a commonsense approach to eating well, living well and travelling
Scones with cream and jam with a cup of tea is comforting and drool worthy. In my household, we just follow Edmonds Cooker Book recipe and it never fails. The reason scones are lumpy or doughy is the mix is overworked. To prevent this, use a knife to cut the butter through. Work fast and lightly mix and you should have delectable scones.
INGREDIENTS
3 cups plain or all-purpose flour
6 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
If I remember correctly, it was Christmas break 1990– we went to Thames and it rained every day. The most memorable part of that trip was eating cream and jam filled scones straight from the oven with a cup of tea. I know some scones are just so stodgy and tough – this could be because of overmixing. My daughter is somewhat of an expert in scone making and she reckons I taught her but I’ve never made scones until now. In fact, my daughter kind of showed me her technique which I will share with you.
Cheese and onion is a classic combination if you ask me. I always like to add a touch of cayenne to make them extra savoury. Use a sharp tasting cheese like cheddar. You can easily double the recipe if you are making for a crowd.
INGREDIENTS
3 onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons oil, for frying the onions
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cups grated cheddar or tasty cheese, plus extra for topping
300ml milk plus extra for brushing on top
I call these my King Arthur bread rolls as my recipe was inspired and adapted from the recipe collection of King Arthur Baking Company. I believe good things take time and while these rolls can’t be whipped up in a jiffy, they are so delicious and definitely deserving of the time spent making them. They are incredibly soft with just the right amount of chew. Serve them up for lunch with a hearty soup and you will be a winner.
High grade flour or bread flour has a higher gluten content and this is first preference. I used atta (sourced from Indian grocery store or you can use finely ground wholemeal flour – the kind that does not have any bran or grain bits in the flour)
INGREDIENTS
241g high grade flour or bread flour
113g atta
43g oats
½ cup ground linseed or flax
2 and ½ teaspoons instant yeast
1 and ½ teaspoons salt
50g sunflower oil
1 large egg yolk, save the white for brushing on top of the rolls
I can say that I loved cooking and collecting recipes from a very young age. I still have the note book where I hand wrote family favourite recipes and subsequently made additions in the nineties. I think this recipe is my version of such a recipe – I love it because it is a generous cake and has spicy flavours to complement the pumpkin and prunes. The cake is easily serves 12-15 people so make it for a family get together.
INGREDIENTS
1 kg peeled pumpkin
300ml sunflower oil
1 and ¼ cup soft brown sugar
4 eggs
¾ cup chopped prunes
1 cup hazelnuts
I don’t have much of a sweet tooth – I prefer savoury stuff any day and these are perfect with a cup of coffee and great to take on a picnic.
You can use pesto or Branston pickles instead of tomato relish.
INGREDIENTS
DOUGH
400g strong bread flour
8g salt
7g instant dry yeast (contents of one packet)
15g olive oil
250ml water
Additional flour for dusting
FILLING
5-6 tbsps tomato relish
150g tasty or any sharp tasting cheese, grated
Extra virgin olive oil, for brushing
METHOD
Place flour, salt, yeast and oil in a large bowl and mix together. Add the water and using a wooden spoon, combine to form a dough mass. Tip dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 10 -15 minutes, resting it for 1 minute every 2-3 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave in a warm place for approximately 45 minutes, until almost double in size.
Tip dough onto the work surface and gently deflate by folding it a few times. Return it to the bowl, cover and let rest again for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 220 degrees C. Line two baking trays with baking paper. Divide the dough into two equal portions. Tip one portion onto a well-floured work surface and roll out to about 30cm x 25cm.
Spread the tomato relish up to half way through your rolled out dough. Sprinkle the cheese to cover the relish. Gently roll the dough like you would roll a carpet. Using a sharp knife, cut cross-ways about 3 centimetre wide scrolls. You should get between 8 -10 scrolls. Lay them on the baking tray and cover with the kitchen towel. Let them prove for another 30 minutes. Repeat with the other portion.
Bake for 15-18 minutes. Remove from the oven, brush immediately with olive oil and place on a wire rack to cool.