £1 coin and cut out a 25cm x 35cm rectangle. Re-roll the trimmings and reserved pastry and cut out 12 long strips of varying widths.

Transfer the pastry rectangle to a non-stick flat baking sheet and spread with the mustard, leaving a narrow border. Spoon the potatoes and leek over the mustard, then dot with the crème fraîche and cheese. Brush the border with egg and arrange the pastry strips on top of the filling, in a wide, diagonal lattice. Brush the pastry strips with more egg. Bake for 25 minutes until the pastry is cooked through and golden. Slice and serve warm.

Recipes and images courtesy of Waitrose