Scrumptious scones

It’s been far too long since I’ve made scones, so we planned to have them for tea on Sunday as a nummy treat. These light and fluffy scones are the perfect weekend baking project and keep throughout the week for a grab-and-go breakfast. Special thanks to my dad for the recipe! Alternatively, you can enjoy your scones old school style – fancy tea cups, saucers, strawberry jam, and an artery clogging dollop of cream. It is the only way. One of these delights packs quite a punch, so one is all I was able to handle. Click below to see the super simple recipe. Get your om nom on. 


Ingredients
1/2 lbs self raising flour
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 oz of stork or margarine
1-2 oz sugar
1/4 pint of milk
1 egg
Sultanas or raisins or both {as much or as little as you like!}

Method

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Rub margarine into the flour with your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add and mix the dried fruit. Make a well in the mixture and add the egg and not quite all the milk. Mix with a wooden spoon until it resembles a soft spongy dough. Add more milk if necessary. On a floured surface, kneed dough lightly until just smooth. Divide into two. Roll out half of the dough until it’s 3/4″ {2cm} thick. Cut out with a cookie cutter or an upside down cup. Do the same with the other half of dough. But I wasn’t that organized yesterday. What I did was simply form dollops of the dough directly onto the baking tray. They won’t get as many points for aesthetics, but I find it quicker. Butter your baking tray followed by a light sprinkle of flour before you place your scones – my all time favorite trick for complete non stick. Brush the scones with a beaten egg for a glossy crust if you like. 

Cook until golden brown – roughly 15 minutes at 180C. Take out and allow to cool a little bit before delving in. For real treat, cut in half and smother in about an inch of strawberry jam and cream along with a nice cup of tea {insert Homer drooling sound here}. 


Click here for a handy cooking calculator, should you prefer to measure in cups, mls, oz, etc.

Thrifty things – soup mugs

I started collecting these cute soup bowls when we were living in our first apartment. I found my first two {onion and mushroom} together in a charity shop, and ever since then, I’ve been finding the odd mug all over the country. I picked up my sixth mug yesterday and I now have a nice little collection. I’m particularly intrigued with the mulligatawny recipe which includes mutton, curry, parsnip, and other interesting combinations …
Onion and mushroom soup – €2 each at Gorta, scotch broth – €1 Mrs. Quin’s Shop, oxtail and tomato soup – €1 each again at Gorta, mulligatawny –  €1 from Vincents

Thrifty things – delicate decanters

I like decanters. The older, the bigger, the more decorative, the better. I don’t fully understand my fascination with them. Maybe they make me feel smarter and more sophisticated. Last Friday I added yet another to my collection, and thought why not share them all while I’m at it. Here’s my collection from over the years …

In order of ownership | 1 – Oxfam Georges Street, €8 my first and favorite decanter which I used empty as a book end many years ago. 2 – Vincent’s Blanchardstown, €10 the heaviest decanter known to man. 3 – Respect Charity Shop Prussia Street, €7 not strictly speaking a decanter, whose original purpose is to hold water on your bedside table, but I prefer keeping gin in it. 4 and 5 – Mrs. Quins Charity Shop Rathfarnham, €5 each.