Saturday morning is the time I like to bake. I do bake other days but I like Saturday morning as whatever I bake is usually gone by Sunday night and I have something fresh for any surprise visitors. This morning it was lemonade scones. I have made a few variations of these over the years with varying results. I’ve found the one I made this morning is the best of them, a bit messy but the best results. So scones with jam and cream if you wish but I’m happy with just butter.
Lemonade scones
Lemonade scones
A sticky dough but I think worth the effort.
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups Self raising flour
- 1 cup Thickened cream /whipping cream
- 1 cup Cold lemonade /Sprite
- 1 pinch Salt
Instructions
- Sift the flour into a large bowl. Add salt.
- Measure and add cream.
- Add lemonade. Gently fold and mix with a knife. Don't over mix but make sure all the flour is incorporated.
- Flour your bench, board or pastry mat well and tip out the dough. Sprinkle a bit of flour on top and gently press dough flat, approx 2.5cm thick.
- This is where it's a bit of fun as it's a bit sticky. Keep flour near. Use your scone cutter to cut out rounds and place on a lined tray. If you have trouble lifting dough off the mat slide a flat bladed knife under to help lift. Place the round touching side by side and off setting the next row (honey comb effect). Brush with milk.
- Bake in a preheated 200*C oven for about 15 mins or until golden and baked. Slide onto a wire rack to cool.
Notes
I may have put you off saying this is a bit of a sticky mix, but they do come out as nice light scones.
Place in a lamington tray to bake, as the dough rounds are touching this will make them rise up if in a sided tray. But you don't have to.
Freeze when cooled for a later date.
How many scones you get depends on the size of your scone cutter.
There is no reason you can't add dates or sultanas if you wish.
As this is not a really sweet dough you could also add grated cheese and herbs.
Other soft drink flavours will do though it probably won't be strong and it will colour if it's a coloured drink, you need the carbonation in the soft drink for this to work.
You can make as a loaf but be aware the time to bake will be longer (maybe 25-30 mins) and you may need 2 small loaf tins. If you wish to freeze loaves I'd suggest slicing before freezing or at least cutting in half to freeze.
Chocolate self saucing pudding
I was lazy and I was busy many years ago. I started buying the packet pudding mixes, but decided after a while they were too expensive for the small pudding you actually made from those packets. I wanted a pudding for dessert one night. I didn’t have a packet pudding mix but I did have a home brand cake mix, so I used that for the batter instead. I guessed the amounts of sugar and cocoa going on what I like for a cocoa drink. I ended up with this chocolate self saucing pudding. If this sauce is not sweet enough add a bit more sugar until you get it right but you’ll find with ice cream, the sweetness all evens out in the end. If you find the sauce too thick add more boiling water next time in the sauce mix. Enjoy.
My preference is to make this in individual dishes/ramekins. One packet of cake mix will give me 4 individual chocolate desserts and 4-6 cupcakes for lunches the next day out of the one mix. For a gathering I make one big dish.
Easy chocolate self saucing pudding
Easy chocolate self saucing pudding
The cheapest and easiest pudding you will ever make.
Ingredients
- 1 Chocolate cake mix
- 1 1/2 cups Boiling water
- 2 tablespoons cocoa
- 3 tablespoons Caster sugar
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 180*C
- Make cake mix by directions on the back of the box, mixing by hand with a spoon.
- Pour batter into an oven safe dish.
- Into measured boiling water add cocoa and sugar, stirring to dissolve sugar.
- Pour the cocoa mix over the back of a tablespoon over the batter mix (so pouring doesn't pit the batter). The sauce will sink to the bottom, when cooked.
- Bake for approx 25 mins checking with a skewer only the batter depth.
- When done leave to cool for a few minutes. Dust with a little icing sugar if you wish. Serve with ice cream.
Notes
I use a $0.70c home brand cake mix for this. (2023 and it's now $0.90c)
This is easy and cheaper than a self saucing pudding box mix.
Can be frozen.
Can make as individual servings, may need extra sauce ingredients. If individual leave room for ice cream in bowl when this is cooked.
Frozen lunches
Now that my freezer is much emptier after the Christmas feasting I can catch up with what I need. Today when I went shopping I bought 6 fresh bread rolls and some sliced deli meats. I made up the rolls with meat as per the usual meat roll, popped back in the rolls bag, dated, freeze. (keep for a couple of months) Why do I do this, well there are those times that you really do have nothing in the cupboard or haven’t been shopping for a bit. There are only so many vegemite sandwiches you can dole out in a row. Sometimes I’m just in a hurry, I don’t have time to make lunches, this way the guys can just grab their own on their way to work. You can make sandwiches, those I wrap in cling film first. 99% of the time they are defrosted by lunch and just as fresh as they were when you popped them in the freezer.
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