Raspberry and Coconut Scones Recipe

I came across this scone recipe on the BBC Good Food website and they looked so temptingly delicious I thought I'd get the pinny on and see how they turned out.

Coconut and raspberries are a delightful combo, these light and fluffy scones are amazing and all you need is a dollop of whipped cream for the perfect mouthful!

Raspberries are one of my favourite berries and I love the sweet/sharp flavour. They are the cooks friend, you can use them fresh or frozen and they liven up even the humblest of bakes.

Slightly adapted recipe:

200g self-raising flour
25g desiccated coconut, plus 1 tbsp for sprinkling
50g cold salted butter, cut into small cubes
25g golden caster sugar
100ml buttermilk
1-2 tbsp full-fat milk
50g frozen raspberries
1 egg, beaten

You will need: Large baking tray dusted with flour.

1. Preheat the oven to 220ºC.
2. Place the flour in a bowl with the coconut and salt. Add the butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and mix in. Pour in the buttermilk and milk. Mix with a knife until the mixture has almost come together,add the raspberries and mix again, trying not to break up the fruit too much.
3. Tip the dough onto a work surface and knead a little to bring it togetherv– don’t overwork or the scones will be heavy. Pat the dough into a square about 4-5cm deep.
4. Cut into 4 pieces, shape them back into squares.
5. Place onto a baking tray, brush with egg, sprinkle with a little coconut.

6. Bake for 15 minutes until golden and risen. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
7. Either eat on the same day or freeze the cooked scones.

For more scone inspiration you may also like:
In Search of the Perfect Scone Recipe
Fresh Berry Scones
Blueberry Breakfast Scones

Little Apple and Almond Cakes Recipe

These little cakes remind me in taste and texture of almond macaroons which I ate as a child.  They are easy to make and taste delicious.

My tins (in the photograph below) have removable bases and were given to me by an elderly lady who had been an avid baker but found she was baking less and less. The tins are old, well used and I love them. I'm sure you too have baking tins that have been passed onto you.

If you need a dessertcumcake recipe that is inexpensive to make then look no further......

Slightly adapted recipe from Mary Berry's Absolute Favourites.

Makes: 6

You will need:  six tins with removable bases measuring approximately 7cm or a muffin tin

75g butter, melted
100g self-raising flour
100g caster sugar
1 large egg, beaten
½ tsp almond extract
1 x Braeburn apple, peeled and thinly sliced
15g flaked almonds

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
2. Grease the inside of the tins with butter and dust with flour. Place the tins on a baking tray.
3. Pour the melted butter into a bowl. Add the sugar, flour, egg and almond extract and mix until smooth.
4. Spoon a little of the mixture into the base of each tin, arrange a few apple slices over the cake batter and spoon the remaining cake mixture on top, level with the back of a teaspoon.
5. Scatter the flaked almonds over the cake mixture. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until risen and golden.

6. Place on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, remove the cakes from the tins. Serve warm (reheat in a microwave) with crème fraîche or ice cream.

Cheese and Spring Onion Quiche Recipe

Do you remember the quiche I made a while back?  I've taken the same pastry recipe because it works every time and the same savoury custard filling because it's delicious.  This time, however, I've used a combination of spring onions which saves cooking onions, Leicester cheese for colour and because I grew up in Leicestershire and miss the local Leicester cheese, and cheddar cheese because it's always in the fridge. This time though I've used a 20cm deep tin instead of the 23cm tin I used in the last recipe.

My chive flowers are just for fun.  When I picked them they were in a tight bud and all you have to do is gently rub the bud between your fingers and they will gradually open. Place your fingers on top of the flower and gently stroke the bud open to reveal the flowers. Carnation buds sometimes refuse to open and you can use this trick with them too.

This is a fairly quick and easy recipe and after all who wants to spend loads of time in the kitchen when the sun is shining.

225g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
140g cold butter, diced
1 tsp icing sugar
1 egg yolk

For the filling:
1 bunch spring onions, sliced
75g Red Leicester cheese, grated
75g Mature Cheddar cheese, grated
2 eggs
300ml double cream

You will need: 20cm loose base fluted tin 2.5cm deep

1. Add the flour, pinch of salt and the butter into the bowl of a food processor and whiz until it resembles breadcrumbs. Now add the icing sugar, egg yolk and 3 tbsp cold water, to form a firm dough. Wrap in cling film and rest for 20 minutes in the fridge.
2. Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Roll out the pastry and line the tart tin. Cover the tin with crumpled baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Cook for 20 minutes, remove the paper and beans. Brush the pastry base with beaten egg and cook for 5-10 minutes more until the tart case is pale.
3. Turn the oven down to 160ºC.  Scatter over the spring onions and cheeses over the base of the tart case. Whisk together the eggs and cream, season. Pour into the tart case and cook for 40-45 minutes or until just set. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

If you like this post you may like these recipes too:
Cherry Tomato, Cheese and Red Onion Marmalade Quiche
Cheese, Onion and Potato Quiche with Wild Rice Salad
Roasted Tomato, Basil and Parmesan Quiche

Black Forest Muffins Recipe

I remember Mum buying frozen Black Forest Gateau, it was considered posh and definitely not an everyday cakecumdessert, we always ate this on high days and holidays. I love a bit of 70's nostalgia, but looking back, I'm not quite sure what the gateau was actually made from!

Fast forward and today we still love the magical combination of chocolate and cherries, hence these delicious muffins.

Tinned cherries can sometimes lack in flavour and I added a few drops of cherry flavouring (purchased from Lakeland) to the cake batter.

You will need: 12 hole muffin tin lined with 12 muffin/tulip cases

Makes: 12
250g self-raising flour
25g cocoa powder
2tsp baking powder
175g caster sugar
pinch of salt
175ml milk
2 large eggs
100ml sunflower or vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
few drops of cherry flavouring (I used Lakeland)
425g can pitted black cherries, drained

Buttercream:
140g unsalted butter, softened
280g icing sugar,sieved
1 tbsp milk
grated chocolate and fresh cherries to decorate

Optional: Kirsch to brush over the cooked muffins

1. Preheat the oven to 170ºC.
2.Sift together the flour, cocoa and baking powder and stir in the sugar. Add the remaining ingredients, with the exception of the cherries, and mix gently together. Now add the cherries and fold in carefully trying not to break up the fruit.
3.Using an ice cream scoop place the mixture into the cases.
4. Bake for 20 mins or cooked. Cool for 10 mins, brush with kirsch, then transfer to a wire rack and leave until cold.

To make the buttercream:
1. Place the sieved icing sugar into a large bowl followed by the softened butter and milk.  Using either a handwhisk or stand mixer beat together for a good 5 minutes until the mixture is white and a light texture.
2. Using a piping bag and large plain nozzle pipe swirls on top of the cooled muffins.
3. Decorate with a whole cherry and grated chocolate.

Black Forest Cake
Jamie Oliver's Chocolate Love Cake
Cherry Jubilee Queen of Puddings

Crème Brûlée with Shortbread Spoons Recipe

Whilst we were in Paris I couldn't resist ordering crème brûlée for dessert but sadly it didn't live up to my expectations and when I returned home I decided to make my own.  I chose a recipe by Delia Smith which isn't the usual oven cooked version but a quick method where everything is cooked in one pan and produces a rich and creamy dessert.

Delia makes a caramel and pours this over the chilled desserts but I always like to top mine with demerara sugar and then use a blow torch to brown and caramelise the sugar.

I love breaking into the topping with a spoon and if the shortbread spoon breaks then this just adds to the fun!

Having made this version I still prefer the oven cooked version which I find is lighter and not quite so rich.

If you prefer more custard than topping then narrow deep ramekins are best but if you, like me, love the topping and prefer a shallow custard layer, then these shallow gratin dishes are ideal.

570ml double cream
6 large egg yolks
4 teaspoons cornflour
2 tablespoons golden caster sugar
a few drops pure vanilla extract
demerara sugar

You will need: 6 small ramekins or 4 large ramekins - the dessert requires making a day in advance to give the custard a chance to chill down and set.

1.  Mix the egg yolks, cornflour, caster sugar and vanilla extract together.
2. Heat the cream in a saucepan until it reaches boiling point and then pour it over the egg yolks whilst beating with a whisk. Return the mixture to the saucepan.
3. Place the saucepan back onto a medium heat. Whisk until the sauce has thickened - which should only take a minute or two.
4.  Pour the custard into the ramekins and leave to cool. Cover each ramekin with cling film and place in the fridge overnight.
5. Remove the ramekins from the fridge and cover each one with 1½ teaspoons of demerara sugar. Spray with a little water and then using a blow torch caramelise the sugar by moving the flame around until the sugar is caramelised.

If you fancy making the shortbread spoons........

You will need: a silicone spoon mould that is suitable for oven use
175g plain flour
75g caster sugar
175g salted butter, at room temperature
75g fine semolina
extra caster sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C.
2. Place all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and rub together until it resembles large breadcrumbs. Bring together to form a dough.
3. Take small pieces of the dough and press into the spoon moulds.  Place the mould on a metal tray.
4. Bake for approximately 1 hour until pale golden.
5. Place the mould onto a wire rack to cool. Remove the spoons carefully, any that break are the cooks treat.

Malted and White Bread Rolls

Salmon and Rocket Bread Roll

I'm in bread making mode at the moment and for me it doesn't matter a jot whether the dough is made in my breadmaker or in the food mixer, there's one thing for sure it won't be me kneading the dough for 10 minutes my arms just aren't strong enough!

I bought an artisan malted wheat flour from one of the discount stores, it was an amazing find, a bag of artisan 'OO' flour found it's way into my trolley too and I'm feeling pretty chuffed with my supermarket finds.

The baked rolls

The recipe I've used is for a breadmaker but it can be followed and adapted for a mixer using the dough hook. Just be sure to give the dough a first rise until doubled in size before shaping the bread rolls.

A reusable non-stick tray liner, also a find at the discount supermarket, is really useful it saves greasing an oven tray and then the dreaded washing up.

Makes: 12
1 tsp easy blend yeast
350g strong white bread flour
150g strong malted bread flour
1 tsp sea salt
15g butter
300ml water

1. Place the ingredients into the bread pan as per the instructions for your breadmaker.
2. Select the white dough option.
3. When the dough is ready turn out onto a silicone mat and knead to knock out the air.
4. Cut the dough into 12 pieces and shape into rolls.
5. Place them onto either a greased, floured or lined baking tray to prove.  I like to place mine fairly close together so they join up when they bake.

6. Cover the rolls with oiled clingwrap and leave to rise until double in size.
7. Preheat the oven to 220oC.
8. Remove the clingwrap and sprinkle some malted flour over each roll.

  9. Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown.
10. Place the rolls onto a wire rack to cool.

More bread inspiration:
Sunburst Rolls
Feta, Tomato and Rosemary Flowerpot Breads
Italian Style Bread