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Covid19 Kernow Scones – #cookinginquarantine

Stuck indoors with the weather this good?!?

It’s just not on, but we are doing our bit for our future. It is hard, some dream of staying at home but not everyone can just stop. I’d quite like to get out and about, even just a casual evening drive is now a taboo!

This time of year is normally perfect for that walk in the warm, somewhere nice such as Budleigh Salterton is a favourite of ours and when on the way back indulge in a South-Western favourite, the great Cream Tea.

Who can resist a Cream Tea? A particular favourite spot of ours is known as Southern Cross Tea Rooms which is a fantastically quaint tea rooms located in Newton Poppleford, East Devon.

Pet-friendly accommodation near Sidmouth, Devon. Southern Cross Tea Rooms and Guesthouse – Pictures courtesy of Southern Cross Devon Guesthouse and Tea Rooms

A solid, go-to Scone recipe (Makes 12 decent sized Scones):

  • Strong white flour (this will also work with plain white flour too): 500g.
  • Baking Powder: 1.7 tbs.
  • Optional bicarbonate of soda: 0.3 tbp if you want additional oven spring / rise.
  • Pinch of salt, approx 3g.
  • Thoroughly chilled unsalted butter: 90g.
  • Milk: 280g.
  • A single large Egg.

This recipe is very adaptable as you can use the above list to create plain, savoury or sweet scones. For example you could add around 150g of dried fruit and 90g of sugar for a sweetened fruit scone or add 150g of strong cheddar and some mustard powder instead. Another good option is a teaspoon of almond extract, 150g of halved glace cherries, 90g of sugar and a couple of drops of vanilla extract for that super sweet ‘bakewell style’ scone you didn’t realise you wanted…

Method:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 190° Fan.
  2. Get all of the dry ingredients in a suitable mixing vessel (excluding fruits / cheese additions – mustard powder however is fine to go in at this point) and combine thoroughly.
  3. Weigh out the butter and dice into small cubes, smaller the better and colder the better.
  4. Crumb the butter into the flour until fine and the dry ingredients clump together when crushed.
  5. Combine milk, eggs and any other wet ingredients into a suitable mixing vessel and beat thoroughly. I would add 2/3rds of this mix into the dry ingredients and combine using a table knife, trying not to mix it too much. You can cut through it to combine.
  6. When combined to a slightly tacky dough tip out onto a floured surface, roll or press to a thickness of approximately 35mm and cut out into your desired size.
  7. Place your scones to be on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment, let rest for 10-15 minutes then bake in the oven.
  8. They will take around 15 minutes, remove once browned to your liking.
  9. Let cool for a little while so they set up nicely, serve with your favourite accoutrements.
  10. Enjoy!
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Binge on this Banging Banana Cake

There are always the odd lonely banana sat in the fruit bowl going brown and sweeter by the minute. Instead of throwing them away why not make good use of them in this tasty cake.

A heavy, moist, rich banana cake with nuggets of walnut throughout. Sometimes I even add some chocolate chips, to make it even more indulgent. Perfect for on the go or as a afternoon snack on your break or at the desk.

The versatility of this recipe means that it can be done within a loaf tin or as cupcakes perfect for a celebration !! If you never have time, this is the recipe for you its all in one method recipe means that it is quick and easy…… get the kids involved !

Ingredients List

  • 1 1/2 cups of caster sugar.
  • 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter.
  • 2 2/3 self-raising flour
  • 3 very ripe bananas.
  • 3 whole eggs.
  • A handful of walnuts partially crushed.

Method

  1. Preheat oven to gas mark 3 (150 degrees celsius).
  2. Line a 900g or 2lb loaf tin with greaseproof paper. alternatively prepare a cupcake tin with cupcake cases.
  3. Peel and mash all 3 bananas.
  4. Add the sugar, butter, and flour into the bowl before adding the mashed bananas and eggs.
  5. With an electric blender combine well.
  6. Finally fold in the walnuts. This is where you can add the chocolate chips.
  7. Add all the ingredients to the loaf tin.
  8. Cook for 45 minutes then turn down to gas mark 2 (130 degrees celsius) until gold and a skewer comes out clean.
  9. Once partially cooled remove from the loaf tin.
  10. Leave to cool completely or serve slightly warm, in generous slices or as a cupcake.

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Rich & Aromatic Braised Red Cabbage

raw red cabbage

Piquant pickled aromatic braised red cabbage, that certainly caught my attention whilst trying to think of something to make to accompany some left over roast Duck. More than ideal to go with left over cold cuts or roasted meats like Pork Belly or Shoulder (along with potatoes, roasted or dauphinoise!). This a very flexible recipe as you can add or exchange ingredients to make it your own should you prefer a twist or something a little more tame. This recipe is somewhat inspired by my father who would make an obscene quantity of this slow cooked creation filling the tiny family home kitchen with an intoxicating smell!

Some people generally seem to link spiced red cabbage with Christmas, however make no mistake this is a dish that works through autumn and winter. Winter spices, acidic smells and a lingering peppery background will warm you through. It lends its self well to feeding a crowd or freezing portions for another day.

Braising is just a way of saying that something is partially sautéed or lightly fried then gently stewed. There will be a fair amount of liquid at the start however this will reduce down, along with the rest of the ingredients, into a luxurious syrupy sauce taking on a shine and coating the cabbage.

Talk is cheap, as is this filling side. Lets cook…

Ingredients List:

  • 2 Small or 1 V.Large Red Cabbage, shredded.
  • 4 Small or 2 large Ganny Smith apples, peeled and cored then diced.
  • 2 Medium Onions, diced.
  • 2 Cloves of Garlic, smashed and finely chopped.
  • 2 Star of Anise.
  • 10 Cloves.
  • 2 Knobs of Butter (approx 30G).
  • Vegetable oil.
  • 3 Tbsp Soft Brown Sugar.
  • 150ml Vinegar: Balsamic, Malt, Red Wine or 500ml sharp Cider.
  • 1/4 Tsp Freshly grated Nutmeg.
  • 200ml Stock: Beef/Chicken/Vegetable.

Method:

  1. Begin to soften the onion and garlic in a large sauce pan, I normally use our 10L Ikea stock pot, in the butter and oil. Adding the diced apple once they have started to soften then the red cabbage. I prefer the red cabbage shredded fairly consistently however you can prepare this however you’d like.
  2. As the red cabbage and base ingredients start to sweat (slight shine to the red cabbage) begin to add the aromatics, sugar and liquids. Combine well and allow it to start simmering before placing a lid on top and lowering the heat to gently simmer away unattended (but of course check and mix throughout the cooking process).
  3. Once the liquor has reduced and slightly thickened its ready to serve, usually I let it sit for 10 minutes or so with the lid on so its not too hot to scoff!

Cooking time may vary and will take around 2 hours to reduce down, however it can go longer or also be cooked in a slow cooker.

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Magnificently Malty Malt Loaf

A British classic (actually Scottish… thanks to Mr Montgomerie!), Malt Loaf is a perfect pick-me-up for those in a rush or something indulgent with a cup of tea as a snack in the afternoon at your desk. This recipe will produce a loaf that is less chewy but more fruit laden than the supermarket variety but still packing a malty sweet punch. The dried fruit should be soaked in a strong black tea adding richness and a little mixed spice for background. Serve preferably with butter after being partially toasted, as the loaf holds a fair amount of moisture giving it the most amazing texture. Also enjoyable cold!

Personally I’d rather go for a larger loaf versus the usual 450 Gram loaf tin (small AKA 1lb loaf tin) as for convenience I will slice this larger loaf into 12 slices and then freeze for lunches (this also works out to around 220 calories a piece, not too bad for a mid afternoon snack I suppose!).

Ingredients List:

  • 2 Eggs, beaten.
  • 250G Plain Flour.
  • 85G Light brown sugar.
  • 1/2 Tsp mixed spice, you can omit this or even substitute with freshly grated nutmeg!
  • 175G Malt Extract.
  • 150ml Hot Black Tea.
  • 300G Dried fruit, sultanas work well.
  • 0.75 Tsp baking powder.
  • 0.5 Tsp Bicarbonate Of Soda.

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 2 (130C for fan assisted ovens), then grease and line a 900G (2lb) loaf tin. You can usually get away with lining the base only, with good non-stick coated tins.
  2. Brew and measure out your tea and combine with the dried fruit and mixed spice, let infuse for 10 minutes.
  3. Add the sugar, malt extract and eggs whilst mixing well. Add the flour as well as the bicarbonate of soda and baking powder, quickly stir before finally pouring into the loaf tin.
  4. Bake for around 1 hour, checking it around the 45 to 50 minute mark. Once cooked (using a skewer to check) let cool before removing from the tin. Serve the malt loaf sliced then toasted and buttered with a suitable cup of tea.