Recipes

Heres a great recipe from our fantastic tutor Kieran Lenihan. These scones are always a real favourite on our Beginners and Family Cookery Days. Please give them a try.

Makes 5-6
225g self-raising flour, preferably organic
¼ tsp salt
50g slightly salted butter cut in small pieces
25g golden caster sugar
125ml buttermilk
4 tbsp full-fat milk
A little extra flour for dusting.
Strawberry jam and clotted cream, to serve

Preheat the oven to 220C/gas 7/fan 200C and lightly butter a baking tray or use baking paper.
Tip the flour into a mixing bowl with the salt add in the butter, then rub together with your fingers to make a fine crumbed mixture,
Try not to overrub, as the mixture will be lighter if it’s a little bit flaky.
Now stir in the sugar.
Measure the buttermilk.
Then add in the full fat milk into the mix to loosen it.
Make a bit of a well in the middle of the flour mixture with a fork, then pour in most of this buttermilk , holding a little bit back in case it’s not needed.
Using the fork, gently work the mixture together until it forms a soft, almost sticky, dough.
Work in any loose dry bits of mixture with the rest of the buttermilk.
Don’t overwork at this point or you will toughen the dough.
Put the dough on to a very lightly floured surface.
Knead the mixture just 3-4 times to get rid of the cracks.
Pat the dough gently with your hands to a thickness of no less than 2cm and no more than 2.5cm.
Dip medium round fluted cutter into a bowl of flour – this helps to stop the dough sticking to it, then cut out the scones by pushing down quickly and firmly on the cutter with the palm of your hand. Gather the trimmings lightly then pat and cut out a couple more scones.
Cook for 10-12 mins til the scones have risen and are golden brown.

Heres a fantastic recipe by our Preserves tutor Vivien Lloyd for frangipane topped mince pies. These are a real winner and are something our guests love to take away with them on our Edible Gifts day. Please give them a try.

Mince Pies

Pastry
175g plain flour
Pinch salt
90g chilled butter
1 egg yolk plus
4 teaspoons cold water

Frangipane topping
100g unsalted butter
100g ground almonds
100g caster sugar
25g plain flour
1 large egg
2 tbsp rum

Mincemeat filling
200g mincemeat
50g flaked almonds

In a large bowl, make the pastry by rubbing in the butter and mixing in the water with a small knife. Bring the pastry together with damp hands.
Using a 7cm pastry cutter, stamp out 18 bases of pies and put into a pie tin. Put 1teaspoon of mincemeat into each of the bases.
To make the frangipane beat the butter until very soft using an electric hand whisk, then gradually add the sugar and ground almonds. Add the flour, followed by the egg, then the rum.
Spoon a generous teaspoon of the frangipane on top of the mincemeat. Sprinkle the surface of each pie with flaked almonds.
Bake for 15-20 mins in preheated oven 180C/Gas 4 ( Fan oven 160C)

Heres a great quick recipe from our fantastic tutor Kieran Lenihan. A favourite on both our Beginners and Family Cookery Courses. You should never be without some fresh bread in the house and this recipe guarantees exactly that.

Soda Bread

6oz self raising flour (wholemeal)

3oz plain flour

3oz seed & grain bread flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1/2 pint buttermilk

Pre heat oven 400f/200oc/gas 6
.
Put the flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda in a mixing bowl form a well in the middle & pour in the butter milk.

Quickly mix the ingredients together with a fork till a soft dough is formed, turn out mixture onto a floured surface , and lightly need for 2 minutes then form into a round shape.

Put on a floured baking tray flatten the top of the dough and score the top in a cross.

Any remaining buttermilk in the carton is good to rub over the dough before going in the oven for a extra crispy top!

Cook for 30mins till dough sounds hollow, leave to cool on a wire rack.