Summer Fayre BGS (2010) part 3

Now down to the main event, we set up a tea room and offer a cup of tea/coffee or cold drink (no NOT hot chocolate) and a piece of cake or a cream tea for £2.00 a portion. After a number of trials it has been decided to offer a choice of Victoria Sponges (Traditional/Coffee/Chocolate), Lemon Drizzle (almost compulsory) and Carrot Cake and Fruit Cake together with a Cream Tea of Scone, Jam and Cream. This is the most we can cope with in the general madness. I didn't make any of the cakes this year but very fine they were. By a general popular consensus it has been decided that I make the best scones so I will confirm this post to just that

THE SCONE. Now before we even start there seem to be the debate as to what the darn things are called. It seems to be a toss up between the "skon" and the "scone" or even the "scoon". However I think this is merely a smokescreen sent up as a distraction from those who can't make the said items. I maintain that this simple item is the crossing point between Cooking as Art and Cooking as Science. Scones is Science. The fewer the ingredients in an item the more precise the methodology and application has to be , see, as I said, science. The recipe I use comes from Mary Berry (the Ultimate Cake Book, now republished as Mary Berry's Baking Bible).

8oz Self Raising Flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
2oz butter
1oz caster sugar
1 egg
milk

1. Get the butter out of the fridge so that it softens.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 220° C and lightly grease 2 baking trays.
3. SIFT the flour and the baking powder into a LARGE bowl, then add the butter and rub in the butter. As you rub in, LIFT the mixture HIGH above the bowl and let it fall back in gently. The SIFT, LARGE, LIFT and HIGH help to get as much air into the mixture so your scones are light as a feather and open textured. We are making scones NOT stones. Stir in the sugar gently with a FORK
4. You then get your rolling pin and taking it with, you you go to the farthest point in the house from the kitchen, you put the rolling pin down and return to the kitchen. You don't need a rolling pin for scones.
5. Break the egg into a measuring jug, then make up to 5 fl oz (150ml) with the milk and whisk lightly together. Using a FORK, stir the egg and milk into the flour mixture.- you may not need it all- the temperature and humidity can affect the amount of liquid required (see science again). Mix to a soft but not sticky dough. Turn out on to a lightly floured surface, knead lightly with your fingertips and pat the dough gently until it is about ½ in thick.
6. Cut into rounds with a STRAIGHT sided cutter using a firm up and down action. Do not TWIST the cutter. Brush the tops of the scones with a little extra milk or any remaining milk and egg. Put the scones on the baking trays and IMMEDIATELY put them in the oven for about 12 minutes or until they are pale and golden brown. Lift on to a wire rack and cool. Eat as soon as possible.

Now all the words in Higher Case/Capitals are what, I believe make my scones the best. It may sound arrogant to say this but I just thought I was making scones, but the public of S.E.London has spoken and I have been praised an embarrassing amount over this. I also refer you to my earlier post "A Tale of Tea Sittings". Sad innit.

Meanwhile back to the Fayre. Hectic it was, we sold out and had to close early. In all £383.26 was made and together with the Hamper money. we made the most money. SO the team was Janet C, Janet Y, Lucy, Maria, me and Ray who just kept the plates coming from the washing up. And you know the really great thing, we can do it all again next year!

Summer Fayre BGS (2010) Part 2

The Cookie Jar.
As well as the lemonade in the Hamper I filled a Cookie Jar with the following varieties, Buttery Oat, Cranberry and White Chocolate and Chocolate Chip.
Here are the Recipes as requested by Ann, who won the Hamper.

Buttery Oat from Sue Lawrence (Book of Baking):
200g unsalted butter
100g golden caster sugar
150g rolled porridge oats
85g plain flour
¼ teaspoon bicarb

1. Preheat oven to 180°C and prepare baking trays by lining with baking parchment
2. Cream butter and sugar until smooth and light, then add the oats, flour, and bicarb and stir well until well combined
3. Using lightly floured hands, roll into approx 20 balls and place well apart on the baking trays. Bake for 15 mins until golden
4. Remove from oven, leave for 2-3 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool

Chocolate Chip Cookies from Sue Lawrence (Book of Baking):
125g unsalted butter
70g golden granulated sugar
50g light muscovado sugar
half a teaspoon vanilla extract
1 medium egg
150g plain flour
½ teaspoon bicarb
150g chocolate chips or chunks

1. Preheat oven to 190°C and prepare baking trays using baking parchment
2. Beat the butter and the sugars together with the vanilla until creamy. Beat in the egg then gradually sift in the flour and bicarb. Once it is just combined, stir in the chocolate chips.
3. Spoon heaped teaspoonfuls on to the baking trays and bake for approx 10 minutes until pale golden and still soft in the centre
4. Leave for 1-2 minutes before removing the cookies to cool on a wire rack.

Cranberry and White Chocolate from Nigella Lawson (Feast)
140g plain flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon of salt
75g rolled oats
125g unsalted butter
75g dark brown sugar
100g caster sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
75g dried cranberries
50g pecans roughly chopped
140g white chocolate chips or chunks

1. Measure the flour, baking powder, salt and rolled oats into a bowl
2. Put the sugars and butter into another bowl and beat together until creamy,then beat in the egg and vanilla.
3. Beat in the dry ingredients from the other bowl and the carefully fol in the cranberries, pecans and chocolate.
4. Put the bowl in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 170°C, and prepare about 4 baking trays.
6. Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into balls with you hands, place them on the baking trays and flatten slightly with a fork.
7. Cook for 12 minutes until pale gold but still a little soft. Leave on the trays for about 5 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool. (Makes about 30)

Summer Fayre BGS (2010) Part 1

The Rest-a-While tea rooms, which has been such a success at the last two fayres poped up again on Saturday. See nothing new, all this "pop-up" restaurants malarkey, anyone invoved with running fayres or fetes have pop up tea rooms on a regular basis, summer and winter,and have been doing so for years.

Following a donation of a picnic hamper (empty) last year, Netty and I decided we would fill with home-made and luxury goods. Many chutneys had been produced during the year and have been put in the hamper. Netty raided IKEA and brought table "Furnishing" and made a lovely tablecloth.I was charged with making home made lemonade and filling a cookie jar with assorted cookies.

Here is a really easy recipe for the lemonade: 6 large lemons and 5oz granulated sugar. Scrub the lemons, then thinly pare the rind off of 3 of the lemons with a potato peeler and put in a large bowl. Add the squeezed juice from all the lemons and the sugar. Next pour over two and a half pints of boiling water, stir well, cover and leave overnight in a cool place. Next day, stir again and taste and add a little more sugar if necessary. Pour into bottles and chill throughly.Serve either straight or diluted with sparling mineral water and lots of ice.

Well the Raffle went really well and a cool profit of £149 was made. (thanks Penny and Vicky for selling the tickets)

Summer Fayre 2010 to be continued!

Feeding the Nation

Netz and I went to the Exhibition at the Imperial War Museum, The Ministry of Food. This exhibition tells the story of how the Nation fed itself during World War II and survived rationing.Very interesting and thought provoking it was. Showed how resilient, resourceful and imaginative people were. Before the outbreak of war over 60% of the country's food was imported. WHY? Because "The Empire" would provide. But as the British Isles was cut off from the Empire and the rest of the world by the Germany Navy, we had to cope on our own.

Through the efforts of ordinary people and the sacrifices made by the Merchant Navy, the country managed to survive the German threat. Typically, a lot of moaning and tutting went on, but very few, if any food riots or civil disobedience occurred. Orderly queues formed, and despite the rationing and shortages the nation was fed and healthy but extremely bored. Two of the stars of the exhibition were Potato Pete and Dr. Carrot, and imaginative recipes using these two staple vegetables were concocted. Can't say cold potato sandwiches appeal though. Another side of the rationing was the avoidance of waste, you could be fined or indeed imprisoned for wasting food. A lesson for today perhaps?

The Restaurant in the IWM serves wartime food, and to enter into the spirit of the times we has nettle soup and a hunk of "National Loaf" for lunch

Where did the last two years go?

No excuses, just lots of changes that included a gall bladder out and a new kitchen in, I hasten to add not from the same place in either case. An appalling summer, an awful winter. Daughter progressing in her career and changing jobs and locations and just life in general, people coming and going and also ill-health from the computer, requiring cranking up that left one too knackered to bother with such indulgences as blogging.

In addition there was the small matter of organising a "Flower Festival" that took up a chunk of time and was a huge success and then there was the school summer fair and the harvest fayre and so the list goes on, I ain't been twiddling my thumbs!

Anyhooo as all the "hip and trendy" people say, I will try and resurrect this blog, and share my thoughts with anyone who cares to read