Mega Cheese and Bacon Skillet Scone

Really into my breads at the moment, in fact as I'm writing this recipe up I have some dough rising on the side and some garlic roasting in the oven for a (hopefully) lovely garlic and rosemary bread. This mega scone I can confirm was a lovely bread. It was really easy to make too and you don't even have to leave it to prove, literally just bash it together, stick it in the oven and bam ready. Ideal if you're short of time and all the ingredients are the kind of stuff likely to already be knocking about the kitchen. I just made this one weeknight and we had it with a couple of tins of tomato soup; dead easy and tasty (especially when eaten whilst still warm).

Ingredients

200g self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

40g butter, cut into cubes

1 packet smoked bacon lardons (about 180g-200g)

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

100g mature cheddar, grated, or any cheese of your choice (this is for quite a cheesy scone - just decrease the amount if you don't want it so cheesy)

about 100ml milk

First fry off your bacon until it is nice and cripsy then put aside on some kitchen roll to drain the fat from them.

Preheat your oven to 220°C and lightly oil an 8 inch skillet pan (don't worry if you dont have one you can use a cake tin or a casserole dish or even just a baking tray - I just like skillets and this creates a nice crust).

In a bowl mix together the flour, baking powder and cayenne pepper then add the butter cubes and rub in to the flour using the tips of your fingers (like you're making pastry) until you have no lumps of butter. Mix in the grated cheese and bacon bits then add a bit of milk, adding a little more until it comes together into a ball.

Knead a couple of times - you just want it to form a rough ball, don't be tempted to knead it loads as this will give the scone a tough texture.

Place the dough into the oiled pan and put a cross in the top by pushing the handle of a wooden spoon firmly through the dough (this makes it easier to break up later) then sprinkle with a little more cheese and some cracked black pepper and bake in the oven for about 35 minutes.

If it looks like it is browning too much turn the oven down to 200°C for the rest of the time.

Check it by tapping the bottom and if it sound hollow then its done! This goes really well with soups and stews as it has that kind of dumpling texture or just by itself with a bit of butter.

Freshly baked Bialys

These have been a favourite of ours ever since I made them a few months back and despite the 4 hour preparation time they are definitely worth the effort! There is nothing better than these little babies straight from the oven and accompanied by some homemade soup they are an absolute delight!

The Bialy is very similar in texture to the bagel - soft and chewy - however being baked only and not boiled prior to baking they have a much softer crust than that of their bagel brother. I had never heard of the Bialy before and came upon the recipe on the Smitten Kitchen blog (one of my blog obsessions). I was instantly like 'I have to make these', and from the photographs alone I was salivating. I often wish that we had more of a bakery culture in Manchester (and I cannot count Greggs as an authentic bakery); other cities seem to be spoilt with baked goodness but I must get my kicks by recreating such things in my own kitchen. There is one traditional Jewish bakery in Cheetham Hill I have been to which is the only one that has come close to my expectations and I was like a child in a sweet shop, greedily wanting to buy everything! In the end I settled for a seed topped Challah bread and a selection of bagels. This was not enough.

So I have made these about 4 or 5 times since discovering them and I am still trying to perfect the shape - mine always rise too much compared with the lovely Deb's. I think it is the shaping - I need to thin out the centres more so the onion filling is not pushed out when they are baked. I believe perseverance is the key and if I make these enough times I will master the art - you gotta have a dream! So here's how you make them...

Ingredients

(makes 6)

300g strong white bread flour

1/2 tsp fast action dried yeast

1 tsp sea salt

175ml water, at room temperature

1/2 small onion, chopped

1 tbsp poppy seeds

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

In a mixing bowl or bowl of an electric mixer add the flour and then the yeast to one side and the salt to the other so they are not touching (the salt will kill the yeast). Using the dough hook mix on a low speed and slowly add the water to form a soft dough. Turn up to a medium speed and mix for about 7 minutes. If you are doing this by hand you will probably need to double this time.

Cover the dough and leave to rise in a warm place for about an hour and a half to 2 hours. Because of the low yeast content it needs longer than other breads to rise but this is what gives it the dense chewy texture.

Deflate the dough by pressing down then transfer to a floured work surface and cut into 6 equal pieces. Shape the pieces by pressing your thumbs into the centre and turning round in your hands. Fold the edges in to the well made by your thumbs to make a kind of pouch then place (pinch side down) on a floured baking tray. Cover and allow to rise for another 2 hours.

30 minutes before that time is up preheat your oven to 250°C or as high as it will go.

To make the onion filling heat the olive oil and fry the chopped onion on a medium heat until soft and translucent (between 5 and 10 minutes). Add the poppy seeds and a good few twists of sat and pepper - taste and adjust to your liking. Allow to cool a little.

Take each dough ball at a time and make a firm indent in the centre - working the dough to flatten it out making a kind of spaceship shape. Add a spoonful of the onion into each well and lightly press down. Sprinkle with flour and bake for 6-10 minutes until mottled golden brown. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes until just warm then enjoy the baked goodness!

Pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and toasted almonds

I see a lot of sweet recipes using pumpkin and I've always wanted to give it a go myself. I remember last Autumn becoming pretty addicted to Pumpking beer, a beer brewed from pumpkin and I made spicy pumpkin soup from the flesh removed when we carved one at Halloween but that's as far as my experience goes. This year I am attempting to grow my own for Halloween and the plant is doing quite well thus far so fingers crossed on that one! So this recipe uses tinned pumpkin (I used Libby's) which is kind of like a puree which you add to the cake mixture which gives it a richer, denser taste and texture than a regular sponge - without being too heavy that is. I think using pumpkin in sweet recipes is definitely an American thing and I did worry a little that they might turn out really sweet and sickly but they were not at all - the spices make them quite similar to a ginger cake and I think these will be perfect comfort food as the weather gets colder. You do not really see tinned pumpkin all that much in the UK but Aldi are selling it at the moment so I stocked up as I have always wanted to use it - I will have to go back and get some more whilst they still have it now I know it is a success!

I added the toasted almonds myself as I had some flaked almonds in the cupboard so I just spread them out on greaseproof paper on a baking tray, sprinkled them with brown sugar and toasted in the oven at 180°C for about 8 minutes (they smell amazing). You can add whatever you fancy to the top though - nuts, bits of toffee, chocolate drops, coloured sprinkles, or one of my favourites, peanut M&M's.

Ingredients

(makes 12-14)

200g self raising flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp all spice

1/2 tsp ground ginger

110g butter (at room temperature)
2 eggs

200g white sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tin canned pumpkin puree (I used Libby's)

For the cream cheese frosting:

120g cream cheese

30g butter (at room temperature)

220g icing sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

First preheat your oven to 175°C and line your baking tin with muffin cases - start with 12 and see if you need any more.

Beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat in well. Add the vanilla extract and mix.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl then add the pumpkin puree, mixing until roughly combined.

Sift in the flour, spices, bicarbonate of soda and salt a bit at a time, mixing together until thoroughy combined - try not to be too rough as you don't want all the air to be beaten out.

Fill the muffin cases with the mixture so they are almost to the top - an ice cream scoop is really handy for doing this. Use more muffin cases if you need to. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted.

Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before adding the frosting.

So for the frosting beat together the cream cheese and butter (an electric mixer makes this really easy) until it is smooth with no lumps. Add the vanilla extract and mix in.

Sift in the icing sugar about a 3rd at a time and mix in well, each time scraping round the sides to make sure it is all mixed in. Now here is where you need to use your judgement as I always find no matter which recipe I use I always have to add more icing sugar as the mixture seems to runny. I have upped the quantity from the recipe I used but you still may need to add more. The mixture needs to be able to stay on top of the cupcakes and not run off. I also try to leave the frosting in the fridge to set for a couple of hours if I can.

Spread the mixture on the top using a wide knife and top with whatever you fancy - in my case toasted almonds. Pumpkin in cake. Success.