Sweets

Breads -  Main Dishes   - Salads & Dressings
Soups -  Sweets  -   Vegetables   (Index)

Afternoon Tea Scones -  Almond Biscuits -  Banoffi Pie -  Boiled Fruit Cake -  Delightful Short Scone -  Easter Biscuits - Maderia Sponge Cake - Potato Scone - Soda Farls and  Irish Coffee

Afternoon Tea Scones

1/2 lb plain flour
1 oz butter
Pinch salt
4 rounded teaspoonfuls Baking powder
1 oz sugar
1 oz currants or sultanas
1 egg
1/2 gill milk to mix (sour or buttermilk)

1. Sieve together baking powder, salt and flour.
2. Rub in the butter.
3. Add sugar and currants.
4. Mix to fairly soft dough with egg and milk.
5. Knead lightly.
6. Roll to 1/2 inch thickness.
7. Cut into small  rounds.
8. Brush with a little egg kept for the purpose.
9. Place in a greased tin.
10. Bake in hot oven about 10-15 minutes at 450F.

Almond Biscuits

8 ozs plain flour
4 ozs butter
4 ozs caster sugar
1 teaspoonful baking powder
1 egg
1/2 teaspoonful almond essence
1 oz chopped bitter almonds
Pinch of salt

1. Sieve together all dry ingredients.
2. Rub butter into flour, etc.
3. Mix to a smooth paste with egg yolk and almond essence.
4. Roll out on floured board to 1/4 inch thickness.
5. Cut into rounds or finger shapes.
6. Brush over with white of egg and sprinkle with chopped almonds and a little sugar.
7. Bake in moderate oven 20-30 minutes at 350F.

Banoffi Pie
 
2 oz butter
1/4 lemon
1 pint cream
3tsp instant coffee (wet)
2 oz icing sugar
1/2 packet Digestive Biscuits
5 bananas
4 oz butterscotch sauce
4oz caster sugar
2 oz almonds
 
Put biscuits into processor and bring to a fine crumb. Add to the melted butter. Place the biscuit mix into a springform cake tin and press down. Slice the bananas, squeeze on lemon juice and mix. Place onto the base and keep them in from the side of the cake tin.

Pour the butterscotch sauce onto the bananas, covering them all. Put into the fridge to cool. Meanwhile whip the cream to a very stiff consistency and add in the sugar and coffee. Pour this onto the biscuit base and press down well. Leave in the fridge for at least two hours to let it settle.

To serve: remove sides of the cake tin by running a knife around the inside of the tin. Cut in slices and serve on a plate surrounded with a fruit coulis.
12 portions

Butterscotch Sauce

2 oz butter
4 oz sugar
6 fl oz cream

Cook butter and sugar together until brown, shaking the pan regularly during cooking so that the mixture doesn't burn at the edges. When the mixture is a nice brown colour add in the cream and whisk until a smooth velvety consistency.
NB: Be VERY careful when adding in the cream as it is very hot and can splatter

Boiled Fruit Cake

1 lb (2 1/2 cups) sultanas
1/2 lb (1 cup) granulated sugar
1 tsp mixed spice
1/2 lb (1 cup) butter
1/4 pt (1/2 cup) water

Boil the above ingredients for 10 minutes, mixing well. Let it get cold, then add:

1 lb (4 1/2 cups) sifted flour
2 eggs, well beaten

Blend very well, then put the mixture into a greased and lined cake tin (8 inches in diameter) and bake in a slow oven (250F) for about 2 hours. A good moist cake which keeps very well. Chopped nuts can be added if desired.

Delightful Short Scone

4 ozs plain flour
2 ozs butter
Pinch of salt
1 rounded teaspoonful baking powder
1 tablespoonful of sour milk or buttermilk

1. Sieve together baking powder, salt and flour.
2. Rub in butter.
3. Mix with milk to stiff dough.
4. Cut into small rounds.
5. Place on floured tin.
6. Bake in hot oven about 10 minutes at 450F.
These scones are delicious served hot, split and buttered. Spread with anchovy butter, or bloater paste for a change.  (Bloater - Large fatty herring lightly salted and briefly smoked)

Easter Biscuits

8 ozs plain flour
5 ozs butter
4 ozs castor sugar
1/2 teaspoonful baking powder
1 egg
Grated rind of 1 lemon.
Pinch of salt
2 ozs currants (if liked)

1. Sieve together all dry ingredients.
2. Rub butter into flour, etc.
3. Mix to a smooth paste with egg yolk.
4. Roll out on floured board to 1/4 inch thickness.
5. Cut into rounds or finger shapes.
6. Brush over with white of egg and sprinkle with a little sugar.
7. Bake in moderate oven 20-30 minutes at 350F.

Maderia Sponge Cake (4*)

350gm (12 oz) Self raising flour
275gm (10 oz) sugar
257gm (10 oz) margarine (Stork)
5 eggs
3 tbls milk

Place all ingredients into the large Kitchen Aid bowl. MIx on low speed to mix ingredients, then on high speed
for one minute only.

Line cake tin with grease proof paper, bottom & sides (with double sheets)

Preheat oven to 150c (300F) Bake cake for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours. Cake is ready when it springs back when
touched. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before putting it out on to rack. TV3 September 10, 2003

Potato Scone

6 ozs cooked potatoes
6 ozs plain flour
1 oz butter
Pinch of salt
2 rounded teaspoonfuls baking powder
Milk

1. Sieve flour, salt and baking powder.
2. Rub potatoes through wire sieve.
3. Rub in butter and add potatoes
4. Mix to stiff dough with very little milk.
5. Roll our on well floured board.
6. Cut in rounds.
7. Cook on hot girdle or frying pan about 5 minutes each side.
8. Butter and serve hot.

Soda Farls

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
4 tablespoons butter

1. In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients. Add the buttermilk and stir.
2. When combined, turn dough out onto  a lightly floured surface. Knead gently.
3. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to a 10-12 inch round. Cut into 6 wedges.
Set aside.
4. In a heavy-bottomed skillet, over medium heat, melt butter. Place the soda
farls into the butter and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side until browned.
Makes 6 scones

Irish Coffee

Coffee. Freshly ground, freshly made coffee will produce the best results.
           Use 5-6 ounces per glass. Make coffee 25 percent stronger than usual.

Sugar. Demerera brown sugar but any type of sugar can be used - 2 teaspoons per glass

Cream. Heavy cream (not whipped)  about 1/4 cup per glass, poured over the back of a spoon and gently floated on top of the hot coffee. Insure cream is cool straight from the refrigerator.

Whiskey. Only Irish whiskey should be used such as Jameson, Paddy, Power, or Tullamore  Dew. A small measure for each glass.