【The Memory of English Afternoon Tea 。回味英式下午茶】

2011年10月15日 大熱天

Raisin & Cranberry scones ^.^V

這是第二次弄的鬆餅（或司康--Scone的譯音）。
第一次是迷迭香口味；
這一次是葡萄乾+蔓越梅（小妞不是很喜歡迷迭香的味道）。

之前在英國吃到生平的第一個鬆餅就愛上了。一直很想嘗試動手做，但很多食譜都把做法寫得很“恐怖”---很挑戰，好像一個不細心地捏就弄不出，所以一直下不了手。。。買現成的真的不便宜。。。

食譜是面子書的一位網友飄洋過海分享的。第一次試做成功後就認定了這個食譜 ^.^v 只因為它讓媽咪找回了那種味道和口感。。。和本地烘培店賣的比較，是有過之而無不及的！
。。。就是香，脆，不會太紮實，卻又不會鬆散
。。。只要跟足材料和做法！
。。。其實不會復雜，也不難^.^v

鬆餅食譜

Ingredients:
* yields 16 medium size scones

A) 2   cups (220g)   Self raising flour      
     1/2 cup (60g)     Plain flour (or all purpose flour) 


B) 1/2 tsp Baking powder
     1/2 tsp Salt
     1 tbsp  Icing sugar
     4 tbsp  Rosemary (dried) [I replaced with raisins and cranberries)

C) 1/2 cup (115g) Chilled unsalted butter (cut into small cubes)

D) 3/4 cup (180ml) Milk
    1pcs                   Egg (lightly beaten) 
For glazing:
1 egg, beated and add 1 tbsp milk


Let's do it!!
1. Preheat oven at 205C. Line baking tray.

2. Sieve together self raising flour & the plain flour. Add in (B)--baking powder, icing sugar, salt, and rosemary, mix well.

3. Use fingertips to rub the flour mixture and chilled butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs or lumpy.

4.  Make a well at the centre of the mixture, slowly add in (D)--milk and egg. Mix well very gently using spatula.
**DO NOTOVERMIX or the scones will turn out very hard!! >.<

5. Sprinkle some flour on the tabletop. Gently knead the dough on the flour; pat the dough to make it 1.5" thick. Divide the dough into 16 pieces. Shape each dough to become round. Arrange on the lined baking tray. Glaze with egg&milk mixture.

6. Bake in preheated oven at 205C for about 15min. (duration may vary from one oven to another).

DONE!! ;)

【Famous-Amos-Taste-Alike Cookies 。接近“正品”的冒牌曲奇】

June 06, 2011 Cheerful Sunny Day

Truly happy with this batch of chocolate chips with pecans cookies!!!! (more accurately, mummy is rather happy with the recipe*) Until now (5 hours after baking was done) the smell is still surrounding the kitchen!

* Intellectual property of blogger Pauline, posted on Cake.Bake.Love



For the very first time, mummy practiced rubbing-in-method. 
Not sure, is this the reason that contributes to the success?! 

 Yes, the cookies really taste like the F.Amos cookies. Especially the smell. Mummy has tried out a few cookies recipes, this is the only one giving the same smell that stimulates us whenever any F.Amos counter is approaching (^.^)v



Unlike other cookies dough, the dough is actually quite soft & moist.
Mummy even thought that this would be a "gone case" ;p

 Texture wise, if you prefer hard crunchy type, this one might not meet your expectation because these cookies are even crunchier--nearly flaky & “airy”! Dryer and harder texture would definitely make them taste more like the F.Amos ones! However, because of the crunchiness, it makes you eat more >,<

Ingredients:(A)
- 250g       Cold butter (cut into small cubes)
- ½ cup      Brown sugar
- 2½ cups  Plain flour*
- 1 tsp        Baking soda*
- ½ tsp       Baking powder*
- ½ tsp       Salt
* Can be replaced by self-raising flour
(B)
- 1      Beaten egg (about 55g with shell, a Grade B egg)
- 50g  Melted chocolate (set aside to cool) [Lindht dark choc. was used here]
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
(C)
- 150-200g Chocolate chips
Any nuts of your preference [pecans were used here]

Method:1) Use fingertips to rub (A) till lumpy;
2) Add (B) to (A) mixture to form a dough (do not knead);
3) Add (C);
4) Drop the cookie dough onto lined baking tray. Leave some space between the cookies to allow for spreading.

5) Bake in preheated oven at 150C for about 12mins or until cookies turn light brown. **

6) Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely and keep in airtight container.

**Adjust according to your oven temperature because every oven functions differently.

The oven at {ma-masak} kitchen is quite "cool", normally takes longer to complete a mission. Mummy baked for about 15 mins.