Comments on: Words to the wise from Dr Sister Outlaw

By: Emica

Emica — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 07:36:31 +0000

thanks for the advice DSO :)

I’ll give your amendments a go, cos it’s worth a second try – although it turned out more like some kind of ginger and macadamia flapjack, they were very very yummy!

By: Dr Sister Outlaw

Dr Sister Outlaw — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 06:53:44 +0000

I haz looked at the recipe and I think you are right – not enough flour, and when you add that amount of butter and sugar you are gonna get a big syrup that just won’t stay put. Cut the butter to 100 grammes, cut the sugar to 150g and increase the flour to a cup and I would say that would work quite well. If it doesn’t, add even more flour.

Not all recipes in books or mags or newspapers work, sadly.

By: Emica

Emica — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 18:05:32 +0000

ARghgh! another baking failure. Am I cursed to never successfully bake anything?

This time my scone mixture was way too wet (although did use white flour). If I had tried to add more flour, it would have made them inedibly tough. And I bought jam to have with them too!

Also, I made these biscuits for a new baby visiting morning tea (we brought biscuits, they provided the baby)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/apr/25/ginger-macadamia-biscuits-dan-lepard

I followed the recipe to the letter and the buggers spread all over the place. Even the second batch, which i spaced out and made smaller. I like a biscuit to have a bit of body and these felt like the butter to flour proportion was wrong and too greasy.

Hmmm. do I concede defeat?

By: Zoe

Zoe — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 04:39:38 +0000

Emica, if you're in the market for a good guide, Michael Ruhlman's Ratio is fanastic and a lot easier going than Harold McGee.

By: Emica

Emica — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 10:00:35 +0000

Dr SO – forgot to say, I didn’t overfill the first loaf and the silicone loaf tin still bulged at the sides.

Perhaps silicone isn’t a good material for loaf tins, given that they are usually pretty heavy mixtures?

By: Emica

Emica — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 09:58:29 +0000

Thank you for the wise words on the chemistry of scones Dr SO. My vague intentions to counter balance the cheese & butter by making them ‘healthy’ with wholemeal has obviously gone awry.

I may try again with (plain flour!) buttermilk scones, as an excuse to use up the last of the divine damson jam I bought on our camping trip to the Lake District.

I’m going to attempt a jam roly poly tonight. I will follow the recipe to the letter this time! Fingers crossed…

By: FDB

FDB — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 05:03:03 +0000

If you want wholemeal, don’t make scones.

By: Dr Sister Outlaw

Dr Sister Outlaw — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 22:43:01 +0000

You can vent here Emica, any time! Some answers for your problems. Wholemeal scones usually include just a bit of wholemeal flour which gives substance, but there are still large quantities of white flour available. Scones depend on the expansive powers of heated flour and the stretch in the gluten and you can never get wholemeal flour to stretch the same way, even with raising agents (most wholemeal breads also include plenty of white flour).

The reason you can get away with wholemeal flour (and other things like polenta) in muffins is that you have eggs and oil (or butter) in large quantities, which both bind and moisten.

I have so far not over filled my silicone bakeware, but there is yet time. I suspect they suit lighter mixtures?

As for a use for your cheese scones – perhaps post them home for my chooks?