Cornish Fairing
This vegetarian builds golden syrup and mixed spice into a fuss-free meal you can have ready in about 65 minutes. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for oven and baking tray. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (2)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: vegetarian — no meat or fish, based on every ingredient listed below.
Contains: Gluten Dairy
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Preheat the oven to 180 C and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, ground ginger, mixed spice and cinnamon into a bowl and stir to combine the dry ingredients evenly.
- Rub the chilled butter into the dry mixture with your fingertips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs, then stir in the caster sugar.
- Gently warm the golden syrup until runny, pour it into the bowl and bring the mixture together into a firm dough.
- Roll the dough into 16 walnut-sized balls and space them well apart on the trays, as they spread a lot during baking; do not flatten them.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until golden and spread into crinkled, cracked discs, then remove from the oven.
- While still hot, tap the trays firmly on the worktop to encourage the cracks, then leave the fairings to cool and crisp up on the trays for a few minutes before transferring to a rack.
You'll use: Oven · Baking tray
Ingredient substitutions
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
Tips & common questions
How long does Cornish Fairing take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 9 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of butter?
Try olive oil (¾ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Cornish Fairing vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat, fish or shellfish, so it is suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheese for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Adapted recipe — rewritten in our own wording from an open-licensed community cookbook, not yet independently kitchen-tested by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Cornish Fairing is adapted by Consomee from the Wikibooks Cookbook, rewritten in our own wording and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: Cornish fairings.jpg by Foodista, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.