I grew up in the land of biscuits . . . no they were not cookie. Cookies are called biscuits over here in the UK)
Rather they were beautiful, flakey, and savoury (only very rarely sweet) quick breads quite similar in texture and flavour to what is called a scone over here.
Some might question the difference between a scone and biscuit. There has been a great deal of debate over this very topic. I would have to say as subtle as it is . . . it is there.
A scone will use butter and either cream or soured/plain milk, whereas in North America biscuits use either shortening or lard and buttermilk or plain milk, are less sweet and more savoury.
They can have things like cheese, bacon, onions/scallions and sometimes ham in them. Scones can have these things in them as well, although I would say that then they are more like biscuits than scones.
Does that make sense? I know, very confusing to say the least.
Another difference is in the way the fat is added. Here in the UK the fat is most always rubbed into the flour with the fingertips.
In North America it is "cut" in . . . using a pair of forks, two double bladed knives or a pastry blender.
Both benefit from using a light hand when preparing them. Both rise although I would have to say that Biscuits are usually flaky whilst scones have a more crumbly texture.
Biscuits are meant to be eaten hot or warm from the oven. Scones are almost always eaten cold.
I say Vive la difference! Both are beautiful and scrummy and moreishly delicious and both have their uses!
Today I baked some beautiful Black Pepper Biscuits.
I wanted to serve them with some good cheese and some of my latest batch of homemade Spicy Plum Chutney.
Oh my . . . they went down a real treat.
The biscuits were flakey, savoury and peppery, which went beautifully with the cheese and chutney. These would be great served with some smoked gammon or slices of crisp bacon as well . . . and cheese of course!
I think they would make great little chicken salad sandwiches and would also be a lovely host to egg mayonnaise!
Just look at that beautiful texture.
I just can't think of anything that wouldn't taste better sitting on top of one of these, split, buttered and warm from the oven, or a bowl of soup that wouldn't be enhanced by their presence! Enjoy!!
*Black Pepper Biscuits (Scones)
Makes 16 to 18 (2 inch) biscuits
Printable Recipe
Beautifully fluffy and peppery. Perfect to serve with chutney's, cheeses, salty meats (bacon, ham, proscuitto) or with hot soups and stews.
8 ounces plain flour (2 1/4 cups) divided
1 TBS Baking Powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 to 1 TBS freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces chilled vegetable shortening,
divided into 2 ounce lots (1/4 cup and 1/4 cup)
250ml of cold buttermilk (1 cup)
softened butter for brushing
Preheat the oven to 230*C/450*F. Lightly butter a large baking sheet. Set aside.
Remove 8/10 of an ounce of flour (1/4 cup) and set aside. Whisk the remaining flour together in a large wide bowl with the baking powder, soda, salt and black pepper. Add half of the shortening in bits and then work it into the flour using a pastry blender, two forks or two round bladed knives. The mixture should look like well crumbled feta cheese. Scatter the remainder of the shortening over top in bits and continue to work in with your fingertips, until you have no pieces which are larger than a pea. Shake the bowl occasionally to move any bigger bits up from the bottom. Do not over work.
Make a deep hollow in the centre of this mixture and add about 3/4 of the buttermilk, reserving some for later if needed. Stir in with a fork, using broad strokes to quickly pull the flour into the milk. Mix just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Sprinkle the remaining flour onto a clean surface. Turn the dough out onto it and turn to lightly coat. Pat lightly into a round which is 1/2 inch in depth. Brush any visible flour off the top. Cut into 2 inch rounds with a round biscuit cutter, using a sharp tap up and down, remembering not to twist the cutter. (Twisting results in a lop-sided biscuit.) You can pull the scraps back together to cut out additional biscuits. They will not be quite as tender as the first ones, but good all the same. Place onto the baking sheet, leaving some space in between each.
Bake for 6 minutes in the upper third of the oven. Rotate the pan and bake for an additional 4 to 6 minutes, until they are a light golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush the tops with some softened butter. Serve hot.
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This is a tasty little gem I got from the November Issue of Good Food Magazine! I pounced on it as soon as it slid through my post box and this was the very first recipe I earmarked to make!
It's just perfect for all the holiday celebrations we have coming up . . . Hallowe'en, Bonfire Night, Thanksgiving, Christmas . . . it would also be great to make and serve at a Hen Night, All Girl's Sleepover night, etc. I made it today to serve while we watch the Autumn General Conference sessions of our church. We tend to stay at home and make a bit of a party of it. We watch it on the computer, but I know in America, you can watch it on the television.
We usually invite friends over to watch it with us, and serve a variety of snacks and sandwiches afterwards. It a very special time for us . . . feasting on the words that our Heavenly Father wants us to hear, and then feasting on some special edible goodies! This soothes that moreish sweet/salty/crunchy/silky craving in all of us.
No matter when you serve it, I am sure it will be most, most popular!! It's very scrummy indeed! And in fact it has you thinking . . . how about doing the same thing but adding baby pretzels, and dried berries . . . or chunks of honey granola . . . or . . . pop rocks and smarties . . . or . . . well, you can see where I am going with this. The World is your oyster! Feed your own whimsie!! Whatever floats your boat!
*Toffee Popcorn Bark*
Makes 8 servings
Printable Recipe
This is one of those easy recipes that has you smacking yourself on the forehead and saying "Why didn't I think of that!"
200g milk chocolate(7 ounces)
200g white chocolate(7 ounces)
(I used Green and Blacks for both)
60g of toffee popcorn (about 2 cups)
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Melt the chocolates independantly of each other. Pour most of the chocolate onto the prepared baking tray, swirling it together. Sprinkle on the toffee popcorn, and then drizzle over the remaining chocolates. Chill until set.
Break into pieces to serve.
And over in The Cottage today, Strawberry Tiramisu!
Did I ever tell you about the time I ate so many raspberries that I made myself sick? I was 11 years old and it was a hot August day. We were moving in to a new house. In the meantime we were staying at my Grandfather's house. My father had gone on to meet the furniture truck and was going to come back and get us when the furniture had been off loaded. To make a long story short . . . the truck was late arriving, my mother insisted on not feeding us because "My father was going to be back any minute," and my sister and I were so hungry we gorged ourselves in the next door neighbour's raspberry patch.
So not cool . . . and I so paid for it later on. I always got car sick anyways, but on that day I got really sick . . . I do believe my father was hoovering raspberry seeds out of the carpet in that car for years . . . and it was truly years and years before I could ever bring myself to eat a raspberry and enjoy it again . . .
Thankfully the brain eventually forgets things like this . . . unless you are feeling sick anyways. (For some odd reason when I'm not feeling well, I start to remember everything I've ever eaten when I've been sick in the past!) Anyways, I now love raspberries again and I adore raspberry season.
It's late raspberry season now and it also happens to be pear season . . . I reckon nature has it right and just as strawberries and rhubarb come in to season together and make a beautiful taste marriage . . . I have come to realize that late season raspberries and autumn pears make another beautiful taste marriage . . . especially when you combine them with ginger . . .
OOhh la la! C'est si bon! ♥♥♥
We went to Gordale Nurseries today and picked up two raspberry canes, a tayberry cane, two blueberry bushes and a new pear tree (to replace the one that got fire leaf blight). . . and of course I could not resist going through the gift section. I came across these adorable little cup and saucer sets which have heart shaped saucers! (Even the handle on the cup is heart shaped. They came in pink and red. I had to have the red!) So perfect for autumnal desserts such as this fabulous Gingered Raspberry & Pear Cobbler!!! They seem to set it off perfectly. (I am picturing a Valentines White Chocolate and Ginger mousse in them now, aren't you?)
Anyways, you just have to make this delicious cobbler. It is the perfect autumnal pudding . . . moreishly scrumptious and oh soooo fabulously tasty!! Sweet and sticky fruit topped with a buttery gingery biscuit topping. What's not to like???
Resistance is totally futile. Trust me on this.
*Gingered Raspberry & Pear Cobbler*
Serves 8
Printable Recipe
A delicious combination that will have them coming back for seconds!
1 TBS butter to butter the pan
For the filling:
3/5 ounces granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
2 TBs plus 1 tsp cornflour
pinch of fine seasalt
4 large pears, peeled, cored and sliced
1 TBS fresh lemon juice
9 ounces fresh or frozen raspberries (2 cups)
1 TBS cold butter, cut into small bits
For the topping:
8 3/4 ounces of plain flour (1 3/4 cup)
4 TBS granulated sugar, divided
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp fine seasalt
10 TBS cold butter, cut into small bits (5 ounces)
2 ounces candied ginger, chopped (1/3 cup)
5.5 fluid ounces, plus 1 TBS cold buttermilk
To serve:
Pouring Cream, Custard or Vanilla Bean Ice cream
First make the topping. Whisk the flour, 3 TBs of the sugar, the baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Add the butter, and toss to eavenly coat. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until you get crumbs the size of peas. Stir in the candied ginger, then pour in the 5.5 fluid ounces of buttermilk, stirring just until the dry ingredients are moistened. The dough should be crumbly with visible pieces of butter. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Butter a 9 inch deep dish pie pan. Set aside.
Rub the sugar, cornflour and salt (for the filling) together in a large bowl. Add the pears and lemon juice. Toss until evenly coated. Gently fold in the raspberries. Transfer to the prepared pan. Dot with the 1 TBS of butter.
Turn the dough for the topping out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently press together into a 9 inch circle. Place carefully on top of the fruit. Brush with the 1 TBS of buttermilk and sprinkle with the remaining 1 TBS of sugar.
Bake in the bottom third of the oven for 30 minutes. Turn the oven down to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. and bake for an additional 20 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and the juices are bubbly and thick. Allow to cool for half an hour before serving. Serve with pouring cream, custard or ice cream. Delicious!
I'm playing with Croissants, Chocolate and Preserves over in the Cottage today with Chocolate and Fruit Filled Croissants! There are also some lovely pictures of our trip the other day to Betws-y-coed in Wales.
What a lovely week we have had weatherwise. I have so enjoyed all the sunshine and warmth. A true Indian Summer week, the likes of which I have never experienced over here before. It's been a real treat! We've been out and about most days, which is also a real treat!
Almost as much of a treat as this tasty cake that I baked up yesterday afternoon! I had some berries in the fridge that I had bought the other day and wanted to use up . . . and decided a tasty cake was the best way to do it!
We love almonds and we love berries . . . the two together are heavenly. Especially when combined in a cake which is blissfully moist and buttery . . . and yet light at the same time . . . and absolutely stogged full of sweet/tart berries.
I chose to use blackberries and raspberries this time, but either one is lovely on their own, as are blueberries, or even all three together. Currants are also very nice. I love the crunch of the flaked almonds on top . . . it adds a wonderful texture.
You could have this with cream of course! We had it plain . . . but I may have another piece later on with some cream . . . and why not! Life is for living! (And I did rather do a lot of walking today!)
*Autumn Berry & Almond Cake*
Makes one 9 inch cake
Printable Recipe
A real family favourite. You can use any berries you have in any combination you like, alone or a mixture. I love to use raspberries and blackberries.
140g ground almonds (1 2/3 cups)
140g butter (2/3 cup)
140g caster sugar (3/4 cup)
140g self raising flour (1 1/4 cups)
2 large free range eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g of berries, fresh or frozen and defrosted (about 2 1/2 cups)
2 TBS flaked almonds
Sifted icing sugar
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9 inch deep. loose bottomed cake tin and line the bottom with paper.
Cream together the butter, ground almonds, sugar, flour, eggs and vanilla in a mixing bowl until evenly mixed together. Spread half of the mixture into the prepared tin. Top with the berries. Dollop the remaining half of the batter over top and roughly spread it out as best as you can. (I wet my fingers and use them. This seems to work best) Sprinkle with the flaked almonds.
Bake for 50 minutes, until golden brown. Leave to cool in the tin. Dust with icing sugar and cut into wedges to serve.
Over in The Cottage today you will find some tasty Chili Chocolate Strawberries. Tres, tres . . . scrummy!
I'm sure I would get no argument if I was to say that the price of food has been going up incredibly over the last six months or so. The same groceries that used to cost me £70 are now costing me closer to £100 . . . and I am having to really pick and choose very carefully what I purchase and cook.
This also means that I am relying on my store cupboard a lot more often. Living on a fixed income as we do, there is not a lot of spare cash around and most weeks we barely squeak by.
It's been nice having the garden this summer with all the fruit and veg, which has helped a lot and next year we plan on growing more and making less mistakes than we did this year with certain things.
The other night I threw together this really tasty meal with a piece of smoked sausage that I had in the fridge, the remains of a jar of tomato chutney, a packet of rice and a few other odds and sods and it was really, really tasty! So tasty in fact that I decided to share it with you all.
Don't you love it when you can throw together this and that and come up with something moreishly scrumptious?? I do. And . . . the leftovers the next day for lunch were even tastier than they had been the night before! Nom! Nom! It won't get any awards for looks, but I give it 10 out of 10 for flavour!
*Stir Up Spicy Rice Supper*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
This is just something that I threw together one night and it ended up being really delicious!
1 (227g) packet of smoked sausage, chopped
(I used the low fat one, it works out to about 2 cups chopped sausage)
1 green pepper, trimmed and chopped
1 red onion, peeled and chopped
150g punnet of button mushrooms, sliced (about 2 cups)
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 (250g) packet of Tilda plain basamati precooked rice (about 2 cups of cooked rice)
salt and black pepper to taste
3 dessert spoons of tomato chutney (in North America, can use Heinz Chili Sauce)
1 tsp mild chili powder
2 ounces of grated Parmesan Cheese, divided (1/2 cup)
Heat a non stick skillet over medium heat. Spray with nonstick cooking spray or brush with a bit of oil. Add the chopped sausage, peppers, celery, onions and mushrooms. Cook and stir until the sausage is beginning to brown a bit and the onion, peppers, celery and mushrooms are crispy tender. Stir in the rice, tomato chutney, chili powder and season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep stirring and heat through. Stir in half of the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle the remainder over top and serve.
Note - If you wanted to be even more economical you could use leftover chicken or pork, and leftover cooked rice in this with equally as tasty results!
Over in The Cottage today, a delicious Applesauce Spice Cake!
We recently signed up to Abel & Cole again for a small veg and fruit box delivery each week and our first one arrived this morning. I was so thrilled to see a big bunch of rainbow Chard in it! We tried to grow chard this year, but the slugs never gave it a chance.
I know we could use slug pellets, but we just don't like to use them (bad for the birds) and the other stuff is largely in-effective. One night Todd went out into the garden and picked up no less than 40 slugs. We are going to have to do something about that before next year for sure.
Anyways there was this lovely big bunch of beautiful rainbow coloured Bright Lights Chard in it and of course I just had to cook it tonight for our supper. It was so very pretty with it's deep emerald green leaves riddled with beautiful veins and stems of raspberry pink, blood red, orange and yellow . . .
I just love chard . . . or silverbeet as it is also called. It has an almost earthy flavour . . . and is beautiful to eat when properly cooked. You don't to over cook either the leaves or the stems . . . it goes without saying that the slimmer stems are a bit more tender than the thicker ones, but no less tasty. They just need to be cooked that little bit longer.
I always separate the stems from the leaves and cook them separately, which seems to work very well for me. It's delicious simply steamed and then sprinkled with a dressing of lemon juice and olive oil, or vinegar as my mother used to use . . . but if you really want it to shine . . . prepare it as a gratin!
Oh so unctuously rich and creamy . . . with earthy undertones, and just a hint of sharpness from some grainy mustard, this is a real winner all round.
Me . . . I could eat just a plate of this and nothing else, but . . . we had it with some steamed and crushed pink firs from the garden and some lightly grilled Barnsley Chops (double lamb chops, English of course!)that I had simply sprinkled with a mixture of chopped rosemary, lemon zest and minced fresh garlic before grilling.
A most scrummy supper indeed! (The quantities given are for 4 as a side dish, but would make a very delicious light supper for two, served on it's own with some crusty bread for mopping up all those lucious juices.)
*A Delicious Gratin of Chard*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
Earthy and moreishly delicious! This is quite simply the best.
450g of swiss chard (a scant pound)
400ml of double cream (about 1 2/3 cup)
2 TBS grainy mustard
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 ounce freshly grated Parmesan Cheese (1/4 cup)
Preheat your oven to 190*C/375*F/gas mark 5. Butter a shallow baking dish and set aside. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to the boil.
Wash your chard really well. Cut the stalks from the leaves. Cut the stalks into short to medium sized pieces. Plunge the stems into the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes, then scoop out with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the leaves and leave in the boiling water only until they are wilted. Toss the stems and leaves together (shake offy excess water) and then place them into the buttered dish. Whisk together the cream, mustard and salt and black pepper to taste. Pour this mixture over top of the chard. Sprinkle with the grated cheese.
Bake in the heated oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, until bubbling and the top has lightly browned. Remove from the oven and serve.
And in The Cottage today, a delicous Blueberry Gingerbread.
You will probably find my first Meatfree Monday post rather boring . . . delicious, of course . . . but boring nonetheless. I haven't had a time to go to the shops yet for this week's shopping so it's something I have pulled together using ingredients I have on hand.
This recipe is as old as the hills, hailing from a day and time when every Monday was Wash Day and women needed something quick and easy and that could basically take care of itself in the oven whilst they did the week's washing for the family.
This may be simple and plain, but it is filled with flavour. It's economical and easy to put together. The hardest part is probably making the bechamel . . . and anyone can do that, just so long as they remember the two rules of bechamel.
- Don't be in a hurry and try to cook it over too high a heat. Medium-low heat and patience is the key
- Whisk, whisk, and whisk some more. Whisk it constantly until it thickens. Don't turn your back on it for an instant. It's a sureity it will catch the second you take your eyes off of it!
Cooking marcaroni is likewise very simple. Just follow the package directions and stir it occasionally to make sure it doesn't stick together. Also be sure to add it to the water, only after it comes to the boil and keep it at a slow boil the whole time it is cooking.
I always use good quality Italian chopped tomatoes in tomato juice for this. Lotsa, lotsa good tomato flavour.
Likewise you will want to use a good and flavourful cheese. Today I used a mixture of the cheeses I had leftover from our trip up to Cumbria, the Flakebridge and the Eden Chieftan, but any good and flavourful cheddar will do.
The rest is just cooking magic. Totally delicious this is. I could eat it every day, no kidding. (All you need is a tasty mixed salad on the side and some crusty bread to sop up all of that tasty sauce!)
*Wash Day Macaroni and Cheese*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
Plain and simple needn't mean that something isn't tasty. This is absolutely delicious!
2 TBS butter
2 TBS plain flour
12 fluid ounces milk (1 1/2 cups)
salt and ground white pepper to taste
6 ounces dry macaroni (1 cup)
1 (415g) tin of chopped tomatoes in juice (15 ounce tin)
1 stalk celery chopped
4 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
6 ounces cheddar cheese, cubed and divided (1 1/2 cups)
Crushed croutons
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Cook and stir for one minute. Slowly whisk in the milk. Cook and stir until thickened. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Set aside and keep warm.
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a shallow casserole dish. Set aside.
Cook the macaroni according to the package directions. Drain well. Stir in the tomatoes, onion, celery and half the cheese. Add the sauce and toss to mix. Pour into the prrepared baking dish. Top with the remaining cheese and some crushed croutons.
Bake for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly and lightly browned on top. Delicious!
Just in time for all that entertaining we'll be doing over the next couple of months with Bonfire Night and then Christmas, the people at Branstons have come out with some tasty new snacks! Branston Peanuts and Crackers are a delightfully tasty mixture of Branston's smooth pickle flavoured oven baked peanuts mixture together with savoury cheese flavoured crackers. Perfect as a nibble with drinks, these would be a great entertaining nibble during the holiday season. I highly recommend keeping a few bags in the cupboard just to put out when unexpected company drop by as well. I really enjoyed them. They were just the right combination of tang, crunch and salty moreishness. Many thanks to the people at TurnKey and Branstons for sending me some to try out! (Branstons and Cheese the perfect combination!)
Over in The Cottage today there's a delicious Blackberry Pie with Streusel Topping.
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