Fruty Scones

My mother-in-law likes nothing better than a 'fine scone', one that is well risen, crumbly on the inside and crunchy on top. I have in the past joked that she could write a guide book to the scones of Scotland and we often visit her favorite scone locations when we head to the north east for a visit. It has long been an ambition of mine to discover the formula for a 'fine scone' to be able to recreate her favorites when she comes down to visit.

In the past I have used the simple Plain Scone recipe from the BeRo flour Home Recipes book and while the result tends to be tasty, dainty tea-party ready scones they do not tick any of the 'fine scone' boxes. I came across a recipe for Light Sweet Scones from Rachel Allen's book Bake, and adapted it into some tasty fruity scones using a fabulous Raisin, Cherry and Berry dried fruit mix that will make my mother-in-law proud.

Fruity Scones
(adapted from Light Sweet Scones from Bake by Rachel Allen)

250 g plain flour
1/2 rounded tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 rounded tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp salt
65 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
13 g caster sugar
100 g Asda raisin, cherry and berry mix
1 beaten egg
135 g skim milk, plus extra
brown sugar for sprinkling on top

pastry cutter

1- Preheat oven to 220oC (425oF/Gas 7)
2- Sift flour, bicarb of soda, cream of tartar and salt. Rub in the butter to fine breadcrumbs using your fingertips. Mix in the sugar and add the dried fruit.
3- Add around half the egg to the milk and add to the flour mix. Mix to form a dough and bring together on a lightly floured surface. Press flat with the back of your hand until about 2 cm thick.
4- Cut out with pastry cutter (I got 6 scones out of the mixture) place on a floured baking tray. Add a small amount of milk to the remaining egg and brush onto the scone tops. Sprinkle with brown sugar.
5- Bake for 10-12 minutes until well risen and golden brown. Cool on a wire rack, although they are delicious warm.

I added twice as much fruit as recommended in the cook book and the effect was delicious. The one problem I had was that the scones were so fruit filled that it made cutting the circles out a bit tricky.

Daily Bread

Making bread is one of my favorite, and in my opinion most satisfying activities in the kitchen. Not only is homemade bread far superior to anything you will buy in a shop (with the exception of artisan bread I ate for breakfast in Aix en Provence, I haven't been able to create anything that delicious), but the process of bread making is one that you can completely immerse yourself in. From simple flat bread to a seedy wholemeal loaf I find bread making therapeutic and a great way of getting away from the stresses and strains of everyday life.

In my quest for the perfect loaf I have tried both packet mixes and bread makers in isolation and combination and have come to the conclusion that convenience is the only advantage these methods give you. While packet mixes can be perfectly acceptable and often tasty they take away some of the pleasure from mixing the ingredients for a simple dough or the satisfaction and anticipation of experimentation with different ingredients such as seeds and herbs. As for bread makers no matter what the ingredients I have never tasted one that compares to a hand kneaded loaf for taste and texture. Saying that, the automatic temperature controls of a bread maker can be a lifesaver if you life in a draughty or hard to heat flat. Having lived in a particularly drafty rented flat for the last few years getting finding the perfect spot to prove my dough was always a challenge and often lead to disappointing loaves, it seemed only right therefore that my first major adventure in my new, well insulated home was to bake a lovely simple white loaf.

After searching high and low for a basic white bread recipe I have adopted the one below from Rachel Allen's fabulous book Bake as my favorite. The recipe bellow is for two loaves, although I tend make half quantities when baking for Mr M and myself alone. I have also given the dried yeast version, as I get great pleasure from watching the yeast, water and sugar mixture develop into a creamy foam (spot the microbiologist!). You can substitute dried yeast with 1.5 x 7 g sachets of fast-acting yeast if you prefer.

White Yeast Bread
from Bake by Rachel Allen
makes 2 loaves

2 tsp caster sugar
425 ml warm water (1 part boiling to 2 parts cold works best for me)
2.5 tsp dried yeast
750 g strong white flour
2 tsp salt
4 tbsp olive oil
1 egg beaten
(seeds such as poppy or sunflower for the top of the loaf if desired)

1- Mix sugar, 150 ml of the warm water and yeast in a small jug. Stand in a warm place for around 5 minutes until it becomes frothy.
2- Sift flour and salt into a large bowl, make a well in the centre (add the oil to the remaining water) and add the yeast mixture and most of the water/oil mixture. Mix to a loose dough, adding more water if needed.
3- Knead for about ten minutes until the dough is smooth and springy to touch. Put the dough in a large oiled bowl, cover the top and leave somewhere warm until the dough has risen. (Everyone has there own method of covering rising dough, my personal favorite is a clean, dry shower cap (often acquired on hotel stays) as it is flexible enough to rise and stops the dough sticking to it, is airtight and easy to put over the top of the bowl with dough covered hands.)

This may take 2 or even 3 hours.
4- Preheat the oven to 220oC (425oF/Gas 7).
5- When the dough has more than doubled in size, knock back and knead for 2-3 minutes. Leave to rest for ten minutes before you begin to shape the bread.
6- Shape the bread into loaves or rolls (My personal favorite is a pleated loaf as seen in the photo above, as it looks impressive and is great for 'tearing and sharing' as part of a meal. I hope to blog how to do this with step by step instructions and photos soon.), transfer to a baking tray and cover with a clean tea towel. Allow to rise in a warm place for 20-30 minutes, until doubled in size.
7- Gently brush with egg and sprinkle with seeds or flour if you want.
8- Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes for rolls or 30-40 minutes for a loaf. Turn the heat down to 200oC (400oF/Gas 6) after 15 minutes for the remaining cooking time. When cooked the bread should sound hollow when tapped on the base. Cool on a wire rack.

Me

I often joke that feeding people was inherited through my Irish Catholic genes, I get immense pleasure from feeding people and think that an upbringing centered around the kitchen is to blame. Food was always at the heart of our family from the evening meal to grand family celebrations and I have vivid memories of the women in our family frantic in the kitchen on the run up to large gatherings. Food brought our family together and the tradition continues to this day, my favorite event being Sunday brunch at my parents when my siblings and I are home with our partners.

My personal training in the kitchen began when I was old enough to stand on a chair at the kitchen work top watching my mother cooking and baking. Processes were explained, mixtures chopped and spoons licked until I was old enough to be let loose in the kitchen on my own. Initially I baked cakes and sweet treats which, with the exception of a few cracked Swiss Rolls, were reasonably successful. My first solo attempt at savory was an entirely different experience and one that still has me petrified of culinary failures. Entrusted with finishing Sunday lunch when my parents had to nip out I added 10 g of dried oregano instead of the same amount of fresh. The horrified look on my mums face when she returned to see my pouring in packets of the herb into her chicken stew still haunts me!

After leaving home to become a student I continued my kitchen adventures (an ex-flatmate recently reminded me of the upside-down veggie pizza incident - a story for another day) although ten years of cooking in rented flats has made it a little difficult. Finally I have a kitchen of my own and I am ready to open its doors and share my adventures.......