Ham & tomato scones difficulty ** #83

Makes about 12

Preparing time: 20 minutes 

Cooking time: 12-15 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 125 ml milk, plus extra to glaze 
• 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato paste
• 50 g Serrano ham, finely diced
• 250 g self-raising flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder 
• 40 g butter, chilled and diced
• ground paprika, for sprinkling 

1. Beat together the milk, tomato paste and ham in a jug 
2. Put the flour and baking powder in a bowl or food processor
3. Add the butter and rub in with the fingertips or process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs 
4. Add the milk mixture and mix or blend briefly to a soft dough 
5. Shape the dough into a ball on a lightly floured surface, then roll out to 1.5 cm thick 
6. Cit out about 12 rounds using a 4 cm plain biscuit cutter, re-rolling the trimmings to make more 
7. Place slightly apart on a greased baking sheet, then lightly apart on a greased baking sheet, then brush with milk and sprinkle with paprika 
8. Bake in a preheated oven, 220 C(425 F),Gas Mark 7, for 12-15 minutes or until risen and golden 
9. Transfer to a wire rack to cool 
10. Serve warm or cold, split and buttered with Chilli & parsley butter, if liked (see below)
11. For chilli & parsley butter
12. To serve as an accompaniment
13. Beat together 100 g softened slightly salted butter, 1/2 deseeded and finely chopped medium-strength red chilli 
14. 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley and 1 crushed garlic clove in a bowl 
15. Turn into a small dish, cover and cilli until ready to serve 
16. Enjoy! :-)

Brown sugar meringues difficulty * #82

Makes about 15

Preparing time: 25 minutes 

Cooking time: 60 minutes 

Ingredients: 

• 100 g light sugar 
• 75 g caster sugar 
• 200 g clotted cream 
• 3 eggs whites

1. Mix together the sugars in a bowl 
2. Whisk the egg whites in a large clean bowl with a hand-held electric whisk until peaking 
3. Whisk in a tablespoonful of the sugar mixture and continue to whisk for about 15 seconds 
4. Gradually add the remaining sugar, a spoonful at a time and whisking well between each addition, until thick and glossy
5. Spoon about 30 dessertspoonfuls of the mixture into roughly swirled mounds on 2 baking sheets lined with baking parchment 
6. Alternatively, spoon into a piping bag fitted with a nozzle and pipe swirls on to the baking sheets 
7. Bake in a preheated oven, 120 C(250 F), Gas Mark 1/2 for about 60 minutes until the meringues are crisp and come away easily from the paper 
8. Leave on the paper to cool, then use the clotted cream to sandwich the meringues together in pairs.
9. Enjoy! :-)

Flourless chocolate cake difficulty ** #81

Cuts into: 12

Preparing time: 25 minutes 

Cooking time: 60 minutes 

 

Ingredients:

• 125 g blanched almonds 
• 125 g Brazil nuts 
• 225 g plain dark chocolate 
• 225 g slightly salted butter 
• 4 eggs, separate 
• 225 g golden caster sugar 
• sifted cocoa powder 

1. Put the almond, Brazil nut and chocolate in a food processor and process until consistency of ground almonds
2. Beat together the butter, egg yolks and 175 g of the sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy
3. Stir in the chocolate mixture
4. Whisk the egg whites in a large clean bowl with a hand-held electric whisk until peaking 
5. Gradually whisk in the remaining sugar, a spoonful at a time
6. Stir a quarter of the mixture into the creamed mixture using a large metal spoon 
7. Add the remaining egg whites and stir gently to mix 
8. Spoon the mixture into a greased and lined 23 cm loose-bottomed or spring-form cake tin and level the surface 
9. Bake in a preheated oven, 160 C(325 F),Gas Mark 3, for about 60 minutes or until just firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean
10. Leave to cool in the tin, then remove the ring and base and dust with sifted cocoa powder 
11. Serve with fresh raspberry compote, if liked 

For the raspberry compote, to serve as an accompaniment, put 75 g fresh raspberries, 40 g caster sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon water in a small saucepan. Cook for about 5 minutes until the raspberries are soft and mushy. Strain through a sieve into a bowl and stir in a further 225 g raspberries. Mix gently until coated in the sauce. Chill until ready to serve. 

Enjoy! :-)