FROM BREAD TO CHOCOLATE BROWNIES - ALL THINGS INTERESTING
The perfect scone recipe
I have always wanted the perfect scone recipe! One of those that you whip up on lazy weekend mornings, one that can have some extra’s added to them, or just be plain and have butter and jam on and taste perfect!
I also wanted it to be a baking mix, but then, I wasn’t so sure! I mean, do we need a scone baking mix? It’s one of those things, like do we need another cake mix baking mix? I actualy don’t know. I still don’t know, so I figured I’d share my recipe with you and realy hope you use it!
It’s a little bit long, but honestly, it’s not hard, I get my kids involved in most of the baking, so there you have it, if they can help, then realy you can make it!
It’s made with a handful of pantry staples, loaded with some of your favorite mix ins, or leave it as is! But it’s buttery and flaky all at the same time and realy is the perfect breakfast or tea time snack!
The pantry goods you will need are….
Flour
Baking Powder
Sugar
Heavy Cream or Whipping cream
Egg
Salt
Butter ( cold)
Vanilla (optional)
Dried Fruit ( optional)
Choc Chips (optional)
Blueberries ( optional)
There are a few optional add ins, if you don’t want/have any don’t use them, these are great scones plain!
Baking Sheet
Baking Paper
Mixing Bowls
Fork / Pastry Cutter
Knife
Realy is pretty much everything you will have already!
Let’s get started making your scones!
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 Cups Flour
1/4 Sugar
2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup COLD butter
3/4 heavy cream or whipping cream
1 egg
OPTIONAL
1/2 cup dried add ins / mix in
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat y our oven to 200C and line your baking sheet with the baking paper
In a large bowl, mix together your dry ingredients, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Grate/cut your butter into pieces roughly pea size and if using, add in your add ins. Add this all to the bowl with your dry ingredients. Give it a quick mix.
In a small bowl whisk your egg, your heavy/whipping cream and vanilla. Slowly add this to your dry mixture and using a fork combine this until you have a shaggy clumpy doughy mixture. Turn it out onto a floured surface and press into a 2cm ish high square. Don’t squish it all tightly together, it needs to be loose and shaggy. Cut this dough in half and stack them ontop of each other. Press them down together, so they form one square or round 2cm high. Now you can decide what form you want your scones. I went for round cut into “pizza slices”. If you want traditional round forms, cut them out with a cookie cutter. Or if your looking for squares use a knife and cut them out. When using up your “leftover” dont knead/squish the layers, this is what gives it the flaky, fluffy texture. I realy do recommend you your your shapes so you don’t have any leftovers!
Place scones onto your baking mix and about 2cm apart. Brush each scones with some more heavy cream and sprinkle with some extra sugar! FREEZE them for 15 minutes, this helps your butter stay put!
Remove from the freezer and pop directly into the oven for 12-15 minutes! Depending on your size of the scones you cut! Mine, as per picture went 15 minutes!
They are done when the have puffed up, the tops are a lovely golden colour! IF they are turning more brown than golden add a piece of tin foil to the top and bake for the remaining time!
These are best eaten on the same day, and are absolutely fine when warmed up for the next 2-3 days! Keep them in a airtight container!
TIPS AND TRICKS
Don’t overmix your dough, you want a loose dough, this is what helps it stay fluffy and keeps its layers!
Don’t use a rolling pin, pat, press your dough!
Use some yummy add ins, nuts, fruit maybe try some yummy spices!
I realy hope you try these! They are amazing!
8 Secrets on how to make box (pouch) brownies awesome
Box or in my case, pouch brownies always get a bad rep! They are made to be cheap, easy and quick so major food producers whip them out as a add on to an already great line! But this, gives them the terrible feedback they seem to be getting!
I am writing this to convince you, that not all box (pouch) brownie mixes are the same! Small, local companies like Flour and Dough, make ours the way you would at home, with good ingredients, loads of chocolate chips and just the right amount of everything!
These Chewy Chocolate Brownies are made to be chewy, gooey and fudgy and loaded with yummy chocolate pieces, that when baked and melted are still there and not disintegrated into nothingness!
This baking mix, will taste like they came from the best bakery in town, I promise!
If you still don’t believe me, here are a few more tips on how to make your brownie baking mix, better than ever!
1 - START WITH FLOUR AND DOUGH CHEWY CHOCOLATE BROWNIE MIX
This is a easy one, right? Obviously, it’s a blog about Flour and Dough baking mixes, brownies to be exact!
2 -WE USE BUTTER AND NOT OIL
DONT EVER USE OIL!! That’s it, don’t you dare do it!
Butter adds a certain richness and depth to your brownie. Ever had a slice of cake and it left you with that horrible oil taste in your month…think of that when reaching for you oil when trying to make a batch of brownies!
3 - EGGS
Now, being in New Zealand and currently struggling to keep up with the prices of eggs, I know this is a hard one. But don’t replace eggs for something else, use eggs. Use the amount of eggs as suggested on the baking mix, if you really want to add one more, you can, but remember it will need to bake longer and it will be more cake like. Eggs help to give that perfect crack on the top of the brownie.
That look that just screams, professional!
4. DO NOT OVER MIX YOUR BAKING MIX
Now, I have said this before, I say it on the back of the baking mix, don’t do it. It makes the batter dense, thick and just not airy. Your brownie will come out, thick, clunky and hard!
All you need to do is mix until you have no dry parts left, that’s it, now scrape it into your baking pan!
5. COOK THEM LOW AND SLOW
Now this is something that I love to do! Cook them on a lower heat, say 160 degrees C, and then push up the time between 40 and 50 minutes - depending on your oven. This makes them even fudgier! I dont even think that’s a real word, but it works here!
NOW COMES THE PART WHERE I TELL YOU THAT ITS OK TO ADD THINGS - YES IT REALY IS
6. ADD COFFEE
Who doesn’t want a brownie that’s rich and extra chocolaty? Add 1 teaspoon of coffee to a small amount of water, you don’t want to make your brownies watery. Stir it up and add it to the brownie batter.
You know that coffee and chocolate are a match made in heaven, right? Coffee intensify’s the flavour of chocolate, it makes it deeper, richer.
7. ADD MARSHMALLOWS, PRETZELS, PEANUTS,CRUSHED COOKIES, M&M’s….
You get what I am trying to say here?! Add whatever you like, to the batter, even sprinkle some on top! Give it a swirl of peanut butter or my personal favorite some Biscoff!
8. AGAIN, I AM TELLING YOU IT’s REALY OK TO MAKE SOMETHING ELSE FROM YOUR BROWNIE BAKING MIX
Make a brownie cake, tart cups, brownie crust for your favorite cheese cake…this is topic for a different day, but go ahead, experiment and you will be pleasantly surprised!
So go on, have some, get the kids involved and make some awesome memories, and some amazing brownies too!
Delicious Blondie Biscuits
When you get a bag of Blondie Mix, you can spice it up or leave it as is, I promise you will like it either way!
We decided with the help of school holidays that these needed to be turned into biscuits! Let me tell you this was such success that we ended up having to make this 3 more times, jup you read that correctly!
This is such a easy treat for your cookie jar and so easy to make, you will do yourself a favour by making two batches! These did not last one full day in our house!
the recipe is simple
You dont need to be great at baking to make this or any of the mixes
1 Pouch of Blondie Baking Mix
1/4 cup of extra plain flour
Mix as per the back of the packet, dont forget to add in the extra 1/4 cup of flour!
Line your cookie baking sheet with parchment paper.
Scoop heaped tablespoons onto the cookie sheet and leave as is, dont flatten, dont press, just leave the scoops there.
Give them some space to spread their wings!
Bake for 10 minutes - if using multiple sheets, switch half way through!
Take them out and let them cool down before you eat them!