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Mixed Fruit Scones
Creamy Strawberry Cheesecake
I love Strawberry season, big juicy fresh strawberries that just melt in your mouth….delicious!
Traditionally, the Scottish strawberry season only lasted about six weeks in summer, from June to July, however now we can get homegrown strawberries almost eight months of the year thanks to advancements in polytunnel technology.
Scottish Strawberries are famously some of the best in the world, but why? The temperate climate in Scotland allows the berries to have longer daylight hours but without the same levels of heat. This allows the berries to ripen slower so they produce more sugar and you get a sweeter berry.
Strawberries are one of the most versatile ingredients available to us, whether we eat them as they are, put them in desserts, muffins, a salad or even as a puree or compote to accompany a steak, there are so many ways we can eat them. But for this post, I am going to show you how to make a super delicious and creamy cheesecake. Yum!
Everything you need for a perfect summer dessert.
For the Crust
1 packet of Biscuits – (Digestives, Biscoff even Oreo’s if you like – whichever you prefer)
2 Tbsp Butter , melted
For the Strawberry Layer
1 packet of Strawberry Jelly (I used Hartley’s – my personal favourite)
100ml Boiling water
1 Small Tub Strawberry Greek Yoghurt (80-100g)
200ml Whipping Cream
150g Diced Fresh Strawberries
For the Cheesecake Layer
80g Unsalted Butter
120g Icing Sugar
200g Cream Cheese (I use Philadelphia – no other compares for me)
100ml Whipping Cream
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
For the Topping:-
Handful of Sliced Strawberries
100-200g White Chocolate Shavings (as much as you want really)
Method:-
- Blitz the biscuits in a processor, so they resemble fine crumbs. Tip into a bowl and pour over the melted butter and mix through until all moist. Press into a 9 x 13 x 2″ springform tin and place in the freezer while you make the next layer.
- In a large bowl dissolve the Jelly with the boiling water, allow to cool slightly.
- Whisk up the whipping cream until light and fluffy. Whisk into the Jelly the Greek Yoghurt and fold in your whipped cream and diced strawberries. Pour on top of the biscuit layer and place in the freezer to set. (about 45-60 mins)
- Meanwhile, make your cheesecake topping, Beat together the butter, icing sugar, cream cheese and vanilla essence. Whip up your cream and fold into mixture.
- Smooth over the Jelly layer once set and place back in the freezer for a further 30 mins to firm. Transfer to the fridge and allow to fully set overnight.
- Before serving, sprinkle the white chocolate shavings over the top and place the sliced strawberries around the edge to finish.
- Slice and Enjoy!
If you love Cheesecake, you might enjoy my Lime Cheesecake too…..go take a wee look. https://cookingwithluce.wordpress.com/2021/07/04/biscoff-lime-cheesecake/
Cheesy Curry Scones
OMG! What can I say, these are super tasty and very moreish. I do love a good scone, especially with butter & jam but I wanted to try something a bit different, we were having some pakora for dinner (Irn-Bru Chicken pakora recipe here https://cookingwithluce.wordpress.com/2021/05/16/irn-bru-chicken-pakora/) so decided to try an Indian inspired flavour to go with. The curry powder lends that nice warmth of Indian spices to the cheese without being overbearing.
These scones are simple and quick to make, you can also change up the spices to suit your own palette.
Makes 12
400g Self Raising Flour
100g Butter, softened
4 Tsp Baking Powder
3 Tsp Curry Powder
1.5 Tsp Smoked Paprika
1.5 Tsp Turmeric (or Mustard Powder)
200g Grated Cheese (I used a good Scottish Mature Cheddar)
2 Eggs
Milk to Bind
- Preheat your oven to 180 deg. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Place flour, baking powder, smoked paprika, turmeric & curry powder into a bowl and mix. Next rub the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles crumbs then add in the grated cheese. (keep a little grated cheese back to top the scones before baking)
- Crack in the eggs and add a little milk at a time to bind to a soft dough. You don’t want the dough too sticky.
- Roll out to about 1″ thick, using a cutter cut into 12 rounds. Place onto your backing tray, brush with a little milk and top with some grated cheese.
- Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes until lightly golden and risen.
- Remove and allow to cool. Serve with butter, chutney or anything you fancy really.
Crazy Custard Pancakes
OMG! Well, what can I say here…..but, these were absolutely delicious!
We were watching a film the other night and the little boy in the film asked for crazy custard pancakes, I had never heard of this before and my curiosity got the better of me……so off I went google search in motion and I found this recipe from Simon Hopkinson (http://www.simonhopkinson.tv/recipe/5/custard-pancakes.aspx). I changed it slightly and cheated with my custard to make it easier to make.
BEWARE! ever so moreish!
You have to try these, especially if you love custard and have a sweet tooth.
This recipe made 6 pancakes
For the Pancakes:
100g Plain Flour
3 Large Eggs (1 for wash)
Pinch Salt
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
100ml Milk
For the Custard:
2 Tbsp Custard Powder
2 Tbsp Caster Sugar
450ml Milk
1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
For assembling:
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp Sugar
A Little Rum (about 50ml)
- To make the batter:- Sift flour into a bowl and make a well in the middle, crack 2 eggs in and add pinch of salt. Whisk together until it becomes stiff, then start slowly adding the milk and whisk through until well combined and runny consistancey. Set aside for at least 30 minutes.
- To make the Custard:- Put the custard powder and sugar in a pan along with 1 Tbsp of milk, 1 Tbsp lemon juice and vanilla extract, mix to a paste. Slowly add the milk little at a time and bring to a gentle boil. Make sure you continue whisking until the custard starts to thicken, this should take about 4-5 minutes. You want it quite thick.
- Remove custard from heat and allow to cool. Place a piece of cling film over the custard, pressing down on the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours.
- To assemble:- When ready, heat a little oil in a non stick fry pan about 20cm diameter on medium to high heat, pour a little of the pancake batter into the pan and swirl around to just a thin covering, cook for a minute or 2 then flip over and cook for a further minute, set aside, and repeat with remaining mixture.
- Add 1 Tbsp of butter to the pan, place 1-2 Tbsp of custard in the middle of a pancake, brush edges with a little egg wash. Roll up the pancake half way to cover it, not too tight, then tuck in the sides and finish rolling up to seal, it will resemble a spring roll. Place the pancakes in the fry pan sealed side down and cook for a minute or 2, sprinkle some sugar over and turn, so you are cooking all round.
- Once pancake rolls are slightly browned, add in the rum and let bubble and glaze all over.
- Remove & Serve. We added some maple syrup to serve and it was delicious! (optional)
Pistachio & Chocolate Bites
I hope everyone is doing o.k. in these unusual times. If you are like me, I get bored very easily and need to be doing something productive with my day, so today I was talking to a friend and saying how we miss our coffee & cake dates at our fav coffee shop, then idea to use up whatever was in my cupboards to bake a cake and have a virtual coffee & cake date. I do love pistachio’s and always have some on hand, so this little cake bite was perfect.
Makes about 16 squares
150g shelled pistachios
200g milk chocolate (I used Dairy Milk bar)
200g golden caster sugar or light brown sugar
200g soft butter
3 eggs
200g Self raising flour
100ml milk
50g butter for chocolate
100g icing sugar
Pinch salt
- Preheat oven to 160 deg and line a square tin (approx 20cm) with baking paper
- Mix up 125g of pistachios and 75g of the milk chocolate with 100g sugar in a blender until finely chopped.
- Tip into a bowl with the remaining sugar, butter, eggs, flour & milk with a pinch of salt and mix thoroughly.
- Empty the mixture into your prepared tin and bake for about 40 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Leave to cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, break up the chocolate and place into a microwave bowl with the 50g of butter, microwave for 1 minute, remove and stir together until fully melted. Next pour the icing sugar into the chocolate and beat together until combined and thick.
- Pour over the top of the cake and even, using the remaining chopped pistachios, sprinkle over the top and allow to set. Cut into bite slices. Serve with a yummy cuppa!
Upside Down Apple Cake
I do hate food going to waste so I used up my leftover apples and made an upside down cake and served with custard……OMG! Yummy! Scrummy!
Classic desserts don’t come much better than this. It was an extremely windy and cold day today so this little warming dessert was just a perfect home comfort Sunday dessert.
Makes 2 small individuals (2 x 4-5″ tin) or 1 large (10″ tin)
For the caramelise apples:-
2 Apples (of your choice)
60g unsalted butter
70g Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
*
For the cake:
2 eggs
110g unsalted butter
110g Self raising Flour
110g Caster Sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp milk
- Pre heat oven to 180 deg fan
- Melt 60g butter with the 70g brown sugar and cinnamon, stir together and put into the bottom of your tin.
- Peel and slice your apples and place on top of the caramel.
- Beat the cake ingredients together in a mixer and pour over the apples.
- Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until the cake springs back when pressed.
- Remove from oven and tin and serve. Yum!
Guinness Soda Bread
The bread is full of flavour, so delicious and easy to bake.
Makes 1 loaf
150g Plain Flour
150g Wholegrain Bread Flour
70g Scottish Oats
100g Dark Brown Sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
150ml Guinness
150ml Buttermilk
30g melted butter
- Preheat oven to 190 deg on convection bake.
- Mix together the dry ingredients in a bowl
- Add in the wet ingredients to dry and mix together until combined. If the dough is too sticky and wet just add a little more flour but you don’t want it too dry.
- Shape into a circle and place on a floured baking tray, score a cross on top about 1/2″ thick and brush with some buttermilk.
- Bake in the oven for about 45-50 minutes until knife comes out clean, allow to cool and serve.
Cranberry & Walnut Scones
Oh yum. I’ve not had a scone in a while, so looking in my cupboards I had some Walnuts & Cranberries to use up and decided to give it a try. These were absolutely delicious, served with a good quality butter they were perfect with a cuppa. Lovely little afternoon tea scone.
Makes 6
100g Light Brown Sugar (or white caster sugar) (plus 1 tbsp)
2 tbsp lemon juice
300g Plain Flour
1 tbsp baking powder
Freshly grated lemon zest – 1 lemon
1 tsp salt
75g unsalted butter
50g dried cranberries
50g chopped walnuts
50ml Milk
50ml Double cream
- Preheat your oven to 190 deg. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Mix 1 tbsp sugar & 1 tbsp lemon juice together in a dish and set aside, this will be for the glaze.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, lemon zest, salt, and sugar in large bowl. Add chilled butter & using fingertips, rub in until you get breadcrumb like mixture.
- Mix in cranberries and walnuts. Then add in the milk & cream and mix through 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Toss with fork or hands until dough comes together in moist clumps.
- Floured a work surface and roll out till about 1 inch thick. Using a cutter (about 7-8cm diameter) cut out 6 servings and place onto your baking sheet. Using the glaze brush lightly over the scones. Bake for about 18 minutes. Or until a knife comes out clean and slightly browned
- Serve with some butter. Yummy!
Crunchy Rocky Road Bites
I’m not a fan of marshmallows but I was cleaning out my kitchen drawers and came across a bag (not sure why they were in there…lol!), they had to be used up, so Rocky Road was the only thing I could think of where I had all the other ingredients and it was quick and easy to put together. My partner was absolutely delighted, he has a very sweet tooth.
Makes 6
100g milk chocolate chips – melted
30g butter – melted
1 tbsp Maple Syrup
40g mini marshmallows
80g Crunchy Weetabix bran (you can of course use digestive biscuits or other biscuits of your choosing)
- Put the crunchy bran or biscuits into a food bag and using a rolling pin, crush till you have a good mix of crumbs and smaller pieces.
- Melt the chocolate and butter in a microwaveable bowl for about 50 secs at power 900w. Mix in the crunchy bran biscuits, marshmallows and maple syrup until coated.
- Pour into a small tin or a muffin tin and press down. Chill in the fridge for about 2 hours.
- These need to be kept in the fridge after as they will melt at room temperature, allow to sit at room temperature for about 1 minute before eating. These will keep for about 1 week in an airtight container.
THE WEE CALEDONIAN COOK 
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