Old School Apple and Cinnamon Scones

Apple and Cinnamon Scones

Apple and Cinnamon Scones - See the story behind this recipe here.


Ingredients

Pre-heat oven to 375F / 180C

• 2 cups SR flour
• 1 green apple - peeled, sliced and grated
• 1/2 cup of milk (you may need a little more)
• 30g butter
• 1tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• 1 egg
• extra castor sugar and cinnamon to sprinkle on top

Sift flour and cinnamon into a large bowl, rub butter into flour until resembling bread crumbs.
Beat egg, add milk and mix well.
Add grated apple and sugar to flour mix. Fold in the egg and milk and mix with a knife until forming a soft dough.

* The above was taken from the recipe book, and I have added more milk than what was stated in the recipe to make it a 'wettish' dough. I then plopped this half mixed dough onto a floured bench and lightly patted it into shape.
Scone dough doesn't like being mucked around with too much, and the recipe called for it to be kneaded until smooth. 

Cut with a 2-3" cutter and place onto either a floured baking tray or one lined with baking paper.
Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon then bake in pre-heated oven for 10 - 15 minutes.

Remove when golden and try to let them cool for at least 2 minutes before serving with a generous amount of butter!

Enjoy!

Julie's Famous Ricotta Pancakes

Julie's Famous Ricotta Pancakes

Serves 2 hungry people

1 cup SR flour

½ cup smooth ricotta

½ cup milk

1 dessertspoon sugar

1 egg separated

Mix flour, ricotta, milk, egg yolk and sugar with a spoon or whisk until smooth. Add more milk if the batter is too thick. It is a ‘thickish’ batter; it is a bit hard to describe this. Not quite pouring off the spoon, more dolloping?

I like to set the batter off to the side for 20 minutes or so to let the gluten relax. This leads to a softer pancake, but don’t worry about this too much if you don’t have the time.

Beat the egg white until stiff then gently fold into the batter with a large spoon. A bit like muffins, you don’t want to overbeat this mix.

In a large frypan heat a small nob of butter and a dash of rice bran oil (any vege oil). I actually use spray oil to coat the pan then add a dash of butter.

When the butter is foaming, add dollops of batter and cook on the first side until bubbles rise to the surface then flip.

We go the whole hog with the extras on our pancakes. I usually serve

Maple syrup

Frozen berries which have been placed in a microwave bowl, add a small spoon of caster sugar then heat in the MW until the berries have defrosted, are warm and the sugar and juice have combined to create a yummy syrup.

Vanilla yogurt

Bananas

And if we are feeling really naughty

Cooked bacon

Remember to add gallons of maple syrup over the top – this is mandatory!

You could of course try

Fresh lemon juice and sugar

Jam and cream

Icecream (very naughty)

X 2 ingredients – 4 - 6 people

X 3 ingredients – 6 - 8 people (depends on how hungry everyone is!)

Best Ever Banana Bread in the World.

Best BANANA and whatever else in the fruit or vege department you would like to add BREAD in the WORLD!

Banana and raspberry bread

It must be smoko (morning tea time), because hubby has come prowling! I have married somone whose mother spoilt the family with home baking. Lucky for him, so was I!

This is one of my 'go to' recipes, which when baked can be sliced up and then frozen for future 'smoko's'. (mind you, its lucky to last two days in this household!)

You can mix and match up what you add to the squished banana's. Anything you like really. I have a soft spot for blueberries. (the fresh variety tend to be on special regularly at the local store, so I buy a few punnets at a time and freeze them)
This recipe will have 1/2 cup raspberries added. These can be replaced with chopped apple (nice chunky bits), blueberries, dried mixed fruit, nuts, tinned or fresh stone fruit.

Ingredients

• 150g butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 ripe banana's squashed
• 2 cups S/R flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup frozen raspberries (frozen is better as they wont fall apart when adding to the batter)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 170C/330F fan forced oven. 180C/350F normal bake
2.  Grease 7 x 11 loaf tin. Line with baking paper and allow to overlap the edges a little on both sides. (you will use these to lift the cake out)
3. Using an electric beater, cream butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add vanilla then eggs, beating well after each.
4. Add banana and fruit to batter then sift flour, cinnamon and baking powder over.
5. Add milk then gently stir with large spoon until combined.
6. Spoon mixture into prepared tin and bake for approx 40 - 45 min until golden on top and when tested with a skewer it comes out clean. 
7. Cool bread in tin for 20 min or until temptation forces you to gently remove it using the overhanging baking paper and start munching!

ENJOY!