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.
Parmesan Crusted Pork Tenderloin. This is a delicious Parmesan Crusted Pork tnderloin keto friendly way of cooking a nice piece of meat. We actually don't eat a lot of red meat in this house.
In fact, it is a very rare thing. I am inclined to eat less and less of it these days, but . . . when I do, I try to make it a treat.
And so, when we do have it we will indulge ourselves with a nice steak, or a good roast . . . some nice pork or lamb chops, or . . . as in this recipe here today . . . the filet mignon of the pork kingdom, a good free range Pork fillet, as it is called over here, or Pork Tenderloin in North America.
This is a cut of pork that comes from the loin, the eye fillet. It is a lazy muscle, which means it is very tender and lean.
It can also be somewhat lacking in flavour when compared to the shoulder or the leg, but it also provides a beautiful canvas (much like the chicken breast) for you to paint upon it with lucious combinations of flavours in the shape of special rubs or sauces.
It also means that it is easily prone to drying out and so great care must be taken not to over cook it. I believe in this modern age it is quite acceptable to cook the tenderloin just until it is pink inside.
You will come to no harm. Remove any tough white membrane or sinew from the outside of the loin
before cooking (easily done with a sharp knife.), or the silverskin as it is known.
There is a great tutorial on how to do that with photographs, here.
If roasting a whole loin, stuffing it will help keep it
moist (prunes, apples, mushrooms, blue cheese are all good stuffing
ingredients) as will a splash of liquid added to the roasting tin (wine,
cider or stock all work well).
Cut into slices (medallions) or strips,
pork fillet can be pan-fried in a matter of minutes. Really, do take care not to over cook it and dry it out.
Today I coated it with a simple herb and cheese crust, along with some olive oil. It was cooked in a mere 30 minutes.
Whilst it was cooking I created a delicious Green Olive and Lemon Sauce to serve spooned over top of those tender slices of pork.
It made a change from gravy. It was so delicious. This is truly Dinner Party Fare, so you will want to book mark it for one of those special occasions!
What's nice about it too, is that it is quick and very easy to prepare and has such a lovely presentation. Enjoy!
*Parmesan Crusted Pork Tenderloin*
with aGreen Olive and Lemon Sauce
For the sauce heat the olive oil in a shallow pan. Add the shallot and soften, stirring frequently. Add the chicken stock or wine and bring to the boil. Reduce by 1/2. Whisk in the lemon juice and olives. Taste and adjust seasoning. Tip any juices accumulated into the roasting pan into the sauce and whisk in.
Serve the pork cut into 1/2 inch slices with some of the sauce spooned over top.
I like to serve this with mash and a green vegetable.
This was absolutely lovely. Sometimes I make myself very proud of what I have done. Forgive me for my lack of humility on this occasion! Sometimes what I do even amazes me. I love it when that happens.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. 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.
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When there are just two of you living in a house, dessert isn't something you make very often. At least that is the way it works for me. It usually doesn't all get eaten and if I haven't been able to give it away, then it gets thrown out. So normally I only do dessert when we have company.
I had some bramley cooking apples that someone had given us that I wanted to use and I found this crumble recipe on the BBC food page, which looked good, but it made far too much. I liked the premise of a crumble using sultanas and dates though, so I kept those and added Calvados instead of rum, because I always have Calvados in my larder, but never rum.
I also cut the quanitities down by a half more or less and added my own version of a crumble topping as I really like mine, but am not overly fond of the one that most desserts use over here. I'm sorry, you can take the North American out of North America, but not the North America out of the North American! There will always be some things I think we do better.
The end result was a perfectly sized crumble for two people. A bit of indulgence, without having all of those leftovers to tempt you into digging in again and again . . .
Because dates and sultanas are naturally sweet, you don't need to use as much sugar as you normally would in a crumble filling, and their caramel like sweetness goes very well with the tartness of the Bramley apples.
Bramley apples break down so nicely in crumbles I think. Fluffy and tart. I like that. The topping of course it's crowning glory. Enjoy! (OF course if there are more than two of you, the recipe can easily be increased !)
*Toffee Apple Crumble for Two*
Serves two generouslybut can be easily multiplied to serve more
A tasty two person sized crumble filled with lots of apple, sultanas, and dates. Reminiscent of a sticky toffee pudding in a way, but extra fruity and with a moreishly buttery crisp topping!
cut into thin slices
2 TBS flaked almonds
pinch salt
Place
the sultanas, dates, sugar, calvados, butter and mixed spice into a
bowl. Stir and then heat in the microwave for about a minute and a half
until the butter is melted and the sugar is syrupy. Toss in the apple
slices and lemon juice. Spread into a small (about 4 cup) buttered
casserole dish, taking care that the dried fruit is scattered throughout
the apples.Serve warm with ice cream, custard or pouring cream.
You all know of my love for reading cookbooks. I even bring them to bed with me. Todd just doesn't understand it, but . . . then again, I don't always understand why he reads the books he reads either! To each their own.
I was recently sent the most wonderful little item which I have been enjoying using over these past couple of weeks. I really do get sent the neatest things to try out. This time it was the Kandle II LED Book Light in Black.
It is safe to say that I don't only read cookbooks in bed. I read plenty of other stuff instead and I read that stuff mostly on my Kindle. Because of my arthritis it is very difficult for me to hold any book of size in bed for very long. It hurts my wrists. And so . . . I use a kindle.
Some specifications:
- the Kandle by Ozeri II is powered by 3 ultra bright lifetime X2 LEDs that are optimized to distribute light evenly without creating glare or eyestrain.
- Improved power button offers 3 levels of brightness from ultra bright to soft light for the perfect screen illumination.
- New patent-pending WideLip design attaches to the Kindle, Sony Reader and other eBook readers without blocking the screen.
- Double pivoting arms allows for easy positioning and adjustment for tailored screen illumination.
- Includes 2 CR2032 batteries installed (plus an extra set of batteries) and protective pouch.
The Kandle is nice and compact, so it isn’t a huge accessory that dwarfs your e-reader like some lights. It folds up to be quite small, and even comes with a little carrying pouch. The weight of the product does not significantly affect the reading experience. I was pleasantly surprised by the small size and weight.
Lit by three LEDs, the Kandle provides bright light to the entire reader screen. I am pleased by the lack of glare and the most even distribution of light I’ve ever seen from a book light. The two pivoting arms allow you to adjust the light to a variety of angles, allowing you to ensure the entire screen is illuminated from pretty much any placement. The Kandle II also has two brightness settings, which I found quite handy. It’s good to be able to select a brightness, allowing you to easily read in conditions from dim lighting to pitch black darkness.
The Kandle includes a carrying pouch, two extra batteries (two are pre-installed). This was a big plus for me. It means I can easily take it with me when I am travelling and I have extra batteries on tap when I need them.
All in all I give this handy little light a 10+ out of 10. I am well pleased with it.
Available from Amazon.uk for the price of £9.99. I would not be without it now. ☺
I was sitting here this morning thinking about cake before I had even had my breakfast. I do so love cake. I've not baked one in ages really. I don't think Ginger Loaf counts as cake do you? That's a loaf, as tasty as that loaf may be . . .not a cake.
And sometimes a girl just wants cake. But not just any cake will do. You couldn't buy a cake from the shops and have it suit. They always disappoint. It must be homemade . . . but what to make, what to bake . . .
The Toddster is not fond of the flavour lemons. I love them though, and I would much rather have lemon than chocolate, as much as I do so love chocolate! If I had to choose . . . and it would be a very difficult choice indeed, I do think lemon would win out, but just by a small smidgen.
I love this lemon cake. It is moist and buttery and stogged full of lemon flavour. That is probably because you dollop big drops of lemon curd all over the top of it and then swirl them in with a skewer. Just look at that . . .
Does it not look positively scrumptious and it's not even baked yet!
But look at it when it is. All of that lovely lemon curd sinks down into the cake, creating moist pockets of deeply flavoured lemon crumb that positively make your cheeks ache with lemon joy!
A final glaze of a tart lemon icing is it's crowning glory. Oh boy, I am enjoying this cake, and I am happy to say that Todd has enjoyed himself a nice fat slice too. Methinks he may be fibbing just a tiny bit when he says he doesn't like lemons . . . but who am I to point fingers.
Besides my fingers taste like lemon . . . I'm not pointing them at anyone. I'm licking them. ☺ *hiccup* . . . I am such a glutton. But you love me anyways, I know you do . . . and glad of it I am.
*Squidgy Lemon Cake*
Makes one 8 inch cake
Preheat the oven to 170*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. Butter and line a deep 8 inch round cake tin with baking paper. Set aside.
Cream
together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Whisk the eggs
together and beat in a bit at a time. Beat in the orange juice along
with 1 TBS of the flour. Sift the remaining flour a few times and then
fold it in with a metal spoon. Spread into the prepared pan. Whisk
the lemon curd together with the orange zest. Dollop over top of the
cake randomly. Using a fine skewer, swirl the lemon curd mixture
through the batter.
Bake in the heated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until well risen and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool for five minutes in the tin before removing.
Sift
the icing sugar into a bowl. Whisk in the lemon zest and juice,
stirring well to mix. Spoon over the cold cake. Allow to set and then
cut into wedges to serve.Bake in the heated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until well risen and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool for five minutes in the tin before removing.
Remember that fab cookbook I told you about the other day? I've been given an exclusive offer to share with you my readers!
To order Pie at the discounted price of £20.00 including p&p* (RRP: £25.00), telephone 01903 828503 or email mailorders@lbsltd.co.uk and quote the offer code APG18.
Alternatively, send a cheque made payable to:
Littlehampton Book Services Mail Order Department,
Littlehampton Book Services,
PO Box 4264,
Worthing, West Sussex
BN13 3RB.
Please quote the offer code APG18 and include your name and address details.
*UK ONLY - Please add £2.50 if ordering from overseas.
I put my hand up. The humble potato is my favourite vegetable. I can eat potatoes in any way shape or form. I don't have a favourite. They all have me drooling. That's why low carb doesn't work for me. I just can't live without my taters. A day without a potato in it in some way shape or form is just not a good day for me.
Aside from the fact that they're so tasty, potatoes are also quite good for you, and contrary to popular belief, they are not fattening. It's what you put with them that puts on the pounds . . . not the potatoes. They contain a useful amount of Vitamin C, iron, Vitamins B1 and B2, no cholesterol, virtually no fat and are low in sodium. Sounds healthy to me!
It's the butter, cream, oil, etc. that pack on the pounds . . . oh well.
One of my favourite ways of eating potatoes is mashed, and I am happy to say Todd loves his mash too. Aside from being delicious, it's so versatile! You can mix mashed Swede with it, mashed carrots, celeriac, cheese, garlic, etc. Virtually anything that is mashable or meltable goes well in mashed potatoes! They are virtually a delicious canvas just waiting for you to put your brush to!
Today I mixed some parsnips with my potatoes to make a wonderfully flavourful and creamy mash. I love parsnips too. The two together are white bliss! Especially when you add some cream and a knob of butter. ahem . . . but we won't talk about that will we.
I topped them with some spicy fried onions, which are also a favourite of ours. Have you ever noticed how good onions smell when they are frying??? There is a street cart in Chester City Centre that always sends the smell of fried onions wafting through the air. One of these days I am going to buy something from him! It just smells soooo good!
Anyways . . . these creamy potatoes with their spiced fried onions topping went down a real treat with our sausages for our dinner today. Two thumbs up all round!
*Parsnip and Potato Mash with Spiced Onions*
Serves 4
pinch sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon75g of butter (1/4 cup)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and black pepper to taste
Peel
the potatoes and cut into bite sized chunks. Do the same with the
parsnips. Place them into a large saucepan. Cover with lightly salted
water. Bring to the boil then reduce to a rapid roll and cook until all
the vegetables are fork tender. Drain very well. Return to the pan
and place it back on the residual heat of the burner, covered with a tea
towel to help them dry out some. While the potatoes and parsnips are
cooking, cook the onions. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the
onions and a pinch of sugar. Cook over medium heat until they begin to
turn golden brown. Turn the heat up to high and cook, stirring
frequently until some of them begin to brown and caramelize. Stir in
1/2 tsp of the cinnamon and the lemon juice. Season with salt and black
pepper to taste. Keep warm.
Mash the potatoes and
parsnips well, adding the cream and the butter. Beat well and add the
remaining cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Season to taste with salt.
They should be smooth and fluffy. Spoon into a heated serving bowl and
top with the fried spiced onions. Serve hot.
I never really have to be asked twice if I want to do a cookbook review. As you know I adore cookbooks. My motto is "You can never have too many cookbooks." Todd begs to differ. He moans every time another one arrives. He is not, however, adverse to indulging himself in the fruits of those very same books. He eats very well indeed!
He was almost as thrilled as I was when this latest one dropped through our post box. The Toddster is a pie afficionado. A good pie, savoury or sweet, is one of his favourite of all meals.
Pie is the tenth cookbook by the award-winning Global Baker and pâtissier Dean Brettschneider and it includes recipes and detailed instructions for over 80 mouth watering pies.
Hearty meat pies, seafood pies vegetarian pies, not-quite-pies (including chocolate whoopie pies!) and a collection of sweet pies are accompanied by stunning photography throughout.
Nearly every recipe is accompanied by a gorgeous photograph which, for me, is a key component in enticing me to try a new recipe. I do so love food photography and find it so much more interesting to peruse a cookbook with great photos.
There is a section on basic recipes from sweet and short pastries to puff pastry and most importantly, thorough descriptions and photographs to help you along, plus tips on decorating for creating that show stopping finish!
I haven't been able to find a recipe in this delicious book that I don't want to try. Seriously. It is sure to become a fast favourite in my cookbook library. The proof is in the eating however, and so . . .
I really wanted to pick a recipe to make from the book and I don't mind telling you I was very hard pressed to pick one. This delicious looking twist on the traditional Shepherd's Pie really captured my eye however and I knew it would be something that Todd would really enjoy!
The instructions were clear and concise and the recipe was very simple to execute. Not only did it look really nice when it was done but it tasted delicious as well! I think that most people would be able to cook this and the other recipes look just as easy. And to be honest, his instructions and the photography are simply so well done, I can't see anyone having a problem at all. I give this book a resounding 10+ out of 10!
*Untraditional Shepherd's Pies*
Serves 4Add the tomato puree, thyme and Worcestershire sauce. Fry for few more minutes, then add the stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Simmer on low for about 40 minutes, uncovering after 20 minutes and stirring from time to time. Season to taste and keep hot whilst you prepare the crispy potatoes.
First published in New Zealand in 2012, this 224 page hardback book will be available in the UK on the 17th of October 2013 published by Jacqui Small LLP. You can pre-order it now from Amazon at a discounted price.
Book: Pie: Delicious Sweet and Savoury Pies and Pastries, From Steak and Onion Pie to Pecan Tarts
Author: Dean Brettschneider
ISBN: 9781909342187
Publication Date: 17 October 2013
Cover: Hardback
RRP: £25
I did receive a review copy of this book at no charge, but I assure you wholeheartedly my opinions are my own.
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