Traditional scones (plain or fruity)

Hello everyone, I hope you all are safe and sane! I am visiting my family in Greece. My mum is obsessed with british traditional scones so she requested me to make some for her.  This is the best treat for any time really. There is no afternoon tea without scones, is it? I also tried to make clotted cream as it’s almost impossible to find it in north Greece. Clotted cream didn’t come as perfect as I wanted so I will give it a try again to make it perfect so I can share it with you, until then enjoy my favorite scone recipe plain or fruity! I also wanted to ask you do you prefer cream first or jam? Xx 

Ingredients:

3 cups Self raising floor (390 gr)

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp caster sugar

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter into cubes (100 gr)

1 cup warm milk (200 ml.)

1 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 cupsultanas & raisins (100 gr) (optional)

1 beaten egg for egg wash

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 220ºC. Place the flour into a bowl, add salt, baking powder, sugar and mix. Add the butter, then lightly rub in with fingertips until mixture looks like breadcrumbs. 
• Make a well in the centre of the crumble and add the warm milk and the vanilla extract.  As the dough forms, bring it together with your hands, it should be soft. At this stage you can add the raisins/sultanas in the dough and mix them a bit.   
• Lightly flour a clean worksurface and a rolling pin. Gently roll out the dough to 2.5-3cm thick. Dip a round cutter in flour. Cut out each scone by placing the cutter on the dough and giving it a quick push down-wards. Don't twist the cutter! Just lift it and ease the dough out. You'll get five or six scones out of the round. Gather the trimmings, re-roll to the same thickness and cut more, repeating until you have a total of eight.
• Line a baking tray with baking paper and arrange the scones on it. Lightly brush each one with beaten egg. Bake in the middle shelf of the oven for 15 -20min, or until well risen and golden (If the bottom is golden must be done). Transfer scones to a cooling rack to cool for 5min or until just warm. Slice them in half and serve with clotted cream and jam of your choice.

 

French Madeleines

I love the shell like detailing on these tiny cakes, it reminds me of the seaside. I know you all love them as much as I do! Scroll down and find the recipe! 

Ingredients: 

• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp caster sugar (80 gr.)
• lemon zest from 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup plain flour (80 gr.)
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder (7 gr.)
• 1/2 tsp salt (2.5 gr.)
• 1/8 cup melted butter (25 g.)
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds (15 gr.) optional

Instructions:

• In a mixing bowl add eggs, sugar and mix with a hand mixer on low speed, until it turns in a pale yellow colour. Add the lemon zest. 
• Add the flour, baking powder, salt and mix on low speed.
• add the melted butter and the poppy seeds. Mix until we have a smooth batter. Don't over mix. 
• Refrigerate the batter for at least an hour to get that traditional Madeleine hump. If you prefer you can make it 2 days ahead or leave it over night in the fridge. Thats is going to make even better humped madeleines!
• Brush a Madeleine tin with some melted butter. Scoop the madeleine mix in to the moulds. Fill 1/2 of each shell. You can also use a piping bag for that.
• Bake the madeleines in a preheated oven at 180C degrees for 6-8 minutes. 
• Take them out of the oven and leave them to cool a bit. Transfer them from the tin and dust them with icing sugar. 
• Ready to serve with a hot coffee or tea!

Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies

I am a big peanut butter lover. I can die in the idea of a chocolate fudge cake, filled with peanut butter and jelly. As I had plenty of time I went through my kitchen cabinets to clean them up and see what's going on in there. I found this peanut butter container and I was thinking for a while what can i do with it as the expired day wasn't far. It was the days that I was also thinking a lot of chocolate chip cookies for my morning coffee. Then I said to my self why don't you make peanut butter chocolate chip cookies right? So here I got you the recipe of that little dream bites! 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup flour (150 gr.)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter (110 gr.) (room temperature)
• 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter(190 gr.)
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar (75 gr.)
• 2/3 cup caster sugar. (75 gr.)
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (150 gr.)

Instructions:

• In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda, set aside. 
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, peanut butter with both sugars. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low, add the vanilla, and egg. Mix well, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture, mix until just combined. 
• Stir in the chocolate chips. (At this stage you can also add any chopped nut or dried fruit if you like).
• Scoop the dough with an ice-cream scoop (about 40-50 grams each) onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and leave them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
• Spread the chilled cookie balls onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Leave enough space in between the cookies as they will spread during baking. 
• Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for about 10-12 minutes. Don't bake them longer as they will not take any colour and you will end up with over baked cookies.
• Cool completely before serving and store them in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

Easter chocolate chip cookies

As today is Easter Sunday and as we all staying home this year what better than spending time in the kitchen with the family baking and having fun? No one can refuse a crispy edged cookie with a soft and chewy center! 

Ingredients:

• ½ cup granulated sugar(100 gr.)
• ¾ cup light brown sugar(170 gr.)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup melted unsalted butter(120 gr.)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour(160 gr.)
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 2/3 cup mini eggs chopped(140 gr.)
• 2/3 cup dark chocolate chunk(110 gr.)

Instructions

• In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda, set aside. 
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter with both sugars. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low, add the salt, vanilla, and egg. Mix well, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture, mix until just combined. 
• Stir in the chocolate chips and chopped mini eggs, be careful to not over mix. 
• Scoop the dough with an ice-cream scoop (about 40-50 grams each) onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and leave them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
• Spread the chilled cookie balls onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Leave enough space in between the cookies as they will spread during baking. 
• Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for about 12-15 mins or until the are golden around the edges. 
• Cool completely before serving and store them in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

Tip* 

If you want to make the cookies plain. Replace the easter mini eggs with the same amount of milk chocolate chips.