Showing posts with label Teatime. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Teatime. Show all posts
I have a delicious quick bread recipe to share with you today! No yeast required, just simple store cupboard ingredient, put together in a simple and tasty way. No waiting for the bread to rise. No faffing about with special equipment!
Just mix, spread into the pan and bake.
I love quick breads. They are a real favorite around here to enjoy with a hot drink. They also make great sandwiches to serve at tea parties, sliced thin and spread with cream cheese or butter.
This Brown Sugar Quick Bread recipe is especially delicious. Sweetened and flavored only with brown sugar, it goes together quickly and easily. It is made with staple ingredients and can be put together and be baking in the oven in in not much more than five minutes of time.
You don't even have to crack out the stand or hand mixer. It can all be done with a whisk and a spoon.
I am a person who loves to enjoy my quick breads, slice thin and spread with softened butter. I enjoy them warm. I enjoy them cold. Simply put, I just plain enjoy them, and this tasty version is one of my favorites. From my Big Blue Binder, this is a simple quick bread recipe that I have had for a very long time. Handed down to me from a friend a long time ago. Enjoy!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE
BROWN SUGAR QUICK BREAD
Pretty simple everyday baking cupboard staples.
- 1 cup (200g) soft light brown sugar, packed (The cup should hold the shape of the sugar when dumped out.)
- 2 cups (250g) plain all-purpose flour, unsifted (Spoon into the measuring cup and level off with a straight edge.)
- 1 TBS Baking Powder (I like to use aluminum free as I have a sensitivity to aluminum. That is all I can taste.)
- 1/2 tsp salt (I used fine sea salt.)
- 1 large egg (The equivalent in the U.K. is a medium sized egg.)
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk (You can use semi skim if that is all you have, but I do not recommend using no fat milk.)
- 1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable oil (I used light olive oil.)
HOW TO MAKE
BROWN SUGAR QUICK BREAD
This is as simple as mixing the combined dry ingredients and the combined wet ingredients together, scraping the batter into a prepped pan and baking!
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/gas mark 4. Butter an 8 by 4-inch loaf tin and line with baking paper if desired. (I like to add some paper so that I can lift it out easily when done.)
- Whisk the brown sugar, flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Set aside. (I use a wire whisk to do this.)
- In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, egg and vegetable oil until well combined. (Again, I use a wire whisk to do this.)
- Stir in the dry ingredients just to combine. It will not be smooth and lump free, but there should be no obvious dry streaks of flour. (I do this with a wooden spoon. Do NOT overmix.)
- Spread in the prepared loaf tin. Use a knife and make a cut down through the center along the length of it. (This makes a nice crack in the top. It is an optional step.)
- Bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes until done. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean and the top should spring back when lightly touched.
- Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before lifting out to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container.
WHAT IS A QUICK BREAD??
A quick bread is a type of bread that does not use yeast as a leavener. Instead, it will use baking powder or baking soda, or a combination of the two.
They come in both sweet and savory versions, as well as in loaf and muffin shapes. Think Banana Bread or Bran Muffins. Both are what is known as quick breads.
Baking Powder Biscuits or Scones are also known as quick breads.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW LONG WILL THIS QUICK BREAD KEEP?
This bread will keep for up to 5 days stored at room temperature in an airtight container or wrapped in clingfilm. Alternately you can keep it in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped for up to a week. Bring to room temperature before serving.
CAN THIS BE FROZEN?
This bread can absolutely be frozen. It will keep, tightly wrapped, for up to three months in the freezer. I wrap it in plastic cling film first and then in aluminum foil. Bring to room temperature before serving.
CAN I ADD CHOCOLATE CHIPS, NUTS OR DRIED FRUIT?
For sure! White, milk, or semi-sweet chocolate chips make an excellent addition. Alternately, you can add chopped toasted walnuts or pecans. Raisins or dried cranberries or blueberries make another excellent addition.
Want to spice it up? Simply add cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg or all three to the brown sugar/flour mixture when putting the loaf together. I wouldn't add any more than 1 tsp altogether.
HINTS AND TIPS
FOR QUICK BREAD SUCCESS
If you follow my hints and tips there is no reason why you can't bake a really great quick bread successfully!
1. Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature unless otherwise specified.
2. Use the best quality ingredients that you can afford and at your disposal.
3. Whisk all of the dry ingredients together in one bowl and your wet ingredients together in another bowl/beaker before combining together.
4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients together quickly and do not over mix. They need only be combined until the dry ingredients are evenly moistened without any large pockets or streaks of dry ingredients.
5. Do not over combine the dough. A light hand is preferable. A few lumps are perfectly okay and quite acceptable. Over combining yields a tougher bake.
6. Spoon into your baking pan/tin as soon as possible after combining in order to gain the maximum lift from the leavening used.
A FEW OTHER
QUICK BREADS YOU MIGHT ENJOY
CRANBERRY, NUT & ORANGE BREAD - Adapted from a beloved vintage cookbook, this is a timeless quick bread that is bursting with tart cranberries, crunchy toasted walnuts, and the bright zest of fresh orange. Yeast free, no waiting, just mix, bake and enjoy!
CHEESE & PEPPER BREAD - Not all quick breads need to be sweet! This is a savory quick bread that goes wonderfully with soups or hearty stews or sliced thin for elegant tea sandwiches spread with Boursin or cream cheese. It is rich with sharp cheddar cheese and flecked with coarse black pepper. A no-fuss loaf that delivers big flavor with minimal effort!
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Yield: one 8 by 4-inch loaf
Brown Sugar Quick Bread
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 60 MinTotal time: 1 H & 5 M
Delicious and easy to make, this is a quick bread that everyone is sure to love. The brown sugar gives it a lovely almost caramel flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200g) soft light brown sugar, packed
- 2 cups (250g) plain all-purpose flour, unsifted
- 1 TBS Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk
- 1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/gas mark 4. Butter an 8 by 4-inch loaf tin and line with baking paper if desired. (I like to add some paper so that I can lift it out easily when done.)
- Whisk the brown sugar, flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, egg and vegetable oil until well combined.
- Stir in the dry ingredients just to combine. It will not be smooth and lump free, but there should be no obvious dry streaks of flour.
- Spread in the prepared loaf tin. Use a knife and make a cut down through the center along the length of it. (This makes a nice crack in the top. It is an optional step.)
- Bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes until done. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean and the top should spring back when lightly touched.
- Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before lifting out to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container
This content, written and photography, is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.
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Prepare to be amazed! 2-Ingredient Coconut Macaroons. Yes, that is right, only two ingredients are needed to make these deliciously moreish Coconut Macaroons.
I have made Coconut Macaroons in the past but without success. My sister made these 2-Ingredient Macaroons the other day and brought some over for me to try. I was hooked, lined and sinkered from the first bite! These were perfect! With a lovely chewy texture and slightly golden brown on the outside, they were just sweet enough as well, without going over the top.
These photographs are of the ones she brought over to share with me. I am sharing the recipe with you because, some things really are just so good that they deserve to be shared. I knew that you wouldn't mind!
I decided to enjoy one as a teatime treat with a hot cup of David's Forever Nuts herbal tea. This was the perfect tea to enjoy it with. I decided to make it a bit of a little celebration so I added some thinly sliced Banana Bread which I had spread with softened butter and a thin slice of sourdough bread, also buttered and spread with some strawberry jam.
Just because a person lives on their own there is no reason why they cannot have a tiny tea party for themselves now and then. It doesn't have to be complicated. This was just right.
These macaroons are quite simply lovely. Because my sister used unsweetened coconut, they were not overly sweet, which is how we like them. They were lovely and chewy and nicely toasted. I highly recommend!
WHAT YOU NEED
TO MAKE
2-INGREDIENT COCONUT MACAROONS
Just two simple ingredients! No kidding. A small cookie scoop will also help.
- 20 ounces (567g/7 1/2 cups) shredded coconut
- 1 (300ml/300g) tin of sweetened condensed milk
I used unsweetened shredded coconut. I get mine online through the ARVA Flour Mills. It comes in both sweetened and unsweetened. I highly recommend.
Do NOT confuse sweetened condensed milk with evaporated milk. They are not the same thing. Evaporated milk is simply milk which has been heat treated to condense it and remove some of the liquid. It is thick like cream, but still quite liquid. Sweetened Condensed Milk has also been heat treated to remove some of the liquid, but sugar has also been added, resulting in a very thick, creamy liquid which is very sweet to the taste.
HOW TO MAKE
2-INGREDIENT COCONUT MACAROONS
These really are very simple to make. A cookie scoop makes it a lot easier. Alternately you can drop with two spoons, but for a more uniform shape, do use the cookie scoop.
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Line several baking sheets with baking parchment. Set aside.
- Measure the coconut into a large bowl. Open the sweetened condensed milk and pour it over top of the coconut. Mix well together. The mixture will be dry.
- Leave to sit for 10 to 15 minutes. The coconut will absorb the milk. Give it another stir.
- Using a TBS sized cookie scoop, scoop up level scoops of the mixture and place them onto the prepared cookie sheets. Leave at least 2 inches between each.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until set and they have started to turn a bit golden brown on the outside.
- Leave on the baking sheet to cool.
- Once cold scoop off and store in an airtight container with wax paper between the layers.
CAN THESE
MACAROONS
BE DIPPED IN CHOCOLATE?
Lay a couple of sheets of wax paper (greaseproof in the U.K.) onto several baking sheets.
Dip the bottom of each macaroon into the melted chocolate and lay out, leaving space in between, on the lined baking sheets. If you have any melted chocolate left at the end, you can drizzle it over the tops.
Leave to set at room temperature or for a quicker set, place the baking sheets in the refrigerator.
CAN THESE
MACAROONS BE FROZEN?
Absolutely. These are best eaten within a few days of baking them. For longer storage I do recommend freezing them. To freeze wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place into an airtight container. These will keep in the freezer for up to three months.
To defrost allow them to come to room temperature on the counter. (Although I can tell you I have never had a problem eating any baked good frozen. *Blush*)
A FEW OTHER
TEATIME TREATS and BAKES
TO ENJOY
GINGER CRUNCHIES - Crisp shortbread-based ginger biscuit/cookie/squares. They are crisp and buttery, very short textured. They are also topped with a lush ginger glaze and some sweet chunks of preserved ginger. Don't worry if you haven't got any preserved ginger, you can substitute candied ginger for it or leave it off altogether.
TRADITIONAL BATTENBURG CAKE - One of my favorite bakes has to be the Church Window Cake or Battenburg as it is commonly known. If you love almond, then this is the cake for you. A firm favorite on the traditional English tea table, this is a very pretty two-colored sponge cake, put together like a pink and white checkerboard. Trust me when I tell you it is a lot easier to execute than you might suppose.
Don't forget to Pin this recipe to your Desserts, Teatime, or Cookie boards on Pinterest and remember to FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST, FACEBOOK or INSTAGRAM. I update these platforms every single day with my latest content.
That way, you can be assured that you are always up to date with my fresh content as soon as I post it. You can also sign up to receive a weekly newsletter from Grow.
Yield: Makes about 30
2-Ingredient Coconut Macaroons
Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 35 Min
Quick and easy to make. Simple. Sweet without being over the top, and gluten free. Seriously, all you need are two simple ingredients.
Ingredients
- 20 ounces (567g/7 1/2 cups) shredded coconut
- 1 (300ml/300g) tin of sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Line several baking sheets with baking parchment. Set aside.
- Measure the coconut into a large bowl. Open the sweetened condensed milk and pour it over top of the coconut. Mix well together. The mixture will be dry.
- Leave to sit for 10 to 15 minutes. The coconut will absorb the milk. Give it another stir.
- Using a TBS sized cookie scoop, scoop up level scoops of the mixture and place them onto the prepared cookie sheets. Leave at least 2 inches between each.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until set and they have started to turn a bit golden brown on the outside.
- Leave on the baking sheet to cool.
- Once cold scoop off and store in an airtight container with wax paper between the layers.
All rights reserved The English Kitchen
This content, written and photography, is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.
Thanks for visiting! Do come again!!
If you like what you see here, why not consider signing up for my newsletter and/or subscribing to/following me on Grow? You can also bookmark my recipes via the Grow platform. Check out the heart on the right-hand side of the screen.
One of the things I really enjoyed in the over 20 years that I lived in the U.K. was going to National Trust properties. Usually (but not always) they consisted of a beautiful historical house and gardens. In most cases there was always a gifts shop, and a tea-room or restaurant attached. A place to relax and enjoy a hot drink and a cake or some other delicious bite after the exhaustion of walking through and exploring everything.
Their tea rooms are exemplary and are well known for their baked goods and sandwiches, soups, etc. Having a treat in the tearoom was always something that I looked forward to on these excursions, and the goods on offer usually had an historical context attached to whichever property we were visiting.
I really miss being able to visit places like this. There is nothing like that where I live now.
Today's recipe comes from the Vyne, a 16th century house in Hampshire. It has a working kitchen garden, the produce of which features on the menu of the restaurant. As well there is a very pretty tea garden.
Traditionally shortbread was not meant to be a really sweet biscuit/cookie. Short and crumbly, with a buttery almost sand-like texture, this bake gets almost all of its sweetness from an abundance of sticky pieces of chopped dates which pepper it in abundance.
These are very rich and go beautifully with a nice hot drink. I adapted the recipe from one I found in a cookbook I own entitled Good Old-Fashioned Teatime Treats as inspired by the National Trust and their properties and edited by Jane Pettigrew. A delightful little book, it contains more than 60 recipes having been gathered from the National Trust Properties which dot the U.K.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE DATE & CINNAMON SHORTBREAD
There is nothing complicated here.
- 3 1/2 cups (350g) sifted plain, all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup + 1 1/2 TBS (250g) butter, softened
- 3/4 cup +2 tsp (175g) soft light brown sugar, packed and put through a sieve
- 1 1/4 cups (175g) stoned dates, chopped small
Make sure you use plain, all-purpose flour, NOT self-raising. There is no leavening to be used in these. That is what gives the characteristically short, crumbly texture to these.
I used Saigon ground cinnamon and salted butter.
I put the sugar through a sieve to remove any lumps from the sugar. As it not being creamed into the dough and is only being stirred into the flour and butter mixture after you have rubbed them together, this is important.
I used medjool date that I cut with a really sharp kitchen knife. I cut each date into quarters and then cut the quarters crosswise into smaller bits.
HOW TO MAKE DATE & CINNAMON SHORTBREAD
The rubbing in of the butter and the cutting of the dates into small pieces is a bit labor intensive, but, aside from the time taken, these not really very difficult things to do. The best things in life often require a bit of patience.
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/gas mark 4. Butter a 7 X 11-inch Swiss roll tin and line with baking paper, leaving some overhang for lifting out. (See note below about pan sizes.)
- Whisk the flour and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Drop in the butter and rub it into the flour mixture using your fingertips until the mixture resembles sand. (Just put some of your favorite music on to listen to and rub away. It will go quickly.)
- Whisk in the brown sugar and the dates, mixing everything together very well. (Make sure your dates are chopped fairly small. A sharp knife makes short work of this.)
- Tip the mixture into the prepared pan and press down firmly and evenly. You can use the bottom of a metal measuring cup or a palate knife to do this.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until golden brown.
- Leave to cool completely in the tin.
- Lift out and cut into evenly sized fingers with a sharp knife.
- Store in an airtight container. (I used an empty chocolate tin, lined with baking parchment, with more parchment between the layers.)
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS ABOUT THIS RECIPE
Can this be made ahead of time: Certainly. This is the type of bake that keeps very well and can be made well ahead of the time you with to serve it.
Can this be frozen: Absolutely. Cut into the fingers and then place into a tin or other airtight container which you have lined with baking parchment, placing baking parchment between the layers. They will keep for up to 3 months.
What kind of butter is used: I used salted butter. As there is no salt in the recipe, this keeps this bake from tasting too bland.
Can I make the dough in a food processor: You could, up to the point of adding the sugar and the dates. I believe for authenticity and the best texture, however, that you are better off rubbing the butter into the flour mixture by hand.
Must I sieve the sugar: Only if you don't want lumps of brown sugar in your mixture. Sieving it removes that possibility and gives you a much nicer and more uniform result.
WHAT IS THE NATIONAL TRUST
Founded in 1895, the National Trust is a British institution which was begun with the purpose of preserving places of historic and national beauty for the enjoyment of the public. They operate as both a charitable and a membership organization which focuses on the conservation of parks, gardens, wetlands, and historic homes/castles/buildings across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Without their help many of these properties would have been lost forever. You can read more about the National Trust here.
A FEW OTHER SWEET DELIGHTS
ADAPTED FROM NATIONAL TRUST SITES
CORNISH BANANA CAKE - A deliciously moist banana cake layered with a buttery banana filling and iced with a cocoa banana icing. This authentic British Tea Cake originated in Cornwall and can be found in the National Trust Tea Rooms situated on the historic properties of Cornwall.
DOLBURY PUDDING - This steamed pudding recipe comes from the restaurant at Killerton, which is an 18th century house set in the countryside of East Devon, situated in the South West of the UK. It was so named as it is said to resemble Dolbury Hill which rises above the back on the house. What you have here is a beautifully moist and stodgy sponge cake, studded throughout with lots of lovely bits of apple and the fruit from the mincemeat which is used in the batter. This is delicious served warm with lashings of custard.
Don't forget to Pin this recipe to your Baking, Teatime, Cookie or British Food Boards on Pinterest and remember to FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST, FACEBOOK or INSTAGRAM.
That way, you can be assured that you are always up to date with my fresh content as soon as I post it. You can also sign up to receive a weekly newsletter from Grow.
Yield: 16 fingers
Date & Cinnamon Shortbread
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 45 Min
Everything a good shortbread biscuit/cookie should be. Not too sweet they are quite rich, with a short, buttery, crumbly texture. The sweetness comes from the dates which pepper these bars in abundance. Perfect to enjoy with a hot cup of tea.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups (350g) sifted plain, all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup + 1 1/2 TBS (250g) butter, softened
- 3/4 cup +2 tsp (175g) soft light brown sugar, packed and put through a sieve
- 1 1/4 cups (175g) stoned dates, chopped small
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/gas mark 4. Butter a 7 X 11-inch Swiss roll tin and line with baking paper, leaving some overhang for lifting out. (See note below about pan sizes.)
- Whisk the flour and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Drop in the butter and rub it into the flour mixture using your fingertips until the mixture resembles sand.
- Whisk in the brown sugar and the dates, mixing everything together very well.
- Tip the mixture into the prepared pan and press down firmly and evenly. You can use the bottom of a metal measuring cup or a palate knife to do this.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until golden brown.
- Leave to cool completely in the tin.
- Lift out and cut into evenly sized fingers with a sharp knife.
- Store in an airtight container.
Notes
The equivalent of a 7 x 11-inch pan can be achieved by using:
- One 9-inch round pan
- One 9 x 9-inch square pan
All rights reserved The English Kitchen
This content, written and photography, is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.
Thanks for visiting! Do come again!!
If you like what you see here, why not consider signing up for my newsletter and/or subscribing to/following me on Grow? You can also bookmark my recipes via the Grow platform. Check out the heart on the right-hand side of the screen.
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