Granny's Apple Scones

These scones I learnt to make with my granny in her kitchen on our holidays. The smell brings back happy memories of childhood, messiness and cake is always going to be a winner. I have altered the recipe slightly but have left it in the old measurements as my Granny had them. She passed this recipe on to me and I always feel honoured to recreate something one of the best bakers I know makes. My granny is one of the people who inspired me to start baking and inspires me every day with emails of her creations. This recipe also disproves the myth that scones are difficult to make, taking around 45 minutes from start to face! I recently made these for my partners work and they lasted only a few seconds. This recipe makes around 24 scones; trust me - there's no such thing as too many.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb cooking apples
16oz plain flour
6oz butter - I used dairy free
2 egg
2 tsp baking powder
4 oz sugar
100ml  milk - I used Soy milk
2 tsp cinnamon
Sugar crystals to top

Method:
Peel, core and chop the apples finely. Mix the flour and baking powder and rub in the butter. Add the sugar, cinnamon and apple and blend to a soft dough with the egg and the milk, adding a little at a time. Knead the ingredients together.

Roll out the dough to approx. ¾ inch think and cut into 2inch rounds. Place on a floured baking tray and sprinkle with the sugar crystals before baking at 160c for 30 minutes until golden brown and firm to touch.

Slather with butter and scoff, smiling happily.

Enjoy!

When you make these, please take a picture and tag me using #diaryofadefectivehousewife

Queen of Cherry Tea Fruit Cake

One of my friends and I recently went on a mini road trip to visit a local-ish tea shop - the Bothan Ceol in Dingwall. The incredible range of teas was amazing for a self-confessed tea-aholic like myself but their 'Queen of Cherry' tea really drew me in. Armed with a wee bag of it, I couldn't resist making a version of a fruit cake I make in large quantities which always goes down a treat. The cake could easily be made with other teas but I personally think a trip to visit the Bothan Ceol makes it even more worth while.

This fruit cake is properly packed with fruit and properly  wrapped in greaseproof and in an airtight container can apparently last for a month but Ive never seen it last more than three days. Excellent for taking with you on long journeys, this cake is popular with everyone and is equally brilliant on its own or slathered in butter. This recipe makes two loaves as one is never enough!

Ingredients:
3 tbsp Queen of Cherry Tea
600ml hot water
1kg mixed dried fruit
500g self raising flour
250g caster sugar
2 eggs
3 tsp mixed spice
1 tub maraschino cherries

Method:
Place the tea leaves in a jug with the hot water and leave to stew for around ten minutes. Once the tea is ready, place the dried fruit into a bowl and pour the tea over, using a sieve to remove the leaves. Leave the fruit for as long as possible, at least an hour, to soak up the tea.

Preheat your oven to 180C and line two loaf tins with greaseproof paper.

Once the fruit has soaked in the tea, add the flour, sugar, eggs and mixed spice to the bowl along with the cherries which need to be chopped into quarters. Mix thoroughly until everything is combined, making sure to scrape right to the bottom of the bowl.

Spoon carefully into the two tins and smooth off the tops. Bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes until dark golden brown and firm to the touch. The cakes should now be weighty and smell insanely good. Allow to cool slightly before taking out the tins and stuffing in your face!

I really hope you enjoy making and eating this recipe as much as my family do and that you will go and visit The Bothan Ceol.

Enjoy!

Easy Tomato Spaghetti

This incredibly easy recipe has become a firm favourite in our home and its super quick to make which is always useful. This serves two people and can easily be added to with meat, other veggies or cheese but I love it just as it is. The fresh tomatoes roasted down make this the ideal summer dish.

Ingredients:

2 packets of cherry tomatoes (approx 60)
1 large handful fresh basil
2 large onions
6 cloves garlic
olive oil
salt and pepper
spaghetti for 2 people

Method:

Preheat your oven to 200c and place the tomatoes in a roasting tray. Add in the onions roughly chopped into chunks around the same size as the tomatoes and the garlic finely sliced. Roughly chop most of the basil and add to the tray. Generously season with salt and pepper and slather with olive oil. Place the dish in the oven and roast for about 15 minutes until the onions are translucent and the tomatoes are soft and squishy.

While the sauce is in the oven, cook the spaghetti to the instructions on the packet. Once the spaghetti is cooked, take the tomato mix and carefully mash all of the tomatoes with a fork to release the juices. The juice will be hot so take care not to splatter yourself.

Place the spaghetti pan back over a low heat and add in the tomato mix, stirring to coat the pasta in the oil and juices. Add in the last of the basil leave to wilt gently in the heat of the pasta.




Serve with your choice of toppings or just as is for an easy and fantastically easy meal.

When you make this, please take a picture and tag me using #diaryofadefectivehousewife

Enjoy!