Plain Scones - very easy to make and easy to eat!

I love summer and Cornwall. We recently went on holiday to the North Coast of Cornwall and I baked some truly west country scones. Did you know they are so simple to make and taste better than any bought scone!

You only need four ingredients to make scones: flour, butter, milk & sugar.

Makes 8 large scones or 16 medium scones

Ingredients

450g plain flour
80g butter at room temperature
30g caster sugar
two pinches of salt
300ml milk

To serve:
A jar of strawberry or raspberry jam
Clotted cream


Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 7, 220°C (Fan 200°C).
2. Sift the flour into a bowl and rub the butter into it rapidly, using your fingertips. You use your fingertips so you don't get it warm by using your hands. Being quick is essential to good quality scones.
3. Once it's rubbed in add the sugar and salt.
4. Then take a knife and use it to mx in the milk little by little. Mix using a cutting action through the mixture.
5. Flour your hands a little and knead the mixture to a soft dough. If it feels dry after kneading for a minute or two add a little milk. Make sure the mixture is completely combined, don't over knead about 1min will be fine.
6. Flour a clean kitchen worktop and roll out, with a floured rolling pin, gently your scone dough. You are aiming for a thickness no less than 2cm.
7. Now use a pastry cutter (or I've used a pint glass before) place it on the dough and tap it sharply so it goes straight through the dough. Don't twist otherwise they end up a funny shape.
8. Get as many scones out of the dough as possible. Knead the dough leftovers again and repeat steps 6 & 7 until you have used all the dough. Although I find it easier to just make the last of the dough into a scone like shape!
9. Place them onto a baking tray and bake near the top of the oven for 12-15mins.
10. Once they turn a golden colour they are ready to be cooled on a wire rack.
11. Serve by cutting them in half, adding a layer of jam and clotted cream.
12. Eat the same day or they freeze fantastically if you are planning an afternoon tea party.

Healthy Granola Bars - under 100 calories each!

 



There are many 'so called' healthy bars on offer in supermarkets however when you look at the ingredients they are normally full of refined sugar or glucose syrup. There has been a recent craze of breakfast bars and these are full of sugar! Basically refined sugar is bad for your health.

 

These bars are designed to give you a slow release of energy through the oats, nuts and seeds. The only sweet element comes from the fruit and a small amount of honey (a natural sweetener).

 

Makes 8 Granola Bars

 

Ingredients

 

100g Oats

30g Whole Almonds

15g Pumpkin Seeds

15g Sunflower Seeds

2 teaspoons Organic Cinnamon

3 tablespoons Apple Juice

 

4 Apricots (optional)

4 Prunes/Dates

30g Raisins

2 tablespoons of melted Honey

3 tablespoons of Apple Juice

 

 

Method

 

1. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6, Fan 180°C, 200°C.
2. Mix together in a bowl the oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cinnamon & apple juice.
3. Place a sheet of baking paper onto a baking tray.
4. Spread the above oat mixture out onto the baking paper.
5. Put into the oven for 10 minutes, mixing the oat mixture half way.
6. While the oat mixture is in the oven, cut the apricots in half and then into small chunks. Then cut the prunes/dates into very small pieces (the smaller the better).
7. Once the oat mixture is baked, put the oat mixture back into the bowl.
8. Add the apricots, prunes/dates, raisins, melted honey and apple juice to the oat mixture.
9. Mix it all together.
10. Then cut out a square piece of baking paper. In the middle of the baking paper add a small line of mixture.
11. Then squeeze the mixture together to resemble a log (about 6-7cm long) and to make sure the mixture is forced together.
12. Then place the bars onto the baking paper on the baking tray, used to make the oat mixture.
13. Once all 8 bars are on the baking paper, if you like cinnamon, sprinkle a little over the bars.
14. Bake the bars for 30 minutes, after 15 minutes turn the bars over to bake the other side.
15. Once baked, remove from the oven and place onto a wire rack to cool.
16. Once cool you can store in a box or place two of them in food bags into the freezer for a quick snack.

 

Lactose Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Sugar Free, Wheat Free, Yeast Free, Vegetarian.