I decided to heat myself up a bowl of soup for my dinner today. Usually I like to have crackers with my soup, but I didn't have any in the cupboard.
I wasn't wanting to go out into the cold to the shops to get any either and so I did the next best thing. I decided to bake myself some biscuits to go along with the soup.
I wasn't, however, willing to bake a whole batch of biscuits because, well, there is really only me to eat them.
- 1 cup (140g) plain all purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
- 1/8 tsp sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup (80ml) cold buttermilk
- 2 TBS butter, melted and hot
- Additional melted butter to brush on top of the finished biscuits
Thanks so much Myra! You also made my day!!
I've also had some nice positive feedback from several colleagues of mine:
“Marie Rayner, former private chef, shares delicious British recipes for breads, cakes, biscuits, and scones. With helpful hints and photos that look mouthwatering throughout the book, you'll want to jump right in and bake all of the delicious recipes. I found favourite recipes from my childhood that brought back wonderful memories. Whether you are British or not, this book will be a fantastic addition to your cookery bookshelf.” —Linda Grant
“Out of hundreds of baking books out there, this one really stands out. The Best of British Baking will not only help people like myself who don't know much about baking, but it will also be an invaluable source of information for competent bakers. Marie brings a wealth of knowledge and baking ability—all in all, this is a book that everyone should own.” —Jan Bennett, food blogger at A Glug of Oil
This giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and over only.
Entries must be received by Friday December 24th, 2021, at 12:00 Noon AST. One winner will be chosen at random from the comments left below prior to the contest closing, later on the same day, Friday December 24th, 2021.
No purchase necessary. Estimated retail value of the price is $12.99 usd. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, or associated with Facebook. You understand that you are providing your information to the owner of this Facebook page and not to Facebook.
TO enter just leave a comment below with a quick sentence on why you would like to have this book for yourself! Thank you!
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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!
I was not disappointed. They were quick to make. Incredibly quick. They were easy to make. Very easy.
Easy Cinnamon & Jam Biscuits
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)
I decided I needed a bit of cheering up! One thing which I really enjoyed when I was living in the UK was the traditional Afternoon Tea. I decided that if I needed cheering up, I needed a traditional Afternoon Tea!
Just because you live on your own, it doesn't mean that you can't enjoy some of the finer things in life which other people get to enjoy, right? Right!
I resolved this year to get as much joy out of life that I can for whatever time I have left. Alone or not. Covid or not. I can make each day an adventure with just a tiny bit of effort!
Most people confuse the term Afternoon Tea with High Tea. They are not the same thing, nor are the terms interchangeable.
Afternoon Tea is very much the British tradition of sitting down mid or late afternoon to a treat of tea, finger sandwiches, scones and cake. It was very much an upper class thing and was not intended to replace dinner.
The Upper Classes usually ate their dinners much later in the evening, so as an attempt to fill the gap in between lunch and dinner they indulged in afternoon tea.
High tea came about largely to appease the working class in the 19th century. Working class people had no time, nor the luxury to stop working for such a treat as afternoon tea. Often they would arrive home starving at the end of the day.
At that time tea was served with heartier dishes. Dishes meant to sustain a people who had been working their pegs off all day. Something hearty, perhaps a tidbit of sweet, washed down with hot cups of tea. Supper is still called "Tea" in working class Britain.
Unless you are on Scotland of course where a Afternoon Tea will take on some sort of hot and savory foods. A mix of High and Afternoon Teas.
These are meant to be served at room temperature, split and then spread with butter. You will want to have some whipped heavy cream to serve with them along with some jam.
In the UK traditionally they would serve clotted cream with these along with the jam. Clotted cream is such a gorgeous thing. Heavy cream which has been heated just to the point where it forms thick sweet clots, with a buttery crust on top.
It is almost impossible to replicate anywhere else in the world. Trust me on this. Once you have had the real thing, nothing else comes close. Today I made do with just whipped cream, and some cherry jam.
Classic English Scones (small batch)
Ingredients
- 175g self raising flour ( 1 1/4 cups)
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 37g of cold butter (2 3/4 TBS)
- 15g Caster sugar (1 1/4 TBS, superfine sugar)
- 40g sultana raisins (1/4 cup)
- approximately 75ml milk (scant 1/3 cup)
- 1 large free range eggs, beaten
- granulated sugar to sprinkle plus flour for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7. Butter a large baking tray. Alternately line it with greaseproof paper.
- Measure the flour into a bowl along with the baking powder. (Pour the flour in from on high to aerate it.) Whisk together. Drop in the cold butter in bits. Using your fingertips rub the butter in quickly until the mixture resembles fine dry bread crumbs. Stir in the sugar and raisins.
- Beat the egg. Remove and set 1 TBS aside. Add 60ml (scant 1/4 cup) of the milk to the eggs and beat together. Add this to the flour mixture. Mix together with the rounded end of a butter knife to form a soft but slightly tacky dough. Only add the remainder of the milk if your dough is too dry and you want to absorb any dry bits in the bowl. The dough should NOT be too wet, but not too dry either.
- Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently a couple of times to bring well together. Gently pat out to 1 inch thick. Using a sharp round 3 inch cutter, cut out rounds, using a direct up and down motion.
- Do not twist the cutter. Place the cut out scones an inch or so apart on the baking sheet. Gather any trimmings together and repeat until you have 5 scones.
- Brush the tops of the scones with the reserved beaten egg and sprinkle with a bit of granulated sugar. Don't let the egg drip down the sides.
- Bake for about 10 minutes, until risen and golden on top and bottoms. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container. Best eaten on the day. Any leftovers can be frozen for several months.
Classic Victoria Sponge Cake (small batch)
Ingredients
- 85g butter (6 TBS)
- 85g caster sugar (scant 1/2 cup)
- few drops vanilla extract
- 1 large free range egg plus 1 egg yolk, beaten
- 85g self raising flour (a scant 3/4 cup)
- 2 TBS raspberry jam
- icing sugar or granulated sugar to dust the top
Instructions
- Butter and base line two 4-inch sandwich tins. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.
- Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla together until light in color and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. If the mixture begins to curdle, add a spoonful of the flour.
- Fold in the flour with a metal spoon, taking care to use a cutting motion so as not to knock out too much of the air that you have beaten into the batter. Divide the batter evenly between the two cake tins, leveling off the surface. Make a slight dip in the center of each.
- Bake on a center rack of the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the sponges have risen well, are golden brown, and spring back when lightly touched. Allow to cool in the pan for five minutes before running a knife carefully around the edges and turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, place one layer on a cake plate. Spread with raspberry jam. Place the other cake on top, pressing down lightly. Dust with icing or granulated sugar.
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