Scrumptious Scones

I don't have a lot of American friends here - I mainly have UK or Australian ones, so I'm also picking up new recipes from them in addition to my Swiss ones. Sometimes the terms throw me more than the German ones, and some of the recipes are too bland for hubby (but perfect for me!), but I love, love, love these scones.  So did hubby - especially when I offered to put the toppings on for him.

I've only had the pre-mixed, blueberry scones in the US before, and I liked those, but these were so much better. And almost as simple to make.  I would like to try putting some blueberries in them though...or maybe it's just bb muffins I'd like...still haven't found the perfect recipe for them. One day.   Oh, and I used all Swiss/German ingredients too. Doubly proud.  Thank you so much for introducing me to these!


The original recipe that I was given can be found here
What you need:

350g flour
1/4 tsp salt
85g butter, cubed
3 Tbsp fine sugar (easily available at Coop/Migros)
175 ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract (yes, that's the Vodka bottle - I've made my own)
A dash of lemon juice
an egg, beaten, to glaze the top
Jam of your choice - I used Strawberry
150-200ml of Vollrahm (instead of clotted cream)
1 packet of Backpulver* (about 14g, the ones used for 500g of mehl).

Preheat your oven to 220.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt and backpulver. Add the butter and mix with your fingers until the dough becomes crumbly.  Add the sugar.

Make a hole in the mixture

In a microwave safe container, measure out 175ml of milk, and heat for one minute.  You want it warm, not hot. Add a dash of lemon juice (or just use a sharp buttermilk, and the vanilla.  Place your baking sheet inside the oven so that it heats up as well.

Pour the milk mixture into the hole and using a knife, mix it in. Don't worry, all the liquid will soak in. 

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead it for about a minute until it is smooth.  Keep it in a round shape, about 1 1/2 inches tall.  You should be able to cut out 4 scones at a time using a 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 inch cutter. 

Carefully put the cutter in the dough (if it's a bit sticky, dip the cutter in some flour first), and pull out your scone.  The dough will be much higher than your cutter. 

As you go, you may find your scones getting a little shorter.  I ended up with 10, if you keep it to 8 they should all be about the same size. 

Brush the tops of the dough with the egg and then place them on the hot pan

While the scones are cooking, you can make your cream. Simply pour your vollrahm into a deep bowl, and using a whisk (I highly suggest an electric one), continue to beat until fluffy - about 10 minutes...which is good, because that's the amount of time needed to cook your scones. They should have risen and be golden on the top.  

 Just out of the oven

Ready to enjoy!  I was informed that the proper way to eat these is jam first, as otherwise the jam slides right off the cream and creates a mess.  Still good though!

* For those of you lucky enough to have a wide range of products to choose from, you can use 350g of self raising flour plus 1 tsp baking powder.

Simple Stirfry

I once again visited my fabulous cookbook while my mother was visiting. A great time to try new recipes that may take a while to make...but that was not so in this case.  It was a very simple stir fry. You could of course expand on it, but sometimes, simpler is better.  And everyone loved it. Even my littlest one who has come over to steal the leftovers away from me now...

You need 15 minutes of marinating time. Of course, you can leave it longer if you have time earlier in the day.

I always buy the boneless pork chops for dishes requiring pork - either the thin butterfly halves, or the thicker ones, depending on what I'm making. Coop's 'Prix' brand has been working out quite well...you get a little more for your money and adding all the flavors, I think it tastes great (probably until I visit the US again and buy a better cut...but that's for later...)

I served this with white rice, however will make it with brown next time.  I have also doubled the sauce

What you need:

About 500g of pork - I used 560
2 Tbsp dry Sherry
2 Tbsp soy sauce
4 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp cornstarch
8 green onions (I used 7)
1 Tbsp peanut/vegetable oil
2 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste





In a bowl, combine the Sherry, soy sauce, sesame oil and cornstarch. Slice the pork into short, thick strips and add to the bowl. Let marinate a minimum of 15 minutes.

Heat a large frying pan or wok with the peanut/vegetable oil.

Cut the green onions diagonally (the entire onion) and set aside.

When the oil is steaming, add the pork mixture and liquid.  Fry until the pork is browned.  Add the onions, sugar, salt and pepper.  Continue to cook about 4-5 more minutes until the pork is done.

Remove immediately and serve.  Pour the juice into a small bowl to pour over the rice and pork mixture.

And it's that simple! Enjoy.