Baked Sunday Morning - Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Scones

So here is the second recipe I've made out of Baked Elements, Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Scones and I've gotta say I'm loving this cookbook to bits! This week the bloggers from Baked Sunday Mornings are baking out of the peanut butter section of the book which is my second favourite after Caramel. 

 

Now lets get down to business, in a large bowl mix together flour, brown sugar, bi-carb soda, baking powder, salt and oats. Using your fingers rub through chilled butter.

 

Then make a well in the centre and mix in buttermilk, egg yolk and crunchy peanut butter. Mix together with choc chips and pat out gently to form a large round.

 

On a lined tray place scone dough and gently brush with egg white then sprinkle with raw sugar, or as I have with caramelised cacao nibs. Then using a knife divide into 8 wedges. Bake @ 180 degrees fan forced for approx 20 minutes, turning halfway through for an even bake.

 

The scones are done when they pull apart easily. Leave to cool for 5 minutes before breaking up and enjoying with.....

 

Strawberry Jam, butter and homemade Salted Caramel spread, Yum!

 

These scones were simple to make and although I'm a huge fan of salted caramel they just tasted better with jam. The cacao nibs gave an extra hit of flavour too. Check out how everyone else went and find the recipe at Baked Sunday Mornings. 

 

Homemade Cinnamon & Raisin Bagels

 



In Australia its pretty hard to find a bakery selling fresh bagels, I put it down to lack of demand. The supermarket sells packaged blueberry, plain or poppy seed every now & then and if your lucky you may stumble upon a stall at the local farmers markets supplying fresh bagels. So I had a go at making my own and I'm quite happy with how they turned out.

I started with a simple dough of flour, salt, brown sugar, oil, yeast and water.

Then on a lightly oiled bench I lightly kneaded the raisins and cinnamon through the dough by hand to keep the fruit from breaking up.

As the bagel dough is a firm mixture kneading in the cinnamon at this stage creates a beautiful marbled effect.

After dividing the dough into twelve round portions, allow them to rest under cling wrap to prevent drying the dough out.

Then taking one ball at a time, roll into a log, overlap ends and press together to form a bagel. Don't worry about perfect bagels, we're looking for a rustic style here. Now, this is a two day process where the bagels are laid on a tray of semolina, covered and refrigerated overnight.

In the morning the bagels are left to come to room temperature for about 1 hour. Using a pot of boiling water infused with honey the bagels are blanched on either side and then placed on a clean tray to be baked. This process creates a dense, chewy yet crunchy texture found in a bagel.

 

 Split in half and spread with lightly salted butter these bagels make a lovely breakfast. Tradionally bagels are spread with creamcheese and smoked salmon but flavours are endless, you could try herbs, seasonal fruit, citrus zest or roasted nuts.

Cinnamon & Raisin Bagels

This recipe is adapted from Global Baker by Dean Brettschneider

Ingredients:                                                                                                    Makes 12

500g strong bread flour

10g salt

15g brown sugar

15g olive oil

5g yeast

260ml chilled water

10g ground cinnamon

100g raisins

course semolina, for dusting

2 Tblsp honey, for water

Method:

1. Using a mixing bowl with dough hook attachement place flour, salt, sugar, oil, yeast and water. Mix slowly to form a rough dough, then increase to medium speed, scraping down as nessecary to form a smooth elastic dough, 7-10 minutes.

2. Tip out dough onto a lightly oiled bench and knead in cinnamon and raisins until incorparated.

3. Divide into 12 pieces approximetly 90g each, roll into balls and cover with cling wrap for 10 minutes to rest.

4. Taking one ball at a time press down and roll into logs measuring 15cm to 20 cm. Folding around 3 fingers overlap ends and press together rolling gently on the bench to seal.

5. Place the bagels on a semolina dusted tray and cover loosely with clingwrap. Refrigerate over night.

6. Preheat your oven to 210 degrees. Remove the bagels from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature, approximately 1 hour.

7. Using a large pot of boiling water combined with honey blanch bagels two to three at a time for 30 seconds on either side. Place drained bagels, semolina side down on clean lined trays and bake for 20 minutes until golden.



Cool on a wire rack, they freeze well in ziplock bags as well.

Hot Cross Buns

It's that time of year again guys! Easters within the week so I can finally give in and start enjoying some homemade Hot Cross Buns. In a few days we'll be catching up with family to consume seafood, roast dinners, delicious desserts and a trail of Easter Eggs. The supermarkets have been selling Hot Cross Buns for months now but to me their just not as special as the ones you make yourself. 

I flicked through many recipe's before deciding to make Kingsley Sullivan's Hot Cross Buns from New Norcia Bakery in Perth. This recipe is published in one of my cherished cookbooks, Baker, by Brettschneider and Jacobs.

 

The fruit is soaked the day before to hydrate it so your buns stay nice and soft. I used a mixture of craisins, sultanas and currants.

Then you mix your dough using flour, salt, sugar, butter, yeast, egg and milk.

After a rest the spices and drained fruit are added, I like to do this part by kneading on a lightly oiled bench.

The dough is then placed in an oiled bowl and covered with cling film to prove in a warm place for an hour or until doubled in size.

On a warm day I place mine outside in the shade and it's done in no time at all.

Next lightly spray the surface of your bench with oil & tip your dough out. Divide into 12 portions, knock back and form into round buns.

Tray up 3 x 4 per lined tray, lightly spray with oil and cover loosely with cling film. Now is the time to heat your oven to 200 degrees fan forced while your buns are proving for 30-40 minutes.

The buns are proved when their just beginning to touch or are almost double in size. With a mixture of flour and water the crosses are piped on and then their into the oven for 15-20 minutes.

Piping hot straight out of the oven a syrup of sugar and water is brushed over before allowing to cool on a wire rack.

Serve with lashes of quality butter and try not to devour the whole batch yourself.

They come up beautiful toasted the next day.....



Or serve Pain Perdu style for a special Easter Sunday breakfast.

Hot Cross Buns

Recipe adapted from Kingsley Sullivan of New Norcia Bakery

Ingredients:

Dough

100g sultanas

75g currants

75g craisins

The zest of one orange

500g Strong bakers flour

10g (2 tsp) table salt

65g unsalted butter, cubed, softened

25g (2 Tbsp) caster sugar

10g (1 Tbsp) dry yeast

1 egg

250ml milk, slightly warmed

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp mixed spice

Cross Mixture

3 Tbsp flour

2 1/2 Tbsp water

Glaze

40ml water

80g sugar

Method:

Dough

1. In a bowl place sultanas, currants and craisins. Cover with warm water for 10 minutes, drain into a sieve and let sit covered overnight.

2. Place Flour, salt, sugar & softened butter in your mixing bowl and mix using the dough hook to disperse ingredients. Add yeast, egg & warmed milk and gently mix for 2 minutes on low, then 7 minutes on medium high.

3. Rest covered for 10 minutes to relax your dough. Sprinkle over nutmeg, cinnamon & mixed spice and knead for 6-7 minutes on medium high.

4. Add fruit & zest and gently mix for until combined. (I like to do this part on a lightly oiled bench, it's always fun to get your hands in there.)

5. Grease your bowl and place the dough back in, cover with cling film and set aside in a warm place to double in size, about 1 hour.

6. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees fan forced, (220 degrees convection oven).

7. Tip your proved dough onto a lightly oiled bench and divide into 12 portions at approx 95g each. Taking one portion flatten it out to release the air, then gather into a ball using your hand in a cupping motion pressing down on the dough to form a smooth ball.

8. Place the balls 3 x 4 on a lined tray measuring approx 30cm x 40cm. Spray lightly with oil and cover loosely with cling film, then set aside in a warm place for 30 to 40 minutes. (You don't want to let any air in but you need to leave room for them to grow in size). 

 9. Mix together your flour and water using a whisk to form the cross mixture, lump free. In a small pot combine sugar and water over low heat to dissolve, then boil for a further minute. If you want a Krispy Kreme glaze effect, boil 2 minutes longer until you have a thick syrup, (do not caramelise).

10. Once the buns are doubled in size gently remove cling film. Using a paper piping bag pipe a steady stream of mixture from one end of the tray to the other, forming crosses. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes, rotating if necessary for an even bake. 

11. Remove from oven and immediately brush with your glaze. Cool on a wire rack to prevent the bottoms becoming soggy. 

12. Serve warm with butter and a cup of tea. Makes 12.

* When working with dough I find it easier to spray the bench with canola oil instead of using flour, that way you don't end up with it everywhere and you can handle the dough better.

* Feel free to experiment and change the fruit or spices to your personal taste.

* If your not handy with a piping bag fill a zip lock bag and snip the corner off.

Hot Cross Buns with a Krispy Kreme glaze.