Showing posts with label scones. Show all posts
Showing posts with label scones. Show all posts
I was recently asked if I would like to road test a fab product in The English Kitchen. As you know I get sent things from time to time and I always enjoy trying them out and letting you know what I think of them.
The people from Vitamix recently sent me their Vitamix TNC Black to try out and I have spent the last little week or so really putting it through it's paces!
First a little bit about the machine itself . . .
The Vitamix machine is more than just a blender, it's actually a fabulous machine which can create healthy meals in a very quick and easy way. The Vitamix Total Nutrition Center® lets you perform more than 50 kitchen tasks easier, faster and with better results than you can achieve any other way.
 | VARIABLE SPEED CONTROL & HIGH SPEED SETTING The Variable Speed Control allows for flexibility and creativity; fine chop, grind or fully blend ingredients, all in one container. The High Speed Setting allows for maximum processing, especially for thicker ingredients and larger recipes. |
| POWERFUL - 2 PEAK OUTPUT HORSEPOWER MOTOR Propels the blade tip speed up to 386 km/h to blend even the toughest ingredients. |
| SHATTER-PROOF 2-LITRE CONTAINER With 2 litres of true blending capacity and specially designed to create a powerful vortex for thorough processing. |
| SPILL-PROOF LID WITH REMOVABLE LID PLUG Seals securely allowing ingredients to be added while processing. |
| METAL-TO-METAL, CONTAINER-TO-BASE COUPLING For maximum durability and long life. |
| UNIQUE TAMPER Allows for processing thick, dense ingredients and prevents air pockets from forming. |
| EASY-GRIP HANDLE AND SOFT-TOUCH CONTROLS Ergonomically designed for comfort and control. |
| PLUS "LET'S GET STARTED!" DVD, "GETTING STARTED GUIDE" and "WHOLE FOODS RECIPES"COOKBOOK Will have you on your way to creating the most delicious and nutritious meals in no time. |
| FULL 7-YEAR WARRANTY An impressive warranty that speaks to the reliability and performance of a Vitamix machine. |
I've been taking the "Getting Started Guide" and the "Whole Foods Recipes" cookbook that came with it to bed with me for a week now and studying it up really well. I wanted to give this impressive piece of kit the best workout possible and I also wanted to be able to give each of you an honest opinion of what it can or cannot do.
Today I made a hot soup in it, using a recipe from the cookbook that came with it. "Harvest Cheddar Soup." The recipe promised a delicious nutitious soup in with about 10 minutes prep time, and 6 to 7 minutes processing time. You can see all of the ingredients lined up here, ready to go.
(here is everything in the machine, just waiting for me to press the on button!)
I wanted to really give the recipe the best chance possible and so I made sure to have all my "mise en place!" I didn't want to risk leaving anything out.
I boo booed though. I got the variable speed wrong. I thought it said variable speed 4 to 5 for 10 minutes, but it really said variable speed 10 for 4 to 5 minutes! And so . . . the first thing I did was to overload my machine!! The Automatic overload Protection option is a built in feature which is designed to protect the machine from overheating! I'm happy to say that this option works like a charm. So my 7 minute soup took me a lot longer than 7 minutes because I had to let the motor cool down.
Nevertheless I persevered and after the motor cooled down, I proceeded as per the recipe instructions (always read a recipe a few times first folks, so you don't mess up!) and I ended up with a beautiful thick and delicious soup in . . . I kid you not . . . just a few minutes! I was amazed at how how it was. It was steaming hot! I tried to get a picture of the steam, but I couldn't. You will just have to take my word for that.
Doesn't that look good??? It sure does, and let me tell you it was amazingly scalding hot!
It was also amazingly delicious and most importantly very healthy! There is everything in there, as the recipe used all of two already baked potatoes, skin and all, two whole unpeeled granny smith apples, celery, onion, etc. Only the potatoes were cooked before adding. Everything else was added raw and it was absolutely amazing to me that it all ended up as a hot soup!
This is a whole foods machine. It purpotes to make light work of tearing down the cell walls of fruits and vegetables, making vital nutrients more readily available for your body to absorb. With a Vitamix machine, even the nutrient-packed peels, pulp and seeds can be pulverised and blended into recipes for some of the most health-protecting, disease-preventing dishes and drinks you've ever had.
And after tasting this delicious soup, I can attest that it did just that.
*Harvest Cheddar Soup*
Makes 6 cups
Printable Recipe
This recipe can be reduced by half and made in smaller containers. Garnish with sour cream and diced apple. (From the Vitamix Whole Food Recipes book)
2 cups chicken broth (480ml)
2 TBs white wine
1/4 medium onion, peeled
1 stalk celery, cut in half
2 Granny Smith apples, quartered
2 potatoes, baked and quartered
1/8 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch white pepper
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (115g)
Place all of the ingredients, except the cheese into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure the lid.
Select variable 1.
Turn the machine on and quickly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High.
Blend for 6 to 7 minutes or until heavy steam escapes from the vented lid.
Reduce the speed to Variable 4 and remove the lid plug.
Drop in the cheese through the lid plug opening. Blend for an additional 15 seconds.
Per cup (240ml) serving: 224 cal; 10g protein; 8g Tot fat; 28g Carb
Of course, you know I wouldn't serve a bowl of soup all on it's own, would I?
Of course not! I baked some tasty Cheddar and Marmite Scones to have along with it!They went down a real treat. Made from a mixture of whole meal and self raising flours, a sharp cheddar cheese . . . and filled with a subtle flavour of marmite, these were fabulous!
*Cheddar and Marmite Scones*
Makes 8
Printable Recipe
The perfect savoury scone to have with a hot bowl of soup, or with some cold sliced meats and cheese. Perfect for in the lunch box too! Healthy and whole meal.
140g self raising flour (1 1/4 cup)
140g wholemeal flour (generous cup)
1 tsp baking powder
50g cold butter, cut into small cubes (3 1/2 TBS)
85g mature cheddar cheese (scant cup)
1 large free range egg
1 TBS Marmite
2 TBS Greek yogurt
3 TBS milk, plus more to glaze
Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas 5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Whisk together the self raising flour, wholemeal flour, and baking powder in a large bowl. Drop in the butter and quickly rub it into the flour mixture using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Stir in half of the cheese. Make a well in the centre.
Whisk together the egg, marmite, yogurt and milk. Pour this all at once into the well in the centre of the flour mixture. Stir together with a fork to make a soft dough. If you think the dough is too dry, you may add a bit more milk. You want a soft, but not sticky dough.
Turn out onto a floured surface, Pat out to about 1 inch thick. Cut into rounds with a 2 1/2 inch round cutter, stamping it straight down and lifting it straight up, re-rolling the scraps as necessary, until you have 8 rounds.. Place the scones on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with some more milk and then sprinkle with the remainder of the cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool..
The machine is very easy to clean. You just half fill it with warm water, add a few drops of dish soap and blend for about 2 minutes. Easy peasy lemon squeasy!
Next, I decided to make the Custard Sauce recipe from the book. The Toddster loves his puddings, and he always loves them with custard. The recipe in the Vitamix Cookbook promised to make this sauce in 6 minutes. This time I had cottoned on to how exactly to use it, so I had no mishaps and true to it's word in about 6 minutes I had a delicious Vanilla Custard Sauce. I did a video of that too, but somehow I lost it. (I've never claimed to be a techno genius!) Of course. . . I didn't serve that all on it's own either. I made Todd a delicious Steamed Apple Pudding to have along with it. Yes, I know, he is one very spoilt man! You'll have to come back tomorrow for that recipe, as I am pooped now and ready to take a rest!
The Vitamix also makes delicious ice cream in only 2 minutes, which I will also show you at another time!
In the meantime I have to say that all told I am very impressed with this beautiful machine. It is soooooo much more than a blender. It promises to do the work of 10 kitchen appliances and let you perform more than 50 kitchen tasks easier, faster and with better results than you can achieve any other way.
- Blend fresh fruits and vegetables into tasty, fibre-rich whole food juice in 1 minute
- Cook steaming hot soup from fresh vegetables in under 5 minutes
- Create delicious healthy ice cream in only 30 seconds
- Dice, chop or blend ingredients into healthy, preservative-free salsas, dips and more
The Vitamix Total Nutrition Centre® is backed by full 7 year warranty and comes complete with a Getting Started DVD, Getting Started Guide Manual and a Whole Foods Cookbook which all go a long ways towards getting you stuck right into healthy cooking quickly and effortlessly.
Many thanks to Aaron at Publicacity, and to the Vitamix people for affording me this fabulous opportunity!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!
As promised, here I am today with the companion volume to yesterday's cookery book, entitled, Grandma's Recipe Treats, packed with Tasty and Traditional Dishes. Now, if that isn't a title that will tempt you, I don't know what will!
Perhaps I can tempt you with it's beautiful cover, easily wipeable (a plus where cookery books are concerned) and so very pretty with it's flower trellis border and beautiful blooms.
Or maybe you can be tempted with it's fine table of contents . . . 47 pages of taste tempting breads, soups, main dishes and teatime treats, with a variety of crafts, hints and tips interspersed here and there.
Yes, it has crafts and tips! Want to make a pretty apron using a teatowel as a gift for a friend? It's here! Want to know how bake perfect cookies? Grandma's wisdom tells you how. Beauty tips??? Look no further, Grandma knows all!
Each recipe is written with three measurements . . . including metric, weight and North American measures . . . so there need be no confusion, and of course each is accompanied with a delicious looking photograph.
As well there are quaint and beautiful photos scattered throughout, very nostalgic and as comfy as a grannies lap.
I wanted to cook one of the main dishes, as there are some really tasty ones to choose from such as Chicken Pie with a Sweet Potato Topping and Pan Fried Beef with Creamy Mushrooms, but we were going out for supper today so I settled on a teatime treat of Cheese Crusted Potato Scones.
I ran into just a smidgen of trouble . . . the cup size of the mash was either wrong, or the amount of milk was wrong . . . I couldn't really tell which, and so I chose to increase the milk, and they turned out lovely.
Oh so moist with a moreishly crisp crust on the outside, enhanced with scrummy cheddar cheese. These were delicious!
They would be the perfect side to serve with a hot pot of soup, or a plate of delicious stew.
Or even on their own for the teatime table along with plenty of butter for spreading and preserves for dolloping.
Altogether I am delighted with this book and I just can't wait to cook something else from it. It would make the perfect gift for any cook on your Christmas list this year.
*Cheese Crusted Potato Scones*
Makes 6
Printable Recipe
These are delicious, with a moist crumb and crunchy cheese topping, as well as the goodness of whole wheat.
200g/ 7 oz/ 1 3/4 cups self raising flour
3 TBS whole meal/whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
25g/ 1 oz/ 2 TBS cold butter, cubed
7 to 8 TBS milk
65g/ 2.5 oz/ 1/4 cup cold mashed potatoes
freshly ground black pepper
2 TBS milk for brushing
40g/ 1 1/2 ounce/ 6 TBS finely grated cheddar cheese
Paprika to dust
Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7. Lightly butter a baking sheet. Set aside.
Measure the flours, salt and baking powder into a bowl. Drop in the butter and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.
Whisk together the mashed potatoes and 4 TBS of milk, seasoning with some black pepper. Add all at once to the dry mixture, adding the remainder of the milk as needed. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly for a few seconds until smooth. Pat into a 6 inch round. Transfer to the buttered baking sheet. Mark the scone into 6 wedges, cutting about halfway down with a sharp knife, but not all the way through. Brush with some milk, sprinkle with the cheese and a faint dusting of paprika.
Bake on the middle shefl of the preheated oven for 16 minutes, or until well risen and golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool for 5 minutes, before breaking into wedges to serve.
Serve warm with butter for spreading, or allow to cool completely. Once cool, store in an airtight tin. Serve split and buttered.
Available at Amazon.co.uk for £8.99
ISBN - 13: 978-0-85775-256-7
Published by Flame Tree Publishing, and also available through the same.
Many thanks to Eleanor and FTP for sending me this delightful book. I give this book a rating of 8 out of 10!! (I took a few points off for the discrepancy in the amount of milk or potatoes in this recipe. As an experienced cook I knew how to correct it, but someone else who has little cooking knowledge might be stumped by this.)
Over in The Cottage today there is a delicious Roasted Lemon Chicken with Croutons.
I'm always on the lookout for a new scone recipe. We do love our scones in this house, to say the least.
They make a nice snack for supper in the evening with a hot drink whilst watching a bit of something on the telly . . . I always keep some done up in the freezer, just waiting for that unexpected company to drop in . . .
We quite often have them on Sunday afternoons. I don't really do a big Sunday Lunch these days, not with church and all . . . we just have what I can rustle up when we get in from church and then I bake us a treat for later on . . . like scones.
This recipe comes from the Australian Women's Weekly Afternoon Tea book. I love the Australian Women's weekly books. They always have nice recipes in them.
I have been wanting to make these for a while now and finally got around to it today. The raisins are my own addition, as is the candied ginger on top. In truth, I don't think I would go to the trouble of adding the raisins again . . . they didn't really add much. The ginger on top though is great! The scones are light and crumbly and that lemon glaze is just the ticket!
They went down a real treat with some hot lemon and ginger tea. A real treat! So good in fact that I might have another one when I get off of here.
Don't they say feed a fever, starve a cold? Or is it the other way around. Me? I'm not taking any chances. I'm not starving anything! (just in case.)
*Gingerbread Scones with a Lemon Glaze*
Makes about 16
Printable RecipeDelicious scones, with a tender crumb, and a bit of a snap! The raisins are optional. So is the chopped candied ginger on top. Fabulous!
1 ounce butter, softened
55g of soft light brown sugar (1/4 cup, firmly packed)
1 large free range egg yolk
375g self raising flour (2 1/2 cups)
3 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
250ml of buttermilk (1 cup)
2 TBS treacle or golden syrup (can use molasses)
a handful of raisins (optional)
Additional buttermilk for tops
For the Lemon Glaze:
160g icing sugar, sifted (1 cup)
1/2 ounce of butter, melted
1 TBS fresh lemon juice (more if needed)
To decorate some chopped candied ginger or lemon zest(optional)
Preheat the oven to 220*C.425*F/ gas mark 7. Butter a 9 inch square cake tin. Set aside.
Cream together the butter, brown sugar and egg yolk until light and fluffy, in a large bowl. Sift the dry ingredients together. Mix together the buttermilk and the syrup. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed ,mixture along with the buttermilk mixture. Use a knife to cut the buttermilk mixture through the flour to make a soft and sticky dough. (If using raisins add them now.) Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly until smooth. Pat out into a 3/4 inch thick round. Cut with a sharp round 2 inch cutter, tapping straight down and up. Place the rounds into the baking pan, just barely touching. Gently knead the scraps and repeat until all are used. Brush the scones with some additonal buttermilk.
Bake for about 20 minutes, until risen and golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before proceeding.
Whisk together the ingredients for the lemon glaze until you have a smooth drizzable icing. You may need more lemon juice to give you the right consistency. Spoon this glaze over the warm scones and decorate the tops with some candied ginger or lemon zest.
These scones are best made on the day of serving, although they can be rozen for up to 3 months, unglazed. Thaw in an oven, wrapped in foil, before glazing.
Cooking in The Cottage today, some delicious Stuffed French Toast.
I love scones and am having a lot of fun developing new combinations and varieties. Todd's having fun testing them too, I must say! He loves being my taste tester, and . . . lucky him, he is one of those people who can eat whatever they want to eat without putting on an ounce! (I know, I'm jealous too!)
They're so easy to make, using techniques very similar to that of making biscuits (a scone type of quick bread, very popular in North America, not a cookie!) But that is where the similarity ends!
Scones are a lot lighter, and in many cases sweeter, often varying between cake-like and cookie-like in texture . . . but then again there are savoury versions that are more biscuit-like.
I guess there is no definitive way to describe a scone except to say that they are delectably delicious and the perfect thing to munch on with a hot cup of tea in the middle of the afternoon. (My choice is a lovely herbal tea, but I have friends that love Earl Grey and I do love the smell of a nice hot cup of Earl Grey.)
Whatever your poison . . . a cup of something hot and a plate with a warm scone on it just can't be beat on any occasion.
Today I thought I would try some dried sour cherries, white chocolate and flaked almonds in a scone . . . three wonderful flavours that go so very well together. The sour cherries help to cut the sweetness of the white chocolate that can sometimes be a bit cloying and the flaked almonds added a delightful bit of crunch.
All in all I'd say these are da bomb!! Definitely repeatable! These are going in my success file of things I have conjured up!
*Sour Cherry, White Chocolate and Almond Scones*
Makes 8 wedges
Printable Recipe
Cherries, white chocolate and almonds . . . the holy trinity of sconedom!! Seriously, these are fabulous!
8 1/2 ounces plain flour (2 cups)
2 1/4 ounces caster sugar (1/3 cup)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 ounces unsalted butter, chilled (1/4 cup)
125ml of double cream (1/2 cup)
1 large freerange egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp pure almond extract
6 ounces of good quality white chocolate, cut into small bits, or use
good quality white chocolate chips
5 ounces dried sour cherries, quartered (1 cup)
3 ounces toasted flaked almonds (1 cup)
Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Drop in the butter and then cut it in using a pastry blender or two round bladed knives, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Whisk together the cream, egg and extracts. Add all at once to the flour mixture, mixing it all in well and kneading until it is well combined. Lightly knead in the chocolate chips, cherries and almonds. Pat out with lightly floured hands to a 9 inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges. Place on the lined baking sheet, leaving some space in between each.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the tops are lightly browned. Allow to cool on the pan for five minutes, before scooping off with a spatula to a wire rack to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container.
Note - if you want your scones to have soft sides, place the whole round onto the baking sheet, and cut into wedges there, leaving them together and baking them as a whole. Cut them apart again once they come out of the oven with a serrated knife. Me . . . I love crunchy sides, and so I bake them apart!!
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