I just love doing different things with baking powder biscuit or savoury scone dough. It's just so darned versatile and takes to almost any flavour you want to pair it with.



Of course more often than not I just stamp it out into rounds and bake it that way, but every now and then I like to raise the bar and bake something scrumptiously different with it.



Like these Ham and Cheese Scrolls. Kinda like cinnamon rolls, except that they're savoury . . . with a chutney, ham and cheese filling, instead of butter, cinnamon and sugar.



I pat the dough out gently and lovingly . . . trying to handle it the least amount as possible, so that the scrolls stay tender and light.



I love mine spread with mango chutney . . . but you can use honey mustard if you like, or a combination of hot mustard and apricot jam. This tasty layer lies beneath the ham and cheese which you place on top like a salty cheesy blanket of scrum.



Rolled up, sliced and baked and you have the perfect little savoury rolls to go with a cup of hot soup on a cold day . . . or even as is with a tasty salad on the side.



In any case, I know you'll love them. We do! Easy, quick and oh so tasty delish!



*Ham and Cheese Scrolls*
Makes 10
Printable Recipe

Tender scone type of dough spread with mango chutney, topped with slices of italian ham and grated chedder, rolled up, cut into slices and baked until scrummy yummy!

198g of plain flour (2 cups)
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
5 1/2 TBS vegetable shortening (1/3 cup)
6 ounces milk (3/4 cup)

To fill:
mango chutney
10 thin slices of baked italian ham
(or any other baked ham)
8 ounces grated strong cheddar cheese (2 cups)

Preheat the oven to 20-0*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl. Drop in the vegetable shortening and cut it in using a pastry blender, or two round bladed knives, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in enough of the milk, using a fork, to give you a soft dough. You don't want it to be sticky. You may or may not need all of the milk. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat the dough out into a rectangle 8 inches by 10 inches in size. Spread the surface with some chutney, adding as little or as much as you like, without overdoing it. Lay your slices of ham over top of the chutney, overlapping them as needed to cover the space, and leaving a bit of a border along the long sides. Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over top. Roll up from the long side into a tight roll, pinching the edges closed. Using a sharp knife cut into 10 evenly sized slices. Place each slice cut side down onto the parchment paper.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown and lightly crisped. Serve hot.

When I was a very young bride I moved far away across the broad expanse of Canada to live on the wild Western frontier . . . ok, so it was really a vast urban centre . . . but it might as well have been the wild Western frontier, because I was young and away from my mom and dad for pretty much the first time in my life. I had nobody to call on for advice or help or company.



That is until I met Lil. Lil was the mother of one of my ex husband's best mates. She lived in a small town in Alberta called Olds. She was the salt of the earth. She was rather robust and had no teeth . . . but her heart was filled with the milk of charity and she gathered me into her home and her family.



I loved to go and spend the weekend at their place. They had an old British Bulldog that used to pull our daughter around in her walker by holding gently on to her hand with his mouth . . . and Mr McNevin, Lil's husband, was very much a grandfatherly figure to my son. He had flown helicopters for heli-skiing and was just loaded with interesting and colourful stories! They had a houseful of girls, each one more colourful than the last . . . it was there that I learned how to play Canasta and it was there that I ate pistachio nuts for the very first time. To a young mum and wife, away from her parents for the first time, their home was a wonderful haven.



Lil was a fabulous cook, a very unpretentious cook. Her food was lumberjack food . . . as robust and loveable as she was, filling, uncomplicated and quite, quite delicious!



This was one of the things she used to cook. She gave me her recipe and it has been a firm favourite in my home for many, many years. My kids absolutely loved this when they were growing up. Lil and Mrs McNevin have been gone for many years now, but the memories of them live on in this delicious and unpretentious supper . . . it's goulash . . . Mrs. McNevin's Goulash . . . from the pages of my Big Blue Binder.



*Mrs McNevin’s Goulash*
Serves 4 - 6
printable recipe

I have an old blue binder that holds recipes that I have collected from friends and family and magazines throughout the many years. This one is a real treasure and I never make it but what I don’t think of Mrs. McNevin. The mother of a friend of ours, she was so kind to me, a young bride living far away from the bosom of my own family. She took me under her wing and treated me just like one of her own. This deliciously spicy stewed meat goes very well with rice or noodles.

2 pounds of stewing beef, trimmed of any fat and cut into cubes
2 TBS cooking oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
½ cup tomato catsup
2 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
1 TBS soft light brown sugar, packed
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika
½ tsp dry mustard powder
¼ cup flour
1 cup water

Pre-heat the oven to 160*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. Season the meat lightly and coat it in the flour.

Heat the cooking oil in a large skillet and add the meat. Brown it very well on all sides. Add the onion and garlic, Cook for a few minutes longer until the vegetables are softened and quite fragrant.

Add the catsup, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, paprika and dry mustard. Stir it all together well. Stir in the water.

Tip it all into a casserole with a lid and then put it into the oven to cook for 2 hours or so, until the meat is very tender and the sauce is thickened. Delicious!

Teacakes are not something I never even knew existed before I moved over here to the UK. I had never heard of them before. There used to be a bakeshop on North Gate street in Chester where you could get thick slabs of toast, and toasted teacakes, slathered in butter along with a hot drink. I was so disappointed when we moved back here and found out it had closed down.



Teacakes are not cakes. They are puffy fruited and lightly spiced sweet yeasted buns . . . you split them in half through the middle and then pop them under a grill, so that they get toasted on the cut side only . . . and then you spread them with oodles of cold butter . . . at least in most of England at any rate. In East Lancashire a teacake is a round bread roll which is cut in half to make sandwiches. They do not contain any sort of dried fruit. They can be made with either white, brown, wholemeal or granary flour. I've never had one of those . . .



I like the fruited ones. Oh my . . . they speak to my soul . . .



The outsides stay all soft and puffy . . . the cut edges get all crisp and golden . . . stogged full of lovely mixed raisins, sultanas and currants . . . and then slathered in butter . . . all that golden richness melting down into all the crags and crust of that toasted surface . . .



Nothing is more satisfying . . . or comforting . . . for elevenses . . . for tea . . . for an impromptu evening snack.



You can toast them under the grill . . . but a purist lucky enough to have an open fire might like to toast them over the fire using a long fork . . . I can only imagine how lovely they would be done that way.



I am not usually that good at yeast breads, but I am getting better each time I try. Today I made these scrummy (tired of that word yet?) teacakes that we toasted for our mid afternoon tea break. They were luverly . . . just luverly.



Come on . . . just a little nibble . . . I promise you, you'll be totally smitten . . . totally . . . mmmmm . . . mmmmm . . . . mmmmm!!



*Toasted Teacakes*
Makes 8
Printable Recipe

Satisfying and deliciously comforting any time of day, but especially nice in the late afternoon or evening.

225g strong white bread flour (generous 1 1/2 cup)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp fast action dried yeast
15g soft light brown sugar (generous TBS)
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
75g mixed dried vine fruits (raisins, currants, sultanas) ( 1/2 cup)
40g butter, melted (2 3/4 TBS)
120ml full fat milk, plus extra for brushing (generous 1/2 cup)
Cold butter to serve



Sift the flour, salt, yeast, sugar and nutmeg into a large bowl. Stir in the dried fruits and make a well in the centre. Put the milk and butter into a saucepan and heat just until warm to the touch. Pour into the flour mixture and work together to make a soft dough.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for about 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Shape into a ball and place into a lightly buttered bowl. cover with cling film and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and punch down. Divide into 8 portions of equal size. Shape each portion into a ball. Flatten slightly and arrange on a large nonstick baking sheet. Cover lightly with a large tea towel and leave to rise again until double in size, about 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Brush the tops with some milk. Bake for 15 minutes until risen and golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

To serve, split in half and toaste under a heated grill on the cut sides. (Leave the other side as normal) Spread generously with butter and serve immediately. (If you are really keen you can toast them using an old fashioned toasting fork over an open fire!)

I looooooove to bake!! (No surprise there!) And if there's anything I like more than baking it's watching a program on the telly about baking. I'm very excited to let you know that on the 5th of March, 2012 on Channel 4 at 12:05 pm the second Series of "Baking Mad with Eric Lanlard" begins!

This new series runs for four weeks, every week day and sees Eric . . . the guru of all things sweet, beautiful and baked . . . at home in his own kitchen creating quick baking recipes along side of his signature glamorous desserts. I think the new series will easily appeal to bakers of every kind from the novice to the expert.



Each episode is 30 minutes in length and will also feature three members of the public who will come to his cooker school, Cake Boy, to demonstrate their baking skills and take part in a "Bake Off!" (I cannot imagine the pressure they must be under!) It promises to be a beautifully produced series which balances inspiration with information, engaging the viewer to try new things to add to their baking repertoire.

This show is sponsored by Bakingmad.com, a wonderful online baking community of over 100,000 members sharing a wealth of information, recipes, hints, tips and advice on everything to do with baking!



I was asked ahead of time to take part in a special challenge. I was given the choice of one of the full collection of recipes that Eric will be making in the 20 episodes to bake at home myself! I did not need to think twice about accepting the challenge. I already own Eric's first book and know first hand how scrummy his recipes are.



I chose to bake the Peanut Butter Blondies recipe, which I baked today and boy oh boy, are they ever moreishly scrummy indeed! Just imagine it . . .



Moist blonde brownies . . . flavoured with chunky peanut butter . . . stogged full of white chocolate bits and toasted walnuts (my idea to toast them, coz well . . . toasted nuts just taste better in my opinion!) . . . and topped with more white chocolate bits, some more toasted walnuts and a drizzle of dark chocolate!



A delicious concoction that smells absolutely fabulous when baking . . . and is oh-so-difficult to resist sinking your teeth into once they come out of the oven . . . but do be patient . . . you will want to wait until you have dressed them with all of the extras!



I dare say I wouldn't have to ask one of you twice if you'd like one would I??? I thought not!!!



*Peanut Butter Blondies*
Makes 12
Printable Recipe

Adapted from a recipe from Baking Mad with Eric Lanlard.

100g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing the tray (7 TBS)
150g crunchy peanut butter (3/4 cup plus 1 TBS)
1 tsp vanilla extract
175g golden caster sugar (15 tBS)
1 free range egg
75g white chocolate, plus extra to decorate (1/2 cup chopped)
75g toasted walnut halves, chopped plus extra to decorate (2/3 cup)
125g plain flour (1 1/4 cup)
1 tsp baking powder
dark chocolate melted, to decorate
white chocolate chips to decorate



Preheat the oven to 170*C/ 325*F/ gas mark 3. Butter an 8 inch square tin with butter and line the base with baking paper.

Cream together the butter and peanut butter until creamy, using an electric hand whisk at medium speed. Beat in the vanilla, sugar and egg until light and fluffy. Chop the white chocolate and stir into the mixture along with the chopped walnuts.

Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl and fold in using a large metal spoon. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking tin, smoothing over the top.

Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until it has a nice golden crust but is still fudgy in the middle.

Allow to cool in the tin. Decorate with white chocolate chunks and walnut pieces and drizzle over some dark chococolate. Cut into squares to serve. Store in an airtight container.



If this fab recipe is any indication of the quality of baking which will be showcased during the airing of this series, I, for one, will be following along with great anticipation each week day for the duration of the series!



Here's a teaser! Some of the recipes that will be presented during this series are such delicious sounding concoctions as Blueberry Bakewell Tart and Key Lime Pie to name but two.

Don't forget to tune in on Monday, March the 5th at 12:05 PM on Channel 4 here in the UK. In the meantime why not check out Baking Mad.com.

You can also follow them on Facebook Twitter and YouTube.

Many thanks to Nancy and Baking Mad.com for affording me with this delicious opportunity!

Harissa is a Tunisian hot chili sauce commonly eaten in North Africa, whose main ingredients are piri piri (a type of chili pepper), serrano peppers and other hot chili peppers and spices such as garlic paste, coriander, red chili powder, caraway as well as some vegetable or olive oil. I have never been to North Africa, but I confess I love harissa!



I usually buy the Rose Harissa Paste by Belazu. It is a heady combination of rose petals and over forty spices, which give this paste a very unique aroma and complex, yet unmistakably spicy, taste. It has a hot kick to it but the rose petals in the sauce provide a unique balance to the chilli heat. I like a bit of spice, but not a lot, so the Rose Harissa Paste is perfect for me. OF course you can adjust the heat by adding more or less, according to your own taste.



I often toss hunks of potatoes with a bit of oil and harissa paste and roast them in the oven until they are all crisp and golden, with a bit of delicious heat and spice. I also add some to my chunky oven wedges that I like to make from time to time, oh so good with a sour cream dip.



Today I chose to pan fry some of the salad potatoes we grew last summer, the pink fir ones, in a mixture of olive oil, onions, garlic, spices and some rose harissa paste. I think they turned really lovely. (We've had the potatoes stored in a covered bin filled with sand just outside our back door and they have kept beautifully.)



Nicely spiced with crunchy bits . . . beautifully coloured and just spicy enough without going over the top.



We enjoyed these tonight with some grilled chicken breasts and vegetables. They were scrumdiddlyumptious! I have always loved pan fries, but these take pan fries to a whole new level!



*Harissa Potatoes*
Serves 4Printable Recipe

Spicy and delicious with little cripsy bits. These go very well with roasted meats, poultry or grilled fish.

3 TBS olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced
750g of waxy potatoes (salad type), thickly sliced (about 1 1/2 pounds) (I used pink fir today)
5 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 heaped tsp of harissa, or more to taste
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp coarse sea salt
1 TBS freshly squeezed lemon juice
a large handful of coriander leaves, chopped (cilantro)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook, stirring for about 1 minute. Add the potatoes. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, harissa, cumin and sea salt. Mix together well. Add enough boiling water to barely come halfway up the potatoes. Cover with a lid and simmer for about 20 minutes, gently. Remove the lid and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes longer, until cooked through, tender, beginning to turn golden and the water has all been absorbed. Stir in the lemon juice and coriander and serve.

You can find recipes to make your own Rose Harissa here, and regular Harissa, here.

One thing that I just love about food here in the UK is that not only are there delicious offerings which are on the cutting edge of all that is new in the culinary world . . . but there are also some gloriously delicious traditional dishes which set us apart from other countries and make us unique.



I especially love the sweet aspect of this, in the way of cakes and other teatime treats! There is no end to the traditional and regional cakes and goodies amongst these fertile green and septred isles!



One of my favourites has to be the Church Window Cake or Battenburg as it is commonly known. If you love almond, then this is the cake for you. A firm favourite on the traditional English tea table, this is a very pretty two coloured sponge cake, put together like a pink and white checker board.



Each layer is sandwiched with some butter cream and seedless raspberry jam to help hold them together, and then the whole thing is brushed with a little more jam on the outsides and then rolled up in a thin layer of marzipan.



When cut into slices it is beautiful and I think quite amazing looking. Very impressive and not all that difficult. It does require a little patience, but it's well worth any effort taken. It may take a bit of practice to get the marzipan as tight as you would like it, but do persevere as it is most beautiful when done . . .



I have made a Hazelnut and Mocha version a few years ago that you can check out here, which was really delicious as well. I've gotten a lot better at rolling them with practice, but do take a gander at my first attempts.



If you are looking for a mighty fine cake to serve at your teatime table, then this is the one to choose. Pretty and delicious. What more could you want??? Nom! Nom!



*Church Window Cake or Battenburg*
Makes 6 sevings
Printable Recipe

This is a traditional cake that has appearing in British cookery books for over two centuries. The finished cake resembles somewhat a church stained glass window. This is a real treat for almond lovers and not as hard to make as it would seem!

175g butter, softened (3/4 cup)
175g caster sugar (14 1/4 TBS)
3 large free range eggs, beaten
175g self raising flour (1 1/2 cups)
a little red food colouring

For the topping:
275g of natural almond pastem (marzipan) (about 2/3 lb.)
a little warmed raspberry jam
some vanilla buttercream icing
granulated sugar to dust

Preheat the oven to 160*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. One 7 inch square cake tin, buttered and lined with parchment paper.

Cream the butter together with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the lightly beaten eggs and the flour, a little at a time, beating until smooth. Divide the cake batter in half. Tint one half with a bit of red food colouring to give you a pink batter. Spoon the pink batter into the left hand side of the tin, and the normal colour into the other side. Smooth the tops gently.

Bake in the oven for about 30 to 35 minutes or until firm when lightly pressed in the centre.

Carefully turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before proceeding.

When the cake is completely cool, trim the edges of the cake and then divide it equally into 4 long sections, 2 pink and 2 white. Using a little of the butter cream and some of the warmed raspberry jam, place one of each colour on the bottom and the remaining two on top. alternating the colours to give you a chequer board pattern and having some butter cream and jam between each. You will not need much, only just enough to make them adhere to the other.

Dust the counter top with some granulated sugar and then roll out the marzipan on top, thinly into an oblong the length of the cake and large enough to cover the cake all around. Spread with a thin layer of jam and then place the sponge checkerboard on top. Roll the marzipan around the cake and seal with a bit more jam. Trim the edges neatly at each end. Place onto a plate with the "seam" underneath and lightly mark the top in the traditional criss cross pattern.