A few months ago, gripped by baking fever, I purchased Mary Berry's Baking Bible. I quickly decided to embark upon a mission to bake everything in the book, and turn myself from an occasional baker into a bit of an expert. My Grandad Ern was a Master Baker by trade; the man responsible for introducing Danish Pastries to England in fact, and I wish it had occurred to me to spend more time learning from him, rather than simply enjoying the fruits of his effortless labours. This project is almost a way of making amends for that; I'd like to follow in his footsteps (if not in my career, at least as a hobby) and continue the proud heritage of baking in my family.
I credit my friend Rachel with the idea to write a blog about my baking exploits, hoping that there will be more successes than failures as I attempt all 213 of the Queen of Baking's recipes.
So as not to bore the husband with a monotonous diet of sponges, followed by weeks of biscuits, I've decided to tackle the recipes by selecting the first bake from each chapter, followed by the second recipe and so on. I'm not going to pick and choose; I'm determined to face my baking demons and learn how to do everything baking-related, even if the consequences are disastrous!
Everything will be photographed, with comment about how I found baking it, and a husband rating (to be taken with a pinch of salt as he has a very selective cake-tooth).


Sunday 13 October 2013

47. Very Best Scones

I made these so long ago but haven't had a minute to update my blog. I'm lucky enough to find the time to bake these days, with a little person to take care of! Anyway, one of the main reasons why I decided to make these my next bake was the fact that after a trip to Devon and Cornwall, I didn't manage to get my cream tea. These were on my list of imminent bakes, so I stocked up on strawberry jam and clotted cream and got baking.
I found the recipe and method quite unusual in that I've made loads of scones in the past, but never this way. I don't think I've ever added sugar to them, and I've certainly never included eggs in the mixture. I was really taken aback by the wetness of the dough, and did find it really hard to work with. Mary advises that having a wet mixture makes for a better rise, so I persevered and got myself into a right old sticky mess! The dough was hard to roll out as a result, and once I'd cut the rounds, they were hard to peel off the work surface as well. So much for them keeping their shape! By the time I'd wrestled with the sticky mess, I'd lost interest in aesthetics; I just wanted to them to bake properly and taste good!
They certainly did rise, and I think they baked evenly and looked tasty. Once they'd cooled, we got out the jam and cream and had ourselves a lovely cream tea (jam first, cream on top). We repeated this the next day, but then I took the remainder to work for a special Monday treat. They went down very well, with someone asking me for the recipe!
Baker's verdict: messy to make; need to be in a patient mood! Very light and tasty though. I'll take more care over the presentation next time.
Husband rating: 7.5/10 - they were nice with the jam and cream.
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