Scones for Christmas Breakfast

Today we had freshly baked scones for breakfast, served with cream and jam. I got this recipe from ABC (Melissa's best ever scones). The recipe was very simple and easy to follow. 

The recipe suggests using half and half (half milk and half cream) will make a denser scone with richer flavour. 

I changed parts of the recipe like the oven temperature (mine is a fan forced oven) and the thickness of the scone dough rounds - so here are the exact bits and pieces I used:

Ingredients

  - 2 Cups Self Raising Flour

  - Pinch of Caster Sugar

  - 30g butter (cut to small cubes, straight from the fridge)

  - 180mL of Half and Half (half milk and half cream)

Method

  1. Sift flour

  2. Rub butter into flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs

  3. Add a pinch of caster sugar

  4. Add milk or half and half until the dough is soft and not sticky

  5. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead/pat until its smooth

  6. Use a rolling pin (start from the centre and roll outwards) 

  7. Roll dough until it us about 1 inch thick and cut into 5cm rounds

  8. Place into oven tray (lined with baking paper)

  9. Glaze top of scones with milk and bake at 200°C for 12 to 15 minutes.

I baked it in the over for just over 15 minutes. Some came out just on the mark and some needed an extra minute or two. The outside was crunchy and the inside was soft and flaky. The texture of the scone was wonderful (quote from Mr. K). I reckon it was pretty good myself, good enough to be cafe worthy. Will definitely use this recipe again. Only I might warm up the oven tray (have it pre-heated) and try it with milk only....

Christmas Cookie Spirit

Just a short post this time for some cookie time.

Our nice friend has made us some cookies to celebrate this Christmas! The cookies were just so nicely tied up that I couldn't help but turn paparazzi on them. These homemade shortbread m&m's cookies were just so perfect for camera :)

While I was on food paparazzi mode, I dug out another of my good friends givings. Ah, the goodness of cookies. These I think are called 'gem biscuits', some of us with a Hong Kong background call them "to chi beng" meaning belly button biscuit. Don't ask me how this name came about. These biscuits are have icing sugar on top of a plain biscuit on the bottom (tastes just like a marie/milk arrowroot) but it was one of my all time favourites in the 80's. They're quite hard to come by these days and brings back many childhood biscuit memories.

Thank you and Wishing all my friends a Merry Christmas and a great new year. May we all have happy cookie times !

Breakfast at Cafe 58

Today we ventured out for some breakfast endeavours. Last time we came to Cafe 58, the Canadian pancakes were to die for. The pancakes were high and puffy, extremely fluffly yet dense enough to give you something to bite on.

We decided to try again this time, I ordered the Canadian pancakes and Mr. K had eggs benedict. I was suggesting to order his drink (a flat white) for him as well so that it'd match the eggs benedict in the photos, but I was forcibly declined :P In the end, he had his short mac, traditional and I opted for a flat white - double shots. (ah.. the caffeine).

The eggs benedict was quite good value, the bread was a good sized and it came with two large poached eggs and plenty of ham. The hollandaise sauce was creamy, yet not too rich nor salty. I find some places has it with a bit too much lemon juice in it making it a bit sour, but this one wasn't too over powering and felt just right. It was still really filling though.

As for my canadian pancakes, I was a little bit disappointed as it wasn't as tall and fluffy as last time. The taste was still there, but it was lacking a bit in the pancake arena. Coffee was great, all in all, a great neighbourhood breakfast place. They have very nice cakes on display though, got to try one of them next time :)

Cafe 58
Address: 58 Carrington St Palmyra WA 6157