Scones..

It's been ages and ages since I gave you a recipe...so today I made scones. I had some strawberries left over and planned on making the passion fruit scones from this post... but I couldn't get any passion fruit so  I got to thinking what other flavours would go with strawberries..

Ginger and lemon..

So here goes..

10 oz SR flour
2 oz sugar + 1 oz for topping
1tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 oz butter
1 egg large
1 lemon
1 oz glace ginger
100ml buttermilk

To start with measure out your sugar, and grate the zest of the lemon into the sugar, mix and cover then leave for about an hour to infuse.

To a large bowl ad the flour,baking powder,salt,soda and the butter, rub together with your fingertips until the butter is worked in and it all resembles breadcrumbs.

Measure out your  ginger..this is how it looks.. The tub I bought was called 'Glace Ginger'  

the pieces, even though small, were too big for me as I am not a great lover of strong ginger. So I measured out the 1 ounce and then chopped it finer.. If you love ginger then leave it as it is, or add more to your own taste.

add the lemony sugar and the ginger to the flour etc and mix really well so that the lemon zest and ginger are evenly distributed. 

Put the egg into a jug and add the juice from half of the lemon and beat well. Add this to the bowl and mix. Finally add the buttermilk and mix.

Turn out onto a floured surface and knead gently, you do not need to roll scone mix out with a rolling pin, simply flatten slightly with your hands. cut into rounds and place on a tray. Brush on a little milk.

Bake at 400F/200C/Gas 5 for approx 20minutes or until golden .

When they are ready, remove from oven and put onto a cooling tray...

 add the juice from the other half of the lemon  and 1 ounce of sugar into a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir well and then put back in for another 30seconds..

Drizzle the sugar/lemon mix over the hot scones and leave to cool.

when they are fully cooled, slice them in half and top with clotted cream and strawberry halves..

Make a pot of tea and enjoy!

A little something for the weekend.

Leek and Blue cheese Tarts.

Makes 6 small tarts. I use the mini tart tins with a removable base, I think I got them in Sainsburys.

6oz shortcrust pastry
2 leeks chopped
100g blue cheese
2 eggs
150ml double cream
2 TBspns chives
salt and pepper
2 shallots
1 clove garlic crushed

Line the tart tins with pastry and bake blind for 12 minutes.

fry off the shallots in a little oil, till just golden, add the garlic and leeks until the leeks are soft.
add 1 TBspn plain flour and the chives. mix well.

add the salt and pepper

Beat the eggs and cream.

Fill the pastry cases with leek mixture top with crumbled blue cheese .

Pour the egg/cream mixture over each tart

Bake at Gas mark 4 for 30-40 minutes, till set and the pastry is golden.

Apple pie

mmmm proper wintery comfort food.

makes 2 pies approx 7 inches.

4 oz plain flour

4 oz wholemeal flour, sieve to remove the excess bits

1 oz icing sugar

1/4 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cinnamon

3oz butter

1 egg and 1/2 TBspn water

rub the butter into the flour and spices, add the icing sugar then add the egg and water . knead lightly and cover with clingfilm, pop in the fridge for 30 mins.

Line 2 foil pie dishes and bake blind for 12 minutes

2 med cooking apples

2 oz sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

zest of 1 orange

peel core and slice the apples, coat in the sugar,orange and spice mixture.

Arrange into the pie dishes

Small tub of double cream

juice of 1 orange

mix the orange into the cream and spoon some over each pie filling, about 3 TBspns of cream per pie.

Roll out the rest of your pastry to make a lid.

Decorate with pastry leaves.

Don't forget to make a couple of slits as steam holes. Brush with milk.

Bake at gas mark 5 for 30 mins.