butter | Miss Amateur Chef's Blog

Let us eat cake, it’s somebody’s birthday somewhere. Oh, in fact it’s everyone’s birthday today!

Ingredients (yield two 4-inch cakes):

150g butter, at room temperature
150g caster sugar
3 eggs
150g self raising flour
10-12 cherries, stoned and halved

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 180 C. Grease two 4-inch cake tins with butter and flour.
Lay the cherries at the bottom of the cake tins.
In a mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until pale and creamy.
Fold in the flour until well incorporated. Transfer to the prepared cake tin.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin.
Serve while still warm!

These are essentially British, delicious and simple to make… Get baking and fill your home with the smell of freshly baked scones!

It is no secret that I have always wanted to open my own cafe. And this is the sign that I will put up at the storefront when a batch of scones are hot and ready (Yes! I stole the idea from Kripsy Kreme’s neon sign!!).

Ingredients (serves 8):

Plain flour, for dusting
1.5 cups self-raising flour
40g butter, softened and cubed
3/4 cups milk
1 cup dried fruit, e.g. cranberries/ raisins (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 200°C. Sift self-raising flour into a large bowl.
Rub butter into flour using your fingertips, until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Make a well in the centre. Add milk and mix until mixture forms a soft dough. Add in dried fruit if any.
Knead gently until smooth (don’t overwork the dough or scones will be tough).
Pat dough into 2cm-thick. Cut out 8 rounds using a 5cm round cutter.
Place scones onto baking tray, 1cm apart. Sprinkle tops with a little plain flour.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden and well risen.
Serve warm with jam and cream.