Fat Rascals are a type of English Yorkshire scone or rock cake with a pleasant plump rascal face of almonds and cherries with currants as well.
Fat Rascals
By Sue Lau | Palatable Pastime
My recipe of the day is for Fat Rascals with the Baking Bloggers group, where we get together once per month to bake on a topic voted on by the group. The selection for this month is British Baking.
Fat Rascals are a type of rock cake or scone from the Yorkshire area of England.
Made as large heavy tea cakes, Fat Rascals have pleasant faces made from almonds and glacé cherries. Inside, the flavorings include a hint of almond and cinnamon, along with glacé cherries and currants.
If you love a lightly sweet treat for your morning start or something to nibble on while sipping a cappuccino or a tall cold glass of milk, Fat Rascals are right up your alley.
Baking Bloggers
British Baking
Enjoy the selection of British baking, both sweet and savory, the Baking Bloggers have rounded up for you!
- Bread & Butter Pudding by Sneha’s Recipe
- Chocolate Chip Scones by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
- Eccles Cakes by Caroline’s Cooking
- English Granary-Style Bread by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Fat Rascals by Palatable Pastime
- Jammie Dodgers by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Mini Toad in the Hole by Sid’s Sea Palm Cooking
- Raspberry Bakewell Tarts by Pandemonium Noshery
- Salmon in Puff Pastry by Reviews, Chews & How-Tos
- Sticky Toffee Pudding by Cookaholic Wife
- Strawberry Dark Chocolate Shortbread Biscuits by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
- Traditional Scottish Shortbread with Rose by The Schizo Chef
- Wizarding World Chocolate Trifle by Simple Inspired Meals
Fat Rascals

Ingredients:
- 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 5 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 8 ounces cold cubed butter
- 1/2 cup candied glacé cherries, minced
- 1/4 cup dried currants
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 7 tablespoons milk
- 12 whole red glacé cherries
- 18 whole blanched almonds
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon water
Method:
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and granulated sugar in a mixing bowl.
- Cut in cold butter cubes with a pastry blender until mixture resembles small crumbs.
- Toss minced cherries and currants with the tablespoon of flour in a small bowl.
- Mix coated minced fruit to dough.
- Whisk the egg with the extract and add to the dough along with the milk, kneading to come together as a dough.
- Divide dough into sixths and shape each into a semi-flattened round.
- Place rounds on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Press in two cherries and three almonds to form the rascal’s face.
- Whisk egg yolk with water and lightly brush tops.
- Bake at 400°F. for 15 minutes, then press down the cherries and almonds again, if needed, with the back of a small spoon.
- Return to oven and bake 15-20 minutes more or until golden.
- Serve warm.
From the kitchen of palatablepastime.com

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Oh my gosh, these are too fun!
Those are so cute! Love the name too.
These lil’ guys are just too cute…those big grins are adorable!
They are kinda cute in a Nightmare Before Christmas kind of way LOL
It’s those red eyes. LOL! Maybe I will do a scone skeleton for next Halloween. I know I could always use ideas in that department!
these sound absolutely delicious to have with a cup of tea or with a cuppa as they say on the other side of the pond 🙂
They have real good flavor–something the adults will appreciate more than the kids as they will be all about the face by itself.
You know, despite being British I have to say I’ve never heard of these but they look cute and sound tasty and like other things I know I like. Thanks for hosting.
I hadn’t seen them either before they were featured on a show–I think it was on the Food Network or it could have been elsewhere. Then I saw a friend of mine (Karen at Lavender & Lovage) had them posted also. I’ve been meaning to try my hand at them for awhile. I think kids would love these!
I’ve never heard of these. I just love their smirking faces with cherry eyes. 🙂
I’ve seen them featured on a cooking show a couple of years ago, and since seen a few here and there on other blogs. So was happy to have a chance to do them for an event!
They also work as a quick, heading out the door, breakfast. They have fruit and nuts, so that makes them a balanced breakfast, right?