Forgive me the title. I just like the idea of all my recipes lining up in a model like fashion, about to strut their stuff on the catwalk. (Sorry, runway these days I think). READ MORE
I had quite an expensive education. It involved Latin and wearing a blazer. I’m afraid I’ve never had a cross to bear with regards to school. I don’t have stories of being miserable. Not especially. I was bullied a little in the early years but no more than the next kid. I was reasonably popular. I was reasonably good at my studies. There were enough stupid rules for my teenage angst ridden self to rage against. (I still don’t understand why we had to ask a teacher for permission to remove our blazer. Discipline gone mad). READ MORE
Mother’s Day looms. I already have my gifts; a little cardboard pot coloured in with felt tips and a card shaped like a tea pot with some letters written backwards. These are my riches and I’ll keep them until they wheel me into a rest home. If you’ve already got the card and have run out of cardboard boxes to colour in then may I suggest this little afternoon tea for your Ma?
I made a lovely video with the Scoff folks to show off how to make this afternoon tea. You can see the vid on my YouTube channel and also the Scoff one. You can watch it below too.
Lots of great recipes like this in my book, Recipes from a Normal Mum, out now… on Amazon, The Works, at Waterstones, WHSmith, The Book Depository and many smaller outlets.
One year ago: Florentine quiche and Flourless chocolate cake and Cadbury Creme Mini Egg chocolate flapjackand School fair rocky road
Two year ago: White chocolate & cranberry hot cross buns and Cadbury creme egg mess and Banoffee pecan mini pavs
Three years ago: Easter Apostles scone loaf and Carrot cake in a cup for Mother’s Day and Cranberry oaty biscuits
Four years ago: Mini chocolate birds nests and Puff pastry and Walnut bread
Chocolate orange mini scones
Ingredients:
Makes 12 mini chocolate orange scones
There are so many things I just won’t take advice on. Or warning. Labour is a classic example. Despite many a friend who had done her hard labour time warning me it was painful, I simply refused to believe it. “Pah!” I scoffed, “we’ll see about this labour malarky… these other women clearly have low pain thresholds! I however am made of sterner stuff. I will laugh in the face of pain relieving drugs! Come on labour, do your worst!” And… I totally couldn’t hack it and cried like a baby. Or rather a labouring baby.
Parenting. There’s another one. My friend Wise Annie warned me that I would start to dislike people I previously adored once I was a parent, purely because I didn’t approve of their parenting style. “No I won’t!” screamed my internal voice, “I shall remain open minded about parenting styles and remind myself that variety is the spice of life.” Oh dear. Epic fail. It’s my way or the high way.
Reusable nappies. I faithfully bought them, washed them, laid them out ready for my precious first born to use. My mother in law dared to comment that perhaps we might be a bit busy what with having a new baby. Perhaps we might not have time to wash and dry. Perhaps we might prefer to use spare time to sleep. “No siree! I am super woman” said my inner voice silently, “I shall use cloth nappies and I shall breast feed and I shall prove them all wrong.” We don’t talk about my husband being sent out to buy Pampers and Cow & Gate at 3am. We just don’t. And we especially don’t talk about it to my mother in law. For then she would have been right and we all know my parenting ideas are perfect, see previous paragraph.
So please, please, please, you’re going to have to trust me on this when I say that I know you’re thinking that scotch bonnet scones aren’t for you… I thought that too. And I bloody love chilli. But they are for you! Honest they are. This is one thing I am right about. Ignore the evidence above to the contrary. These are light with a tiny hint of an after taste of chilli, barely discernable. In fact, if you’re a chilli fiend then may I suggest that you add in some flaked chilli, or stir some chopped chilli into spreadable cheese to pop on the top of them. Or just eat them with a chilli chaser.
Comments, as always, welcomed!
One year ago: Baileys chocolate fridge cake truffles and Experimental banana loaf
Two years ago: The perfect brownie search and Peanut brittle
Gentle infused scotch bonnet scones
Makes 6 or 7, but you don’t want any more as scones don’t keep… so make a batch and eat them. Then tomorrow do the same. Whatever you do, do not keep them. They are dry and not nice at all.
Ingredients:
Pop the milk in a saucepan and add the scotch bonnet being very very careful not to touch it with your hands or any skin whatsoever. These babies hurt you. Then bring to a simmer on the stove, stirring the chilli about. Take off the heat, leave to cool and then pop in the fridge to get it icy, icy cold.
Once it’s very cold take the butter and cut into 1cm pieces, then pop the flour and the baking powder on the top. Stir with a knife then wash your hands in cold water before rubbing the butter in. If you have very warm hands and have managed to melt the butter, put the whole bowl into the fridge to re-firm up. (You can use a pastry cutter instead which I have to say I prefer but I know they’re not something everyone has or wants to buy.)
When you have a breadcrumb like consistency take the milk from the fridge, strain through a sieve and chuck away the chilli, then re-weigh. If you have lost any volume add more milk until it’s back to 135g. Then pour over the butter and flour mixture and bring together with a knife. It will be a little dry, then use your hands to pull it together. May need a few squeezes. Wrap in clingfilm and pop in the fridge for 30 mins.
Pop the oven onto the hottest setting and check the rack is at the top of the oven. Mine goes to 200C but 210C would be better. Flour your work surface, then pop the scone dough down. Pat out to about 3cm thick then use a cutter dipped in flour to cut straight down, don’t twist or turn it. Then place on a baking sheet. Repeat until all the scones dough is used (you can re-squidge it but it won’t be as tender once you’re at second squidge stage.) Then brush the tops of the scones with the yolk (none down the sides please, stops a good rise!) then place in the fridge, uncovered until the yolky topping is dry. Once dry paint with yolk again and then bake immediately for 10 – 15 minutes until the tops are golden brown and the scones are well risen. Serve warm with cheese or chilli butter.
There are some things that look better when left to the experts. Haircuts for a start, unless you’re very talented, are best left to people who are well trained in handling a pair of scissors.
Decorating, in my experience, is also best left to the professionals. I still shudder when I recall my attempt at late 90s dappling using a bathroom sponge and a tester paint pot. That Changing Rooms programme has a lot to answer for.
I once had the pleasure of being made up by a professional (cheap client with no budget for extras = Holly plays housewife at a dinner party in the background of an advert) and though sceptical at first, the make up artist in question took years off me, and all without the use of chemicals/injections. The lady was a goddess.
It seems food styling should be left to the professionals too. Look at the picture the food stylist took of my Apostle scone loaf, then if you can bear it, watch the video of the one I made. That’s all I’m saying.
Anyway, the point is that the scone loaf tastes lovely. It really is the taste and smell of Easter. Best eaten fresh with a little butter, maybe some clotted cream or even some marmalade. (Though pretty good toasted for breakfast the next day too.)
Ingredients:
Preheat the oven to Gas 7/220C and check the rack is in the centre of the oven. Lightly grease a baking tray with a little butter or margarine. Mix the flour, baking powder, mixed spice and zests in a large bowl. Rub in the margarine or butter with your finger tips until it resembles breadcrumbs. Stir the almonds, cranberries, ginger, apricots and raisins in well so they’re all coated in the flour mixture.
Pour the milk over the mixture and pull together with a blunt table knife. Once combined use your hand to pull the scone together. The less handling the better when making scones so don’t mix or knead vigorously.
Place the scone dough on your tray and shape with your hands into a loaf shape about 1 inch thick. Score the top with a sharp knife, about a quarter of the way down, in a zig-zag fashion to make 11 triangles (one for each Apostle, to break off easily.) Bake immediately for between 20 – 25 minutes until golden all over. Dust with icing sugar if you wish.
Holly Bell 