My challenge here was the scones. I've only made them once before, yesterday. They were a disaster, (picture below.) I sulked like a schoolboy all afternoon. Most of my baking so far have been relatively successful - this wasn't. You think you have everything licked and all of a sudden you are brought back down to earth with a bump.
Just so you don't repeat the mistakes I made above:
* Don't roll your dough out too thin, (at least 2.5cm thick)
* Use self-raising flour and baking powder
* Keep an eye on the oven...... obviously I didn't, played with my daughter in the garden instead.
Ingredients
250g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder (my scones tasted great, but didn't rise. Wish I added 1.5tsp)
0.5tsp dry mustard
30g unsalted butter, (chilled and cubed)
25g grated Parmesan
90g grated Cheddar (use the larger grater as you will achieve a stronger cheese flavour.)
250ml milk
2 big handfuls of chives
Start by putting the oven 220C.
Sift the flour, baking powder, mustard powder and a little bit of salt into a bowl.
Rub the butter into the mix with light fingertips. Imagine the mix is pipping hot and you can barely touch it.
Now stir in the Parmesan and most of the Cheddar, along with the chives.
In the centre of the bowl make a hole, (see above photo.) Pour half milk into this well.
Mix with a flat-bladed knife, making cutting motions until it starts to come together. Add the rest of the milk and continue to mix with your knife.
Flour the worktop and your hands. Bring out the dough and form it into a ball in your hands.
Now roll out the dough until it is 2.5cm thick, (no thinner - remember my disaster yesterday.)
Use a 5cm cutter, (which I didn't - probably also why my scones didn't rise.) Cut them into circular shapes and place on a baking tray.
Add the remaining cheese to the top of the scones, (as below.)
Place in the oven for 12-15 minutes. Keep an eye on them instead of playing in the garden with your daughter.
So my scones didn't rise, and I think it was either because it needed 1.5 tsp of baking powder instead of 1, or when cutting the scones I didn't use a cutter, but I don't care because they were delicious!!!
My Top 5 places for Afternoon Tea in London.
1. The Berkeley Hotel, (pronounced The Barclay.) Their afternoon tea, 'Prêt-à-Porte', is inspired by the themes and colours of the fashion world. Changes every six months to follow the changing seasons in fashion. Make sure you have a glass of champagne.
http://www.the-berkeley.co.uk/fashion-afternoon-tea/
2. The Wolseley. This restaurant is next to The Ritz. I love this restaurant. This building has been a car salesroom, a chinese restaurant - but now a decadent restaurant that you would imagine Bertie Wooster, or the cast of Downton Abbey would visit. The pastry chef here is superb. Try the Opera cake.
http://www.thewolseley.com/afternoon-tea
3. The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, Fortnum & Mason. Formely called St James restaurant, it was renamed after HM the Queen, HRH Duchess of Cornwall, and the fantastic HRH Duchess of Cambridge visited on 1st March 2012. So if it is good enough for royalty......
http://www.fortnumandmason.com/c-209-afternoon-tea-fortnum-and-mason.aspx
4. Claridges. This is my favourite London hotel, Art Deco and stunningly stylish. Afternoon Tea is taken in the Foyer/Reading Room. You could imagine Hercule Poriot resting here between cases.
http://www.claridges.co.uk/london-mayfair-afternoon-tea/
5. The Promenade, The Dorchester Hotel. Sumptious luxury is an understatement. I could live the rest of my life in this beautiful room. The Promenade is the same length as Nelson's Column.
http://www.thedorchester.com/afternoon-tea
Be lucky, and you stay classy - wherever you are...!
No comments:
Post a Comment