Button Biscuits

I should start my own baking company with the amount that I have made this past week. This time it's biscuits. But not just any biscuits, ones that are shaped like buttons!!
Of course yours don't have to be button shaped, they can be any shape. Just ignore some of the method instructions. But these are tasty and have a good crunch to them. Perfect for tea!

What you need:
* 226g unsalted butter at room temperature
* 227g caster sugar
* 2 eggs
* 2 tsp vanilla extract
* 427g flour
* 1/2 tsp salt

What you need to do:
(Now, a little side bar: This may sound complicated and annoying but stick with it)
1. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on high, mix the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Reduce the mixer to medium and add the eggs and vanilla. Then, when mixed, turn down to low and beat in flour and salt until a soft dough is formed.

2. Divide the mix into four equal pieces and pat each into a disk. Wrap each tightly with cling film and pop into the fridge overnight.

3. The next day, roll out each disk between 2 pieces of greaseproof paper to about 7mm thick. Transfer to a baking tray, still on the greaseproof paper and pop back into the fridge for another 30 minutes to an hour.

4. Unwrap two of the disks and using a round cutter around 8cm in diameter cut out as many biscuits as you can. (At this point I actually had enough biscuits and then froze the rest of the mix for future use.) Then using the blunt side of a slightly smaller cutter indent a circle on the cookies to make the border. Then using a straw, cocktail stick or knitting needle pop in the button holes.

5. Then pop into an oven pre-heated to 180C. Bake them for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

6. EAT! As if you needed telling really.

I tried doing different shaped buttons, wiggly edged ones, star ones. They would make a beautiful gift, tied together with ribbons, or even strawberry laces or something. Ooooh ideas :)

X

Cupcakes

Carrying on with my love of baking, I have been baking cupcakes a plenty!! I actually can't believe that I have not shared this recipe before. This is the easiest cake recipe that I have ever used, and seems to work every time. (Touch Wood). It's simple and can easily change to adapt to different flavours.

What do you need: (to make roughly 12 large cupcakes)
* 175g very soft unsalted butter
* 175g caster sugar
* 3 medium eggs, beaten
* 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
* 175g self-raising flour, or 150g self-raising flour and 3 tbsp cocoa powder
* 1/2 tsp baking powder
* 2 tbsp milk

What to do with these things:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C.

2. Put the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla into a bowl or mixer. Then add the flour (and cocoa), baking powder, and milk and mix thoroughly until it becomes a smooth, thick batter.

3. Half fill the cake cases and put into the over for 12-15 minutes until golden and springy.

4. Munch away!!

Now just to decide on my toppings :)

X

Scones

Ever since visiting the vintage tea room the other day I have wanted to stuff my face with cakes and scones on delightful little tea sets. Unfortunately, being lactose intolerant, I can't just nip out and purchase a big fat cake. So this week, I have actually had some time to bake and decided to make them all!!
Today I am starting with Scones. Some people pronounce them Skons, some Scones (as in stones), I don't mind as long as they are in my tummy!

From looking around at recipes and from what people said, they were difficult to make. But I found these so quick and easy, and even my man complimented them.

So, what do you need:
(to make 8)
* 250g self raising flour
* a pinch of salt
* 50g caster sugar
* unsalted butter, cold
* 1 egg
* 100ml full fat milk
* 50g sultanas (optional)

How do I make these:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C.

2. In a bowl mix the flour, sugar and salt.

3. Then cut the butter up and add to the mix. Using your hands rub the butter into the flour until you get breadcrumb like mix. If your using sultanas, add them here.

4. In a separate bowl, mix the egg and the milk together. Then add this to the flour mix. Use a knife and cut into the mix, this prevents the mix from being over kneaded.

5. When mixed into a rough dough, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently kneed for a few seconds.

6. Pat the dough down until roughly 3cm deep. Then using a 6cm cutter, cut out your scones. Lay on a baking tray. The will rise up, but not expand outwards very much.

7. Using a bit of milk wash the top for a nice golden colour. Then pop them into the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes until lovely and golden.

When they come out let them cool slightly, then serve. Preferably with strawberry jam and clotted cream!

Now depending on where you are from, you need to make sure  you have your cream and jam the right way around. In Cornwall they butter their scones, then put on jam, and then clotted cream on the top. In Devon, where people argue the cream tea started, they have clotted cream first and then the jam on top.
If you can't get your hands on clotted cream, or can't have it like myself, lightly whipped cream can be used. Some people also have something called 'Thunder and Lightning' which is when you take half of your scone, put on your cream, and then top with honey, or syrup. Yum, yum, yum!

Now to eat mine with a lovely pot of tea :)

Spanish Omelette

Going into a bare cupboard looking for lunch always makes me sad. So I decided to throw together some odd bits and bobs and make a Spanish omelette. It's something I have never made before, and I have no idea why. It was scrummy!

I sliced up a large potato, leaving the skin on, in the food processor and boiled them for 5 minutes. After draining the potatoes I popped them in a frying pan with some oil and fried them a little until they were crunchy. Then I took them out of the pan and added 3 eggs I had beaten with the juice of a lemon, some grated cheese and seasoning. Then quickly you pop the potatoes on and put the whole thing under the grill until golden brown and cooked on top. Turn out onto a plate and eat! Yum yum :)

Strawberry Jam

I have wanted to have a go at making Strawberry Jam for a little while now, but only now have we really got to the season to do it. So after stockpiling the strawberries I searched the Internet for a recipe. I wanted something different and I found it. Strawberry Balsamic Jam. I had heard that Strawberry jam was hard to make but this was so easy. I made two batches and I have had some great compliments.

Then came the nice bit, decorating my jars.  At Christmas when I made Jam I made my own labels from scratch. This time I wasn't feeling so creative so I trawled the Internet again and found these little numbers... Simple but lovely. I mite even try the Raspberry jam recipe off that page next!
:)

Pancakes!

If I ever find a recipe that works, I stick to it religiously! Cooking isn't my strongest point and if I ever change something it is usually after a long thought process. But this week I did something wild! WILD! (Well for me) I changed my American Pancake recipe to a savoury "brinner" (breakfast at dinner) recipe.

Ingredients to make 4 - 6 Pancakes (enough for 2 people with some scrambled egg or sausages for a side)
*135g Plain Flour
*1 tsp Baking Powder
*1/2 tsp Salt
*2 tbsp Caster Sugar
*130ml Milk
*1 large Egg, lightly beaten
*2 tbsp Melted Butter, or Olive oil, and extra for cooking.

Optional extras: Blueberrys, Chocolate chips, cooked pancetta cubes and sweetcorn (what I did on Tuesday and OMGGGGG that was scrummy! I even added some basil!) To be honest, add anything you like.

Method
1. Pop your flour, baking powder, salt and caster sugar into a bowl and mix together. In a separate bowl whisk the egg, milk and butter together (keep mixing but don't get worried when the butter/oil separates, that's just science!)
2. Poor the mixture into the flour mixture and mix until smooth. Let stand for a few minutes. If your adding the optional extras add them here.
3. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add some butter or olive oil until melted, then add a small ladle of the mixture. You will notice it is quite a thick mixture but will spread out a little. Wait until the top of the pancake begins to bubble (which if you add extras too is harder to notice but mostly you kind of know...) and when it does, turn over. Cook a little further until the pancake is about 1cm thick (or thicker if u like a thick one).
4. Keep repeating until all the pancakes are made, you can keep them warm in a low oven until you have made them all but I think they taste best straight out of a pan :)

Scrummy!

Happy Baking x

Chocolate Brownies

After visiting the Hummingbird Bakery on Wednesday I have had major Chocolate Brownie cravings! So today I got out my cookbook and got my bake on!!

 

Start by melting butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of water

Add dark chocolate and melt in the same bowl as the butter

I then poured the chocolate and butter mix into a bigger mixing bowl

Add sugar and then mix until blended

Add flour and mix until it becomes almost like a thick paste

Add eggs and mix until smooth

Add to a baking tray lined with paper

When cooked and cooled take out of tin and paper and cut into even squares, decorate with icing sugar if you want to, they taste amazing either way to be honest!

They really are a scrummy recipe and you can get the book from 'all good book retailers', definitely worth it if, like me, you live nowhere near a Hummingbird Bakery...

Happy Baking :)