I am feeling a tiny bit under the weather today so I hope that you don't mind a repost from about 2 1/2 years ago now.  Nobody minds an impromptu tea party do they? 

I thought not . . .  so here we go.   And then we had tea . . .



These cold dismal and dreary January days can get one a bit down after a while. Day after day of drizzle or snow . . . very little sun . . . blah, blah, blah.

Here's one way to perk them up and bring a bit of sunshine into your life! Have a tea party! You don't need anything special . . . or even to invite a whole bunch of people over. Some of the best tea parties of all happen when there's just two of you and a dog!



All you need is a table spread with a fine cloth and some tea . . . in a pot of course, (today we had blackberry and mint and it was delicious!) and cups and saucers.

The perfect afternoon tea should begin with some delicious savouries . . . finger sandwiches, sausage rolls, little toasts, savoury pastries . . . followed with scones (if you wish) and a selection of fancies and cakes.



I decided early on during this particularly dreary day that I was going to treat Todd and I to a traditional English Afternoon tea party. He had no idea what I was up to, as he sat upstairs engrossed in his war games on the computer.



Things don't always go to plan though . . . do they. The dog mischeviously ate half of my first Victoria Sponge when my back was turned. Bad doggie. I seized the engine on my new baby sized food processor, chopping the glace fruit for the florentines. Bad idea. Chop it by hand.



Never mind we got there in the end and Todd was so surprised when I called him down to lunch and he saw what I had been up to.



We sat there smiling and sipping and nibbling . . . all was right with the world, drizzle or not, dog eaten cakes . . . it was fun, plain and simple.



Don't forget to use your pinkies!



*Finger Sandwiches*
makes 18 to 24
Printable Recipe

What would afternoon tea be without a plate of tasty sandwiches? (Choose 3 of the below fillings)

12 thin slices of white or wholemeal bread, crusts removed
(I just buy the bread that already has the crusts removed,
easy peasy, lemon squeasy)
room temperature butter, for spreading
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper as desired

For the egg and cress filling:
2 TBS good quality mayonnaise
1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest from an unwaxed lemon
2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
a handful of mustard cress

For the Gentleman's Morsels:
1/4 pound shaved roasted ham
apricot jam, seived
Dijon mustard

For the Roast Beef:
1/4 pound thinly sliced rare roast beef
horseradish mayonnaise
a handful of rocket leaves

For the Parma Ham and Fig filling:
1/4 pound of parma ham
1 ripe fig
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp olive oil
handful of rocket leaves

For the Stilton and Pear filling:
50g of Stilton cheese, thinly sliced (1/4 pound)
1 ripe firm pear



To cut sandwiches, lay your hand on top of the sandwich and lightly press down. Using a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, cut diagonally into quarters or lengthways into 3 fingers.

For the egg and cress sandwiches, thinly butter 4 slices of the bread. Combine the mayonnaise, lemon zest, egg and season with some black pepper, folding together well. Spread evenly on half the slices of bread. Sprinkle with the cress and top with the remaining 2 slices of bread. Cut as above.



To make the Gentlemen's Morsels., thinly butter 4 slices of the bread. Spread 2 slices with seived apricot jam. Spread the other 2 with Dijon mustard. Lay the ham evenly over top of 2 slices and top with the other 2. Cut as above.

For the Roast Beef, thinly butter 4 slices of the bread. Spread 2 slices with the horseradish mayonnaise. Top with the roast beef and season to taste. Sprinkle with the rocket and top with the other 2 slices of bread. Cut as above.

For the Parma Ham and Fig sandwiches, thinly butter 4 slices of bread and fold ham on top of two of them. Cut the fig into thin wedges, remove and discard the skin and then arrange the wedges on top of the ham. Whisk the vinegar and oil together. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. Drizzle over the figs. Top with rocket and the remaining slices of buttered bread and cut as above.

To make the Stilton and Pear sandwiches, thinly butter 4 slices of bread. Arrange the stilton over 2 slices of the bread. Slice the pear into thin wedges, removing and discarding the core, then arrange on top of the cheese. Season with black pepper, then top with the remaining slices of bread and cut as above.



*Dark and White Chocolate Florentines*
Makes about 24
Printable Recipe

Sticky, crisp, chewy, gooey. Moreishly addictive.

50g of butter (3 1/2 TBS)
50g of caster sugar (2 TBS)
3 TBS double cream
25g of flaked almonds (1/4 cup)
75g of mixed nuts, chopped (Pistachios, walnuts, hazelnuts, etc.) 3/4 cup
4 glace cherries, chopped
50g of mixed glace fruits (apricots, pineapple, peel, angelica) chopped (1/3 cup)
25g of plain flour (1 heaped TBS)
50g of white chocolate
(2 ounces)
50g of dark chocolate
(2 ounces)

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ Gas mark 4. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

Gently heat the butter, sugar and cream together until the butter melts. Bring to the boil and then remove from the heat. Stir in the nuts, cherries, fruit and flour. Mix thoroughly. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them well apart.

Bake for 10 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and gently press back the edges with a rounded knife to keep a round shape. Allow to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before carefully peeling off the paper and setting on a wire rack to cool completely.

Break the white and dark chocolates into individual bowls. Melt carefully in the microwave without over-heating. (Be careful as white chocolate burns easily.) Alternatively melt in bowls over simmering water. Spread over the bottoms of the florentines, coating half with white and half with dark. Let set before serving.



Ohhh . . . doesn't she have a longing and innocent look on her face? I think half a cake is more than enough don't you?

 

I was going to show you my Pumpkin Fritters today with their Vanilla Caramel Sauce, but I'm afraid you are going to have to wait until tomorrow to see those.

 

I have something which is just a tiny bit more scrummy to share with you today!  (Although, the pumpkin fritters are exceptionally scrummy as well!)



I am mad for cinnamon, which you have probably guessed by now.  I just adore it.   I love the way it smells.  I love the way it tastes, both in sweet and savory goodies.  

I love crafting with it (cinnamon ornaments on the Christmas tree at Christmas are the best!).  I just plain can't get enough of cinnamon.



My mom used to make these Quick Cinnamon Rolls when we were kids as a treat.  We loved them.  I used to make them for my own children as well.   That was one way to put a smile on their faces big time!  

Then there is my infamous Cinnamon Swirl Tea Bread.   People can't get enough of that when I bake it.  It's an old recipe that I got from a very dear friend way back when and it's a keeper!  



Don't even get me started on the finer qualities of my Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Cake.  Just a peek at the photographs are enough to set one to drooling big time, I kid you not!  



My Cinnamon Butter Buns are to die for.  Likewise my Cinnamon Roll Pancakes.  Then there are my Cinnamon Roll Croissants, and my Cinnamon Roll Pluckit Bread . . . Cinnamon Roll Toast . . . etc.  the list goes on and on . . . You get the picture I am sure.  I am Cinnamon mad!  



If there is one thing I like as much as Cinnamon and am crazy for . . . it is scones!  I love, Love, LOVE scones!  And I don't care how you say it!! 

 I'll eat them no matter how you pronounce the word!  A scone is a beautiful thing . . . 



But when you combine the two loves . . . Cinnamon . . . and Scones, well . . . you've just died and gone to heaven.  There is no other way to put it.

Bake them.  Today.   You will be glad that you did.   And now back to your regular programming.  

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time.   The scone should be well risen and crisp on the outsides, and be lightly browned.   Remove from the oven.

Whisk together the icing ingredients until you have a thick yet drizzable icing.   Drizzle this decoratively over the scones.  Store any leftovers in an airtight container.

 


 I think scones have to be one of the most popular of all the quick breads.  Similar to the North American biscuit, but not quite the same.  Typically scones are a bit sweeter than North American Biscuits, not to be confused with cookies!  We may call cookies biscuits over here, but if you go to North American and request a biscuit with your cup of tea you are going to get something like a scone!  Not that that would be disappointing or anything, but  I'd rather dunk a Digestive Biscuit than a scone!



I have to say I have never bought a scone in a shop that I enjoyed as much as I enjoy the ones I make at home.  Tis true. I admit it.  I may be a bit of a scone snob though . . . and I've never been known to turn one down, shop bought or not.  I'm just saying that homemade ones are infinitely better than any you will find in a shop.



There are a few things that you can do to make sure you scones are always light and well risen with straight sides.

• Handle the dough as little as possible.   Try not to over mix the liquid ingredients into the dry.   You can knead them very gently to bring the dough together, but take care not to over do it, a few gentle turns should do the trick.
• Pat, don't roll.  I find that patting the dough out gently with my hands yields a much more tender scone.
• Use a sharp floured cutter to cut them out and use a sharp tapping motion, straight up and down.  Do not twist the cutter, or your scones will be lopsided and raise unevenly.  

 


There are all kinds of delicious scones available today.  I have posted quite a few tasty versions of the Scone, including my absolute favourite version . . . Maple Walnut.  Today however I wanted to show you a version that is a tiny bit different.



These are like a cross between a savory and a sweet scone.  There is no sugar in them at all . . . but the apple that you grate into the mix does add a bit of sweetness that goes so very well with the strong cheddar that is also in the  mix.



The result is a delicious scone with a tender wholesome crumb.   I love the melted cheese on the outsides and I can tell you they make a lovely light lunch with a slab of cheddar and some good mango chutney!




 *Apple and Cheddar Scones*
makes about 8
Printable Recipe

Beautiful scones, moist and tender on the inside and yet crisp on the outside.  Apples and cheese, the perfect combination!

225g of self raising flour (1 2/3 cups)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
50g of unsalted butter, chilled (3 1/2 TBS)
1 tsp dry mustard powder
75g extra mature English cheddar cheese, grated (3/4 of a cup)
1 eating apple, washed and dried
100ml of milk (6 1/2 TBS)

Preheat the oven to  200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.  Butter a baking sheet and set aside.

Sift the flour into a bowl along with the salt and baking powder.  Drop in the butter and then rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.  Stir in the mustard powder and 2/3 of the cheese.  Grate the apple into the bowl, using the large holes of a box grater.  Discard the core and pips.  Mix well to coat the apple with the flour.  Pour in the milk and mix together with a round bladed knife to make a soft dough.  Turn out onto a lightly floured surface.  Pat out to about 1/2 inch thickness.  Cut into 8 rounds.  Gather together the scraps and repeat as necessary.  Place onto the baking sheet, leaving some space in between.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over top of them all. 

Bake in the heated oven for 15 minutes, until well risen and golden brown.  Scoop off onto a wire rack to cool.  Serve warm, or cold as desired. 

Note: I like to use a 3 inch round cutter for these.

 

One of the things I missed when I first arrived here in the UK was tinned pumpkin.  It was very difficult to find and if you did find it, it cost you an arm and a leg.  I used to be able to get it at Waitrose down south and Sainsbury's.   Recently I scored big time when our local Aldi had it in as a special deal.  I bought about 20 cans!  Todd thought they would think I was crazy buying so many, but I didn't care.  If there is one thing I have learned in my years over here, it's to take advantage of a chance when you get it, because you might never get another one!  Kind of like making hay while the sun shines!



Of course you can always make your own.  I have done so in the past.  It's a bit labor intensive and it's not that easy to get a mixture that is as dry as the stuff in the tin, but it can be done.  I usually let mine drain in a sieve overnight, which works pretty well.  You can find a great tutorial on how to make your own here.  It's not really that hard.  The hard bit over here is finding the pumpkin!



So anyways, I decided to use some of my precious hoard of tinned pumpkin  to make the Toddster some delicious Pumpkin Butter as an early Autumn treat the other day.  He loved it when I made him apple butter one year, so I thought he would really enjoy some pumpkin butter.  I also thought that in some part it would help to justify my having bought 20 tins!

 

Pumpkin Butter is like a thick pumpkin jam . . . nicely spiced with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom . . . very nice it is.   Very nice.  And not that hard to make either if you have a tin of pumpkin to hand.



It's as simple as stirring some pumpkin, honey, brown sugar, and the spices together in a pot along with some lemon juice and then cooking it down until it's nice and thick and jammy . . . it doesn't take too long either, only about half an hour.

 

We enjoyed some while it was still warm, spread on our toasted crumpets the other day.  Oh boy, was it ever good.  I am going to use it to fill a Victorian Sponge or a spice cake one day as well.  That sounds like it would be really lovely.   What do you think???



I do hope you will give it a go.  I think you would really like it.  I think if I was to spread it onto a few digestive biscuits, it would almost be like having a pumpkin pie . . . I'm going to try that tonight as a snack while we are watching Downton Abby.  I wonder if the Dowager would approve?



Well . . . .  maybe not.   I don't think I'll ask.

 

pinch salt   

Combine the pumpkin, sugar, honey, lemon juice and spices in a medium, heavy based saucepan. (I use my le creuset pan) Bring this mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, and then reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring frequently, for 20 to 25 minutes or until nicely thickened. Serve with baking powder biscuits, scones, breads, muffins etc.  It's also lovely spread between two plain sponge cake layers. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

Any purists out there in blog land had best look away now!! I am quite sure that what I am about to show you today will upset you, and perhaps even send you off the deep end. Some of you might even consider these to be blasphemous . . . as far as Scones go!



I will agree that peanut butter and chocolate together is quite, quite a North American thing, somewhat along the similar lines of peanut butter and jam . . . but very delicious nonetheless!!



Think Reeses Pieces and Peanut Butter Cups. Altogether a scrummy idea indeed!



The Toddster is still not quite convinced that Peanut Butter and Jam belong together, but he quite happily scarfs down these tasty scones when I bake them. I think I can quite safely consider him to be a peanut butter and chocolate convert. ☺



Imagine short peanut buttery scones . . . oh so scrummily flakey and peanutty . . . warm from the oven . . . a tall glass of milk . . . You break one in half to eat and what a delightful surprise!!! A molten river of dark chocolate oozes out onto your plate and fingers . . .



You lick your fingers off . . . off one by one, and then you smile . . .



This is very, very . . . very good! Traditonal . . . almost certainly not. Different . . . absolutely. Delicious . . . most definitely YES!




*Chocolate Stuffed Peanut Butter Scones*
Makes 12 (2 1/2 inch) scones
Printable Recipes

A quintessentially delicious duo that are somewhat surprising in a scone, but very scrummy indeed!

280g of plain flour (2 cups)
85g of soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup firmly packed)
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine seasalt
2 ounces of unsalted butter, chilled (1/4 cup)
3 heaped dessert spoons of creamy peanutbutter (about 3/4 cup)
2 ounces whole milk (1/4 cup)
2 large free range eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
60g chopped unsalted peanuts
2 ounces of bittersweet chocolate, broken into 12 equal squares

Optional - a few whole peanuts to garnish the tops of the scones

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Take out a large baking sheet and set aside.

Whisk the flour, brown sugar, salt and baking powder together in a large bowl. Cut the chilled butter into bits and drop them into the bowl with the flour. Rub them into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, milk, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Pour over the crumbed mixture and knead in until well combined. Knead in in the chopped peanuts. Pat half of the mixture out about 1/2 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 12 (2 1/2) inch rounds, gathering scraps and repeating until you have all 12. Place about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Place a square of chocolate on top of each in the middle, pressing it down lightly. Pat out the remaining half of the scone mixture, again about 1/2 inch thick. Cut out 12 (2 1/2 inch) rounds. Place each on top of each of the chocolate topped bottom rounds. Press lightly around the edges to seal.

Bake in the heated ovem for about 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through the cooking time. Remove from the oven and let cool for five minutes, before scooping the scones off with a spatula to finish cooling on a wire rack. Serve warm or cool. Store in a tightly covered container.

A little while back the people at Panasonic sent me one of their combi-ovens to try out for a month to see how I would get on with it.   This month I am their guest blogger over in their Ideas Kitchen with my Sunshine Granola Recipe.

I did everything I could with the oven during the month that I had it.  I used it to melt butter and chocolate, cook casseroles, make scones . . . baked a cake, pretty much everything I use my regular oven for, with much success.  The nicest bit was that during the hottest bit of the summer, I wasn't having to heat my whole kitchen up by having to turn my regular oven on.  This combi-oven worked just dandy.   (Microwave/grill/convection oven)

I've actually had a combi-oven of my own for quite a while now, since 2009.   I had gotten a cake all ready to go into my regular oven and my regular oven gave up the ghost.   I needed something quick and so I had gone to the store and picked up a combi-oven to use until they could come and fix the regular one.  I had had one way back when yonks and yonks ago in Canada.  My first one was a mammoth. That baby was huge!  But it worked really well.  It did take up a lot of space though.  These newer ones are a lot smaller.  You couldn't roast a turkey in one of them . . . but they are pretty darned good for everything else.



The recipe which I chose to share in the Panasonic kitchen was a recipe for my favourite all time granola.   It's nice and crunchy, and stogged full of fruit and nuts.  There are lots of good things in there like maple syrup and orange juice, and flaked coconut.

 


In short it's a winner.  I cut my original recipe in half so that I could make it in the combi oven and it worked a charm.   Nice and nutty and golden brown with a beautiful crunch.



Why not hop on over to the Panasonic Kitchen to check out the recipe!  It's worth the trip my dears.   Absolutely.   There's lots of goodies there.  I think you'll enjoy!