Month: March 2016

Blue Cheese Scones

~ louisehad ~ 1 Comment

Cheese scones with cheese board

‘Your dad has made some really good cheese scones with blue cheese’, my mum told me on the phone. Blue cheese scones! I would simply have to make them, so after some expert tips from my dad; you can’t grate blue cheese and make sure you put some on the top, I was ready to go. Scones are a big deal in our family, mainly because they are so quick and easy to make. Though I’ve tried lots of recipes, including Paul Hollywood’s which uses strong white flour, I always come back to the recipe in the Be-Ro cookery book. We have had this book since I was a child, they still publish it and have most of the same recipes in it. As my partner is not a huge blue cheese fan, I also made some cheddar cheese scones.

Blue cheese and cheddar scones

Ingredients

175g self-raising flour

Pinch of salt and pepper

25g unsalted butter

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

80g cheese (40g blue cheese, crumbled, 40g cheddar, grated)

1 medium egg

2 tablespoons milk

 

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 220°c/ 200°c fan/ gas Mark 7
  • Grease or line a baking tray with parchment paper
  • Mix flour and seasoning. Rub in butter so the flour resembles breadcrumbs.
  • Divide the mixture in two and add the blue cheese to one half and the cheddar cheese to the other. Save some of the cheese for the top.
  • Mix the egg and the milk and add half to each of the flour mixtures with the mustard. Reserve a little of the liquid for glazing at the end. Mix into a soft dough.
  • Roll out into a round of 1.5cm in thickness. With a cookie cutter, cut into rounds.
  • Place on the baking tray and brush the top with the egg wash, taking care not to let it cover the sides. Top the scones with the remaining cheese.
  • Bake for about 10-15 minutes until golden brown

Cheese scones

Earl Grey and Orange Hot Cross Buns

~ louisehad ~ 1 Comment

Earl Grey Hot Cross Buns

This year I decided that I would make hot cross buns for the first time ever. I’m a huge fan of Earl Grey tea, it is my go to cup of tea. I also really liked idea of the orange zest lifting everything. Overall, they turned out really well, though I have to confess the Earl Grey flavour didn’t really come out as much as I thought it would.

 

 

 

Ingredients

4 Earl Grey tea bags

7g sachet easy bake yeast

3 tbsp granulated sugar

 440g plain flour

 1 tsp salt

1 tbsp mixed spice

2 large oranges, zest and 80ml juice

100g currants or raisins

1 large egg, beaten

50g unsalted butter, melted and cooled

vegetable oil, for kneading and greasing

 Crosses 

65g plain flour

about 2 tbsp whole milk

 3 tbsp apricot jam, sieved

 

 

 

Earl Grey Hot cross buns 2

 

Method

 

  • Steep the tea bags in 160ml boiling water for 15 minutes. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible; discard the tea bags. When the tea is lukewarm, about 38˚C, mix in the yeast until dissolved, then beat in the sugar and 60g plain flour; set aside for 15 minutes
  • In a large bowl, mix the remaining 380g flour with the salt, mixed spice, orange zest and currants or raisins. Whisk the orange juice and egg into the melted butter, then mix with the yeasted tea, add this mixture into the dry ingredients to form a smooth dough.
  • Knead the dough on an oiled work surface until smooth and elastic – about 10 minutes. Return to a clean, oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
  • Divide and shape the dough into 12 even buns, then line them up in rows on a parchment-lined baking tray, 2-3cm apart. Slash a cross into the top of each using a sharp, serrated knife; cutting in the same direction across each row of buns will make the piping easier. Cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise again until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180˚C, gas mark 4
  • For the crosses, beat the flour with enough water (about 70ml) to make a loose paste. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain nozzle or cut a 1cm opening in a disposable piping or sandwich bag, Brush the buns with milk, then pipe the flour paste into the cuts made for the crosses.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden and hollow-sounding when tapped. Gently heat the apricot jam in a small pan, brush over the warm buns, then cool completely on a wire rack. These are best eaten on the day of baking but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days and are delicious toasted.

Earl Grey Hot Cross Buns 3