eat

Scones

A quick recipe to throw together when you have unexpected guests or want a tea time treat on a wet and dark Sunday afternoon. Scones remind me of my lovely aunt who is the QUEEN of scone makers.

This recipe is adapted from a book called "Cook with Ina Paarman'. Ina is a South African cook who heads a food empire - has hosted TV programmes, run a cookery school, has a product range and has successfully compiled and sold many cookery books.

Ina's tip is to use a thickened milk product rather than plain milk

Ingredients 

2 x 250 ml flour and a little spare for kneading the dough

1/4 tspn salt

15 ml baking powder

1 egg

2 TBspn butter at room temperature

125 ml plain unsweetened yoghurt

Turn oven onto 220 deg C (42deg F)

 Combine

Sieve the following ingredients together  twice:

2 x 250ml flour

1/4 tspn salt

15 ml baking powder

Rub in the softened butter lightly until crumbly or until you have a soft 'rubble' as Nigella Lawson would say.

Beat the egg together lightly with the 125 ml plain unsweetened yoghurt and mix into the crumbly buttery flour mixture. Using a dough mixer works quite well if you don't want to use your hands.

Flour a clean, dry surface  and gently knead the dough. Do not over-knead the dough.

Pat out into a thick slab to get about 8 scones using a scone cutter. You could also simply cut it into 8 - 10 similar sized scones.

Places in the hot oven and bake for 10 minutes.

Remove and wrap them in the clean tea towel and serve as soon as possible.

 Jam and whipped cream are delicious accompaniments. Enjoy!

Pizza bases (adapted from a Donna Hay recipe)

15 ml instant yeast1 tspn sugar1 cup warm waterMix the above 3 ingredients and stand in warm place for 5 mins until mixture bubbles

 
21/2 cups 00 flour
1/2 tspn of oregano
pinch salt (regular or sea salt)
1 tbspn olive oil
 

Add bubbly yeast mix to flour.Mix with wooden spoon into a dense dough then with floured hands knead the  mixture until smooth. If dry, add a few drops of water.Place in a bowl and wrap with a damp cloth or cling film over the top and place in a warm sport for 30 minutes.Once the mixture has risen knead again on a floured surface.
**** This mixture can be placed in a plastic bag and refrigerated for a few hours so you can make the dough ahead of time****

When required:

Heat oven to 220degC.
Place large flat baking tray in oven to heat up.
Separate pizza dough into either 2 large, 3 medium or 5 small pizzas .
Roll out the pizza dough on baking paper sheets.
Add pizza sauce and whatever toppings you like including cheese e.g. mozzarella works well.
Sprinkle with oregano.
When oven is ready remove the baking tray from the oven with gloves and slip baking sheets with pizzas onto the hot tray (as many as will fit). Take care- baking trays are extremely hot!!

Bake for about 10-15 minutes depending on how thick you roll the dough.

 

Pizza sauce and suggested toppings

3 tbpsn tomato paste.
1/2 tspn oregano
salt and cracked pepper
1 tbspn oil
1 clove garlic finely chopped

 

Various topping combinations are tasty:

Ham and pineapple
Courgettes, red pepper, salami and
Anchovies finely chopped and mixed in the salt adds a good flavour without being too fishy

To serve
Cut into wedges using a pizza cutter
Grind  cracked pepper over the slices and liberally scatter parsley or basil or fresh baby spinach leaves on top.