Tea Time Treats - January 2012

This months 'Teatime Treats Blogging Challenge' theme over at Lavender and Lovage is sweet pastries and breads.   'The Tea-time Treats Blogging challenge' is hosted on alternate months by Kate at What Kate Baked and Karen at Lavender and Lovage.  Any one can enter and at the end of the month there is a 'Showcase' round up of everyone's delicious contributions and ideas.  I will be entering  'Cinnamon Rolls' this month.  I have blogged about these beauties twice before Here and Here.  If you haven't made them yet, I strongly recommend you give them a go.   

Ingredients

Serves: 12

• 15g (1/2 oz) dried active baking yeast
• 7 tablespoons caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 450ml (16 fl oz) warm water (45 C)
• 800g (1 3/4 lb) plain flour, divided
• 2 eggs
• 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 8 tablespoons caster sugar
• 1 dessertspoon ground cinnamon

Method

(I put the dough ingredients in my trusty old Bread Machine and let him do all the work.  Then I have time to write my blog!)  

1.

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and 7 tablespoons sugar in warm water. Stir in salt and half of the flour. Beat mixture for 2 minutes. Beat in eggs and oil. Stir in the remaining flour, a little at a time, beating well after each addition.

2.

When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. In a small bowl, stir together remaining sugar and 1 dessertspoon cinnamon; set aside.

3.

Divide the dough into twelve equal pieces. Take each piece of dough, roll into a log and roll in cinnamon sugar mixture. Then roll up the log into a pinwheel. Place the pinwheels in a lightly greased 23x33 cm (9x13 in) baking tin. Cover the rolls with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180 C / Gas mark 4.

4.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until golden.

Tip:

For a delicious addition, you can add sultanas, Craisins, pecans, or walnuts to the cinnamon and sugar mixture just before you make the dough into pinwheels.  I have also left mine over night so they are ready to bake in the morning.  You are hard pushed to find a better start to the day than a warm Cinnamon Roll and a house that is filled with a sweet cinnamon aroma.

Teatime Treats Blogging Challenge -December 'Festive Mince Pie Somosas'

I have my entry ready for this fun Blogging Challenge 'Teatime Treats' hosted by Kate at 'What Kate Baked' and Karen at 'Lavender and Lovage'.  This month the theme is 'Christmas'.
My Festive little offering is a newly invented creation by moi and let me tell you they have gone down a storm in this house.  Let me reveal...in true Willy Wonka genius style (apart from there is no Chocolate!)
'Mince Pie Somosas.'  Yeah Baby Yeah!
These are a cheeky little twist on the old Festive favourite.  If you are greedy then can be eaten in one substantial mouthful, if you are more demure, you can have two tasty little bites, or just go how the mood takes you!  They are delicious hot or cold.
Ingredients
250g of Plain Flour
1 egg (from your bestest clucky friends)  Separate the egg.
2tbls of vegetable oil
Water to make a dough
1tsp of ground mixed spice


Filling
1 Jar of Mincemeat

Method
Add the egg yolk, oil and spice to the flour, mix quickly to make a breadcrumb like mixture.  Add enough water to make a smooth dough.  Roll out onto a floured surface, to about 3mm thickness.  Cut out Circles and cut each circle in half.  Using the egg white to seal the Somosas wrap the semi circle into a cone, place 1tsp of the Mincemeat inside the cone and use more egg white to seal the edge by pinching.  Deep fry in small batches until golden.  Drain on Kitchen Paper and sprinkle with Caster Sugar.

Ginger Beer Scones

I am turning in to The Queen of Scones!  I have posted the recipe for Cheese Scones then I posted the recipe for Easy Peasy Lemonade Scones, one for the boys, I posted the recipe for Cheese and Beer Scones.  Now let me bring you ............The Ginger Beer Scone!

Makes about 12-14 scones.

325g self-raising flour
170ml cold Ginger Beer (use the carbonated type)
170ml Double cream (It needs to be a heavy cream as no other fat is going into these scones.)
25g of finely chopped Crystallised Ginger

Preheat oven to 225 degrees Celsius (205 degrees Celsius fan-forced). Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Sift flour into a large bowl add the crystallised ginger. Combine Ginger Beer and cream in a medium bowl. Add Ginger Beer and cream mixture to flour and gently fold ingredients together until just combined (don't over mix the dough as this will make tough scones). The dough should be fairly soft and sticky.

Place dough on a lightly floured work surface, form into a round and press out to about 3.5cm thickness. Cut scones using a floured 5cm diameter cutter.   Use a quick, firm motion to cut the scones to gives them a better shape and it makes them less likely to stick to the cutter. Form the offcuts into another round and cut some more scones.

Place scones close together on the tray, so they are just touching. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until pale golden and cooked through.

If you like your scones to have a soft crust, cover them with a clean tea towel for one minute after removing from the oven. Delicious served spread with butter and  a drizzle of honey .

Scones take no time at all to make and are very economical as a quick snack.  It also makes sense when you already have the oven on to use the fuel economically and bake goodies alongside dinner.