Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Scones. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Scones. Sort by date Show all posts
I usually like to bake something scrummy for our weekend breakfasts. A breakfast cake of some sort, scones . . . tea loaves, muffins. What I bake depends totally on what I have to hand and what kind of a mood I am in. This week I had some bananas that needed using and so I decided to bake these delicious Banana, Coconut and Macadamia Nut Muffins!
These are not British Biscuits/cookies but rather North American Biscuits, which are very similar to scones, and are a type of bread, ie. a baking powder biscuit. This is a recipe I have been using for many, many years and is one of my favourite versions of baking powder biscuits, aside from my mother's recipe, which is the absolute best!
These are different than most baking powder biscuits in that, along with baking powder, they also use yeast . . . quick or bread machine yeast to be exact, and there is no raising time as with normal bread, which makes them truly a quick bread.
Many moons ago, when I was raising my family we used to spend several weeks every summer at my in-laws home on Prince Edward Island, which is where my in-laws had retired to. It was a nice little community, mostly filled with retired armed forces personnel and war vets. Across the road there was a couple named Kenny. Mrs Kenny was Acadian French and she used to make these beautiful "French Biscuits" as she called them. Very similar to these, but also slightly different. They were more like a bun than a biscuit and were at their very best on the day they were baked.
She used to prick the tops with a fork before baking and they had a short rising time. She tried to tell me how to make them once, but she had no measurements for anything. Like a lot of older cooks, she just used a bit of this and a bit of that. Every time we were visiting the In-laws, Mrs Kenny would send us over a basket of her French Biscuits and they were always very warmly received.
They were so delicious and I have been searching ever since for an exact recipe for them, and coming up with nothing. In the meantime I bake these Angel Biscuits every now and then, and dream of those. Never mind, these Angel Biscuits are delicious, nevertheless!
They are as light as air, lovely and fluffy . . . soft as a pillow or an angel's wings, which I am sure is where they get their name from!
They do use white vegetable shortening (Trex here in the UK, or Crisco in North America.) I have never made them with butter. Only ever just shortening.
They also use buttermilk. In North American I used to buy buttermilk by the litre, here in the UK you can only get it in 300ml sizes (about 1 1/4 cups). Its kind of silly really because I am never able to find something that only uses 60ml/1/4 cup of buttermilk. Sigh . . .
You can get it by the litre from Ocado, which is an online grocery shopping site, but it comes over from Ireland. They use a lot of buttermilk in Ireland. I wish we could get the larger size here without having to do an online shop. You have to spend a minimum amount to do an online shop, so I do treat myself every now and then, but mostly I just buy the smaller size and end up throwing the excess away in time because it doesn't get used!
Back to the biscuits. These truly are as light as air . . . .
and ultra flaky . . . seriously tasty!
You can bake them in one of two ways . . . either spread apart on a baking sheet or crisp sides, or close together in a skillet for softer sides. The choice is yours. Today I did them in a skillet.
Yield: 10
Angel Biscuits
prep time: 14 minscook time: 25 minstotal time: 39 mins
Light and fluffy, these are baking powder biscuits which also use yeast to help them rise. A buttermilk biscuit with a delicious difference!
ingredients:
2 1/2 tsp quick acting yeast
(bread machine yeast)
2 TBS warm water
245g of plain flour (1 3/4 cups)
140g cake flour (see my instructions below, 1 cup)
1 1/2 TBS caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
75g solid white vegetable fat (1/3 cup)
(make sure it is cold)
240ml cold buttermilk (1 cup)
instructions:
Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. You can bake these
either on a baking sheet, spaced apart for crisp sides, or close
together in an iron skillet for soft sides. In both cases you will want
to line the pan with some baking paper. Set aside.
either on a baking sheet, spaced apart for crisp sides, or close
together in an iron skillet for soft sides. In both cases you will want
to line the pan with some baking paper. Set aside.
Whisk the yeast and warm water together. Set aside to prove.
Sift
the flour into a bowl, along with the cake flour (for each 140g/1 cup
of cake flour needed, you can use the equivalent in plain flour, with 2
TBS removed and replaced with 2 TBS cornflour/cornstarch), and baking
powder. Stir in the sugar and salt. Drop in the cold shortening and
cut it in with two knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Pour
in the yeast mixture and the buttermilk, stirring together with a fork
to make a soft dough. Knead gently several times to bring together.
Pat out on a lightly floured surface to 1 inch thickness. Using a sharp
round 2 1/2inch cutter and using a sharp up and down tapping motion,
cut out rounds. (Try not to twist the dough and try to get as many cuts
as possible from the first cutting.) Place on the baking sheet leaving
space in between, or into the skillet, closer together.
the flour into a bowl, along with the cake flour (for each 140g/1 cup
of cake flour needed, you can use the equivalent in plain flour, with 2
TBS removed and replaced with 2 TBS cornflour/cornstarch), and baking
powder. Stir in the sugar and salt. Drop in the cold shortening and
cut it in with two knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Pour
in the yeast mixture and the buttermilk, stirring together with a fork
to make a soft dough. Knead gently several times to bring together.
Pat out on a lightly floured surface to 1 inch thickness. Using a sharp
round 2 1/2inch cutter and using a sharp up and down tapping motion,
cut out rounds. (Try not to twist the dough and try to get as many cuts
as possible from the first cutting.) Place on the baking sheet leaving
space in between, or into the skillet, closer together.
in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes (baking sheet), or 20 to 25
minutes (skillet), until well risen and golden brown and fully cooked
through. Serve hot wth butter for spread.
Created using The Recipes Generator
These are just so amazingly good. I had one with my dinner and now I am looking forward to having another one before I go to bed with some peanut butter on it. I am such a naughty girl, I know! I just can't help myself, which is why I save these for a rare treat! Bon Appetit!
Guess what!!! I have a new book!!
Dear Friends, after a LOT of hard work behind the scenes for the last few months, I'm so excited to finally announce that I have a new book coming out. The Best of British Baking is the perfect way to Master the most beloved recipes in British baking. From fluffy Victoria sponges to sausage rolls, the flavors of British baking are some of the most famous in the world.
"With scones, the fat is rubbed into the flour with a snapping motion. It is important to work quickly so that the fat does not melt."
There are tons more tips and tricks like this throughout The Best of British Baking. If you find this helpful take a moment to pre-order your copy on Amazon. Let me know if there are any other tips you would like me to share, and don't forget to hit the save/bookmark button to save this post for later!
Thanks so much for reading!
Cinnamon and Jam Biscuits. I am almost embarrassed to show you this simple recipe today, but what the heck, when have I ever let embarrassment stop me from sharing with you? Never, that's when. Why start now.
I had seen a few recipes like this on the world wide web, and I had a tin of refrigerated biscuits about to expire so I thought why now. I will give them a go!
Plus I got up much later this morning than I usually do. Combine that with the General Conference of my church and the time that takes to watch . . . and you find me, a person who was looking to make something not only delicious, but quick and easy to eat.
So I decided to make these Cinnamon and Jam Biscuits which promised to deliver on all counts. Quick to make. Easy to prepare. Delicious to eat.
I was not disappointed. They were quick to make. Incredibly quick. They were easy to make. Very easy.
And yes, they were delicious. So much so that I wish I had a houseful of people to help me eat them up. Alas I have only two kittens and these kittens don't eat things like this . . . sigh . . . its a tough job but somebody has to do it.
All kidding aside, I didn't eat all of these. I am very fortunate that I live in a neighborhood with some elderly people who are always only too happy to enjoy the abundance from my table that I can't possibly use up myself.
And I am always only too happy to share with them. Its a win/win situation. So back to the Biscuits.
These really are very easy to make. So much so that you probably won't even break into a sweat making them. If you can open a biscuit can, melt some butter, dip and roll then you can very easily make these tasty delights.
You do need a can of refrigerated biscuits, the buttermilk ones if you can possibly get them. They break up into 10 biscuits. Alternately you can make some biscuit dough from scratch, and I have an excellent recipe to do just that here.
Just make the dough and then cut it into round biscuits and then proceed as per this recipe.
And on another note here I am referring to biscuits here as in North American biscuits (scones) not British biscuits (cookies)! Not the same thing at all!
The biscuits for this recipe get rolled first in melted butter. Just the tops and the edges. You then roll the tops and edges into Cinnamon sugar and place them onto a baking sheet.
You actually don't need to butter or line the baking sheet, but I always do, just in case. When sugar is involved, I always line.
Once you have done this, you take the end of a wooden spoon handle or a thimble and press a deep hole into the centre of each biscuit. Not all the way through, but about 2/3 of the way through to the bottom.
A portion of jam then gets spooned into the hole. Just a teaspoon. Don't be tempted to use any more than that. Experience has taught me through the years that hot jam expands exponentially and you don't want that mess.
This is truly a case where less IS more. Trust me on this.
Today I used my sister's homemade strawberry jam, but you can use any kind of jam you enjoy. You can even use lemon curd. Lovely, just so you know!
Don't let the simplicity of these biscuits, whether you use a refrigerated biscuit or make your biscuits from scratch, fool you into thinking that they are not something special. They are indeed very special.
Simple and quick, with only a few ingredients, but still a wonderful way to let the ones around you know that you love them enough to want to bake them something special to eat.
These are not something to be embarrassed of serving, but instead something that shows you care. After all it is really the simple things in life which bring us the most pleasure, and I can assure you that these will bring plenty of pleasure.
From that beautiful buttery cinnamon sugar crust to that sweet dimple of jam in the center, these are something you and your whole family will enjoy.
Food does not have to be complicated to taste good. These simple treats are proof positive of that fact. Light, fluffy, spicy, sweet. In short, scrumptiously tasty!
All of the content you see here on this page, both photography and written, are the sole property of The English Kitchen, Marie Rayner. 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
Easy Cinnamon & Jam Biscuits
Yield: makes 10 biscuits
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 30 Min
A snap to make using refrigerated buttermilk biscuits, sugar, cinnamon and your favorite jam.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup (60g) butter melted
- 1 tube refrigerated buttermilk biscuits, separated into 10 biscuits
- 10 tsp your favorite jam
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375*F/ 190*C/ gas mark 5. Line a baking sheet with some parchment paper. Set aside.
- Place the sugar and cinnamon into a bowl and mix well together.
- Place the melted butter in another bowl.
- Dip the tops and sides of each biscuit into the melted butter and then roll the sides and tops in the cinnamon sugar. Place well apart on the baking sheet.
- Using the end of a wooden spoon or a thimble make a deep indentation in the center of each biscuit. Place a teaspoon of sugar into each.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown and puffed up. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before eating. (Jam is very hot)
In my previous marriage, we used to spend a lot of time on Prince Edward Island in the summer. Although I was born on the Island, it was only an accident of birth, because that was where my father was posted with the Canadian Airforce at the time. My ex-husband's family, however, had a long history there, going back to some of the first Scottish settlers on the Island, back in the days when the Island was nothing but trees and native North Americans. The Ramsays ended up on the Island when their ship, The Annabella, was ship-wrecked in Malpeque Bay. The Annabella had been heading for the Virginia Colonies when a storm blew it off course and the rest is history. It is said that the survivors would have starved or frozen to death that first winter, were it not for the Natives who so generously helped them out.
My late father in law came from a very large farming family, consisting mainly of girls. I think there were only two or three sons. He was the baby of the family. Most of his sisters, with the exception of one, had moved down to the Boston, New England area before and after WW2. The same thing happened in my own family. There was a lot of prosperity in America as compared to the Maritimes, which was than and still is a somewhat economically depressed area.
The old gals (as we called the sisters) used to come up to their cottage on the Malpeque Bay every summer, where they would spend a couple of months taking in the sea air and re-connecting with their roots. The air rang with the sound of hearty card games and raucous laughter. I think the game was 45's but I can't say for sure, because I have never been a great card player. I'm too slow.
I loved to watch however, and many an afternoon was spent watching the cards being dealt and listening to all the war stories and family tales. The Sister that had stayed back on the Island used to do all the cooking. She would bake these Bannocks frequently. Her name was Rita. She was like a little bird. I loved her to pieces. She was a really kind and caring woman.
Ever the foodie, I would watch her making these. All of the ingredients used to get measured right out onto the counter-top, her quick hands deftly managing them into a dough that was then cut and baked into these beautiful light and oaty bannocks.
I can still remember the first time I saw her making them, I thought it was cheese she was mixing in, but it was cold butter which she had grated. I tend to cut the butter into bits and rub it in with my fingertips. Both ways work well.
Don't be tempted to use old fashioned oats in these, unless you blitz them in a food processor for a few seconds to break them down. This is one time you want to be using the quick oats. Old fashioned oats are too coarse.
Aunt Rita cut hers into squares, whereas I cut them into rectangles. Not a scrap of the dough is wasted. With a light touch, and no re-working of scraps you are rewarded with a dozen light as air golden brown slightly nubbly/nutty textured scones. Because that is really all a Bannock is . . . a Scottish Scone. But shhh . . . don't tell anyone I said that. I wouldn't want to start a War over it or anything.
What a wonderful time those years were, spending those summer afternoons out on the bay. The air was cool,because we were right on the water. The children and I used to walk up and down the sand and grasses, picking wild rhubarb that I would then make into pies and jam. Good times!
I don't know how the rhubarb ended up growing there but it worked kind of the same as wild strawberries do . . . it was thinner, smaller, and filled with a lot more flavour than the regular stuff.
In any case, I hope you will bake these lovely Bannocks, and when you do, please raise a nice hot cuppa to Aunt Rita and the old gals . . . and hot summer afternoons spent playing cards and picking wild rhubarb on sands of Malpeque Bay . . .
*Malpeque Oat Bannocks*
Makes 12
60g cold butter (1/4 cup), cut into bits
180ml whole milk (3/4 cup)
It was a little cool today and so Todd wanted me to make him some soup for lunch. I didn't do anything special, just opened a couple of tins of Bean and Bacon Soup. He loves that kind.
I did want to make something special to go along with it though, just to lift lunch up out of the ordinary. I love making savoury muffins and breads to go along with soup. They help to make even a simple meal of tinned soup extra-ordinary!
I love foccaccia and I found a recipe for some little mini foccaccia in one of my cookerybooks. It used refrigerated biscuits though . . . and I didn't want to use them. Those types of things are not readily available over here, and I think homemade always tastes better.
I decided to make a scone type of dough, because it would be quick and then apply the topping to that.
I used the plain scone dough recipe from the Bero baking book, and then cut the dough into 2 inch rounds. I then flattened the rounds out to about 3 1/2 inch rounds about 1/4 inch thick. Then I dimpled the top with my fingers and applied a beautiful herby olive oil mixture and some pine nuts.
Wow! These were fantastic! They were nice and crisp around the edges and so flavourful! We just loved them!
I can see great possibilities for this. Perhaps next time I will try a sun-dried tomato pesto on top! That sounds really good, don't you think???
Quick, easy and very, VERY tasty! I do hope you will give them a try!!
*Mini Scone Foccaccia Breads*
Makes 10 (3-inch) foccaccia breads
Printable Recipe
Lovely little flattish scones that are wonderfully herby, buttery and fantastic with soups and stews!
225g self raising flour (a scant 2 cups)
pinch salt
3 1/2 TBS of butter
enough milk to make a soft dough
For the topping:
a large handful of basil leaves (about a loose cup)
a small handful of fresh thyme (about 1/4 loose cup)
2 fat cloves, of garlic, peeled and mashed
60 ml of extra virgin olive oil (1/4 cup)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 TBS of pinenuts
Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Lightly butter a large baking sheet. Set aside.
To make the herby oil, place the basil, thyme, garlic and olive oil into a blender. Blitz until fairly smooth. You do not want big chunks of anything. Season to taste with some salt and pepper. Set aside.
Measure the flour into a bowl. Add the salt. Drop in the butter and rub it in with your fingertips until you have fine crumbs. Stir in enough milk to make a soft dough with a fork. Pat out on a lightly floured surface to about half in thick. Cut into 2 inch rounds with a sharp cutter. Press the rounds out to about 3 1/2 inches in diameter. Place onto the baking sheet leaving some space inbetween each. Dimple over the tops with your fingertips. Brush each with some of the herbed oil. Sprinkle with pinenuts and then bake for 12 to 15 minutes until lightly browned on the bottoms and crisp around the edges. Serve warm.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Social Icons