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 Recipe

Delicious 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 came to love Nutella rather late in life. I never really "got" the fascination with it until a few years ago. Then all of a sudden it clicked and I fell in love with it. Since then I have always kept a jar of it in my cupboard and of course use it at any opportunity that I can.



I've also come to admit to a certain fascination with five minute mug cakes in recent years. "Almost" instant gratification is certainly more than a bit of a temptation . . . especially when you have a sweet tooth, and love chocolate as I do. The Toddster hates chocolate, and most notably chocolate cakes . . . so a chocolate cake, built for one certainly has it's attraction where I am concerned. No waste involved.

I ran across a Five Minute Nutella Chocolate Mug Cake here. It certainly looked delicious to say the least! I had everything to make it, and I couldn't wait to get stuck in.



I wisked the dry ingredients together in the mug first, so that the cocoa wouldn't be all lumpy and would be evenly mixed in.



Then I added all the wet ingredients and whisked it again until smooth. Everything certainly looked pretty fine at this point. Into the microwave it went . . .

Buzz . . . humm . . . two minutes later I had this . . .



WOAH!! Ultimate overflow! And I used my biggest mug too! I can only think that the picture with the original recipe . . . which showed two mugs . . . should have been a really big clue. This is a two mugger cake!!



Nevermind . . . I dumped it all into a bowl and enjoyed it anyways. It was kinda like one of those fudge cakes that makes it's own sauce on the bottom . . . except it was better . . . coz . . .

1. It was mine . . . ALL mine!
2. It had nutella in it.
3. It was done and in my bowl in less than 5 minutes.

What could be better???

I do recommend if you make this that you divide it amongst two mugs. You will be pleasantly rewarded with two fudgy chocolate cakes and no mess. Or you can just throw caution to the wind and make a mess like I did. In any case you will enjoy. Trust me. (My directions reflect the changes I would make should I make this again, and I will make this again, no question!)

No Mitzie . . . chocolate cake is not for dogs. Sorry.



*Five Minute Nutella Mug Cake*
Makes 2 servings
Printable Recipe

Almost instant chocolate cake gratification. In a mug. Just for you.

4 TBS self raising flour
4 TBS sugar
3 TBS cocoa powder (not drink mix)
1 large free range egg
3 TBS nutella (YUMM!)
3 TBS milk
3 TBS vegetable oil

Whisk together the dry ingredients. Divide equally between two mugs. Whisk together the remaining ingredients until smooth. Divide these equally between the two mugs and again whisk each together until smooth. Cook each in the microwave (separately) for 1 to 2 minutes, until risen and set. Wait a few minutes and then serve.

Can top with whipped cream and chocolate sauce, or just a nice scoop of Vanilla Bean icecream.

Note: Mine was really fudgy, which I liked. If you don't want that result, then cook for a bit longer. I rather enjoyed the chocolate sauce.



Over in The Cottage today, a delicious Pumpkin Pie.

Something that is very popular here in the UK on Friday nights is good old fish and chips. I can remember that being one of the things I was really looking forward to when I first came over here. Fish and Chips . . . the batter all light and crisp . . . the chips, handcut and crispy brown . . . sprinkled with salt and malt vinegar and wrapped up in newspaper. This was the stuff of childhood dreams and I was not disappointed. Fish and Chips are so popular on Friday nights over here that the queues at the Chippie often go around the corner . . . all people waiting for their weekly treat of Friday Night Fish and Chips.

Since I haven't been doing a lot of cooking over these past couple of days due to the flu/pneumonia I thought it would be fun to do a roundup of my favourite fish dishes that I have cooked on here. After all it is Friday Night and Friday night is Fish Night!



First up, good old fashioned Beer Battered Fish and Chips. The batter light and crisp. The fish moist and tender. The chips crunchy and brown on the outside and fluffy on the insides. Oh so scrummy!




Next up, some scrummy Fish Tacos. Not typically British I know. But who can resist them with those crispy pieces of battered cod, that crunchy salad, that delectable sauce . . . all wrapped up in a warm tortilla. Move over Kebabs! Fish Tacos are taking over!



Maybe you're in the mood for some Creamy Baked Cod. The fish all meltingly tender and baked beneath a rich topping of cream and cheese and crisp bread crumbs. Oh so deliciously wanton! Serve with a green vegetable and some boiled new potatoes for a real treat!



How about some delicious crispy Cod Fish Cakes with a Scrummy Homemade Horseradish Tartar Sauce!! Not a filler in sight. These tasty fish cakes are just fish, minced and mixed with some herbs and onion, rolled in bredcrumbs and fried until cripsy on the outside, but meltingly tender on the insides . . . that homemade tartar sauce filled with the delicious flavours of tangy cornichons, capers and horseradish . . . oh so perfect with those lovely crispy cakes!



Next up Crispy Cod with a tasty fresh Gazpacho Salad. Delicously healthy and oh so quick and easy to make! Beautifully moist and crisp cod on a bed of a wonderful salad filled with cucumbers, pepper, onions, tomatoes . . . colourful and oh so good!



Delicious Butter Baked Cod. One would be forgiven for mistaking the delicious flavour of this dish for Lobster . . . it's not of course, but it could be! Oh so scrummy with baked potatoes and a green vegetable and salad!



It's not all fried, unhealthy or filled with fat! How about some delicious Lemon Roasted Cod with an Edamame Mash! Moist fish, flavoured with basil and lemon and served on a bed of fresh edamame bean mash, along side some roasted vine tomatoes! Delicously different and tasty!



Finally there are these deliciously scrummy Colcannon Haddock Fish Cakes. Filled with two kinds of fish, potato, onions, cabbage, grainy mustard and a delighful mix of flavours and herbs, these crispy cakes please on many levels. Crisp on the outside, tender and flavourful on the insides. Served with a simple rocket and tomato salad, they are real winners!

So why not try some fish for tea tonight! For a delicious assortment of these and some other tasty recipes, click HERE. and HERE. Also the titles of the individual dishes are also links to the recipes. I can promise you they are all delicious and very easy to make. Enjoy!

Hope to be back tomorrow with something new, God willing.



In The Cottage today, Baked Apples withMincemeat and Cream.

When I want a muffin . . . I want a muffin. I don't want a muffin that tastes suspiciously like a cupcake . . .



I don't want one of those jumbo things like you get in coffee shops that are stogged full of artificial things . . . and that are far too sweet.



I want something that has just the merest hint of sweetness . . . combined with a big hit of goodness and wholesomeness . . . something that I won't feel entirely too guilty indulging in.



These muffins fit the bill on all counts. They are wholesome . . . with the addition of whole wheat flour.



They are only slightly sweet . . .with the lovely natural flavour and sweetness of real Maple Syrup. I like to use a B Grade. It has a lovely colour and a wonderful flavour.
The pecans . . . they are wonderfully nutty once toasted and add another depth of flavour and a slight toothsomeness to an otherwise very moist muffin.



All in all these are fabulous, well worth the indulgence of all that Maple Syrup. I like to eat them warm and spread with a bit of cold butter . . . the butter melting into all those wonderful little holes and making something scrummy . . . even scrummier.



But you do as you will. They also taste wonderful served warm with a tasty slab of cold English Cheddar . . . strong please. It's my only weakness . . .



*Maple and Toasted Pecan Muffins*
Makes 12 large muffins
Printable Recipe

Beautifully moist muffins with a tender crumb and mild maple flavour, chock full of lovely toasted pecans. Delicious!

softened unsalted butter for buttering the pan
315g of plain flour (2 1/4 cups)
105g of whole wheat flour (3/4 cup)
1 TBS baking powder
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
375ml of pure amber Maple syrup (1 1/2 cups)
12 TBS unsalted butter, melted
125ml of whole milk (1/2 cup)
1 large free range egg, plus 1 large free range egg yolk,
(at room temperature)
115g toasted pecans, coarsely chopped (1 cup)

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Butter a 12 cup muffin cup thoroughly, including the tops of the pan well with the softened butter. Set aside.

Whisk together the flours, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Stir in 3/4 of the pecans. Beat together the melted butter, milk, maple syrup, egg and egg yolk. Add all at once to the dry ingredients. Mix together just to moisten. Allow to stand for about 5 minutes, then divide equally amongst the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle the remaining chopped pecans over top.

Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Bake for 15 minutes longer, until well risen and the tops spring back when lightly touched.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.



Over in The Cottage today, a delicious Ginger Syrup, which is great to make hot drinks with, to drizzle over ice cream and just perfect to add to some lemon and boiling water when you have a nasty bug.

Mat from PGUK recently sent me a cookbook to review entitled "Little Old Lady Recipes," by Meg Favreau. It's due for release here in the UK in December and I was happy to take a look at it and give them my thoughts.

If you are looking for a cookery book with artsy food photos that make you drool. This is not the book for you. If you are looking for a cookery book with great simple and delicious recipes, and a bit of heart and soul, then you will find that this cook is a happy mix of all those things.



This is a book that honours those extraordinary elderly women who are the backbone of church socials and bridge clubs across the country. It is simple food. It is old fashioned food. It is delicious food. It is the stuff that grandma's are made of. It's apple pie, home sweet home and lap cuddles all rolled up into a sassy fun little book that is chock full of fabulous recipes that anyone can make any day of the week, because none of them requires fancy ingredients or equipment.



It's broken down into tasty chapters such as

• Breakfasts and Coffee Klatch
• Soups, Salads and Casseroles
• Appetizers and Refreshments
• Suppers and Side Dishes
• Sweets and Treats

Interspersed throughout the book are lovely photographs of these wonderful Silver haired creatures that could be the nan's of any one of us. Also included, are fabulous witty and generous portions of kitchen table wisdom!



Every page is a happy mix of no-frills recipes for pot roast, meat loaf, dumplings, corn bread, fried chicken, liver and onions . . . pies, cakes and a host of everything in between. This is comfort food, plain and simple and I just love it!



Written by Meg Favreau and dedicated to her grandmother, "Whose pie-making skills remain unrivaled," and to her mother, who once said, "I want the dedication in your first book to be, 'To my mother, who always believed in me.'", this is a little book that pleases on many levels. If I didn't already have it I'd be putting it on my Christmas List of wants!

Available in December as a hardback and retailing at £9.99.



Many thanks to Mat, Quirk Books and those Great old Grannies for a fabulous opportunity to try out some Little Old Lady Recipes, made with love and lots of lard!

No new recipe today. I am a bit under the weather and in need of chicken soup . . .