Ballater Scones

 

These scones are not only named after the village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland but are connect to a farmer's wife, Mrs. Macnab, who lived near the area and had well known baking skills. It is said that she would often have tea with King Frederick of Prussia and other guests at Balmoral. Rustic and crisp on the outside and a tender buttery flaky texture inside, perfect for any occasion and especially lovely with a wee dram of whisky to toast Scottish poet, Robert Burns, on Burns Night.  

  

Ballater Scones

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1 lb. (3 cups) all purpose flour 

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

3 oz. (1/3 cup) butter

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

1/2 pint (300 ml/1 & 1/4 cups) tepid milk

Preheat oven to 450ºF (230ºC). Lightly grease a baking tray or line the tray with baking parchment. 

Sift flour and cream of tartar into a a large bowl. Using clean dry hands rub in butter. Dissolve baking soda in the milk. Stir into dry ingredients. Knead to a stiff dough. Roll out on a lightly floured board into a round about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Cut into rounds, 2 to 2 1/2 inches across. Bake a little apart on the prepared baking tray in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes. When done, brush the tops lightly with milk. Serve split and buttered. 

Notes: I used a 2 and 3/4 inch (69 mm) round cutter. 

Inverness Gingerbread

 

This is the most thickest gingerbread I have made so far. It's vintage and is made with no eggs or baking powder. As vintage... or retro recipes go, it works as it makes an old-fashioned rich dark gingerbread. 

Inverness Gingerbread

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1 cup rolled oats

3 cups all purpose flour, sifted

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups dark molasses

1/2 cup candied lemon peel, minced

4 tablespoons grated fresh green ginger or 2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/4 cup cream

Measure the oats, and then grind them, or run them very briefly in an electric blender. Cream the butter until light and fluffy, then blend in the molasses. Mix in the flour, oats, lemon peel, and ginger. Last, stir in the cream. Bake in a greased and floured 9 x 14 inch pan at 350ºF (180ºC) for about 45 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.  

Notes: I did add a bit more cream, about another 1/4 cup,  then the recipe called for, so equalling about 1/2 cup cream. Ovens vary therefore baking times may vary. 

Scottish Recipe Booklets

 

Charming and quaint as these recipe booklets are with their reproduced artwork and simplified one page recipes, an easy tourist attraction on a turnstile memento, they do offer up some wonderful traditional sample recipes to dive into. Just under fifty pages and approximately seventy-five titles available in the series making them a holiday token to gather and share. I have collected quite a few of these over the years. I know they may seem kitschy however I do seek them out and adore them all the same as a keepsake of my travels and I do reference and enjoy trying the recipes when possible. 

The recipe, Collops of Beef, is from the Favourite Scottish Recipes booklet and is traditionally served on Burns Night, January 25th.

Collops of Beef

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Serves 4

1 1/2 lb. piece of braising steak, sliced into 4 

1 onion, chopped

6 oz. mushrooms, sliced

2 tablespoons flour

2 oz. butter

salt and freshly ground pepper

Bay leaf (optional)

3/4 pint beef stock

Set oven to 350ºF (180ºC) or Mark 4.

Mix the flour with the salt and pepper. Coat the beef slices with seasoned flour. Melt the butter in a frying pan. Fry the collops for about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and set aside. Gently fry the onion and the mushrooms. Put the onion and mushrooms and a bayleaf (if desired) into the casserole. Lay the collops on top. Pour in the stock, cover and cook for 1 and 1/2 hours. Serve with buttered mashed potatoes and a green vegetable. Rowan or red currant jelly goes well with this dish. 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Scottish Oatcakes

 

Made two different kinds of oatcakes for tonight in celebration of Robert Burns Day. The rectangular oatcakes are more of a new recipe, which I will post about later, where as the circular oatcakes are a more traditional Midlothian recipe. Either are delicious and would go well with a wee dram of whisky to toast Scottish poet, Robert Burns. From the Highlands and to the Lowlands, Happy Robert Burns Day! - JD   

Prestonpans Biscuits

A sweet salute to Robert Burns Night. These biscuits have a hint of sweetness and will be greatly consumed with a wee dram of Scottish whisky. Our ode to the Scotsman will be a humble toast to him.

Prestonpans Biscuits

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8 oz flour

8 oz corn flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

8 oz white sugar

8 oz butter

2 beaten eggs

Sift all dry ingredients into a basin. Rub in butter. Mix to a dough with the eggs and add a little milk if required. Roll out on a lightly floured board. Cut into rounds. Bake a little apart on a lightly greased baking sheet in a moderately hot oven, 375ºF., for 10 to 12 minutes. Dredge with caster sugar. 

Notes: This recipe comes from a vintage Scottish cookbook and is typed as printed in the book. The flour I used was unbleached all purpose flour, the butter was softened. I lined the baking sheet with baking parchment paper instead of greasing it. I found the dough to be quite soft therefore I was more generous with the flour when rolling the dough out. As for the baking time... I found 10 minutes was perfect.

One reference I found that mentioned Prestonpans was a book called The Battles of Dunbar & Prestonpans: And Other Selected Poems New and Old, by James Lumsden, published in 1896. Which I believe the Bodleian Library of Oxford may have online in their Catalogue (SOLO). 

Happy Robert Burns Day and Night! - JD 

Slow Cooker Highland Beef Stew

A very rich and hearty beef stew that is great on it's own or served with tatties and neeps (potatoes and turnips). Although I served it with a round of Bannock, that did just nicely.      

Slow Cooker Highland Beef Stew

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1 1/2 kg stewing beef, cut into 2inch/5cm pieces

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

2 bay leaves

2 x 440ml cans of dark Stout, preferably Scottish

100g smoked streaky bacon, roughly chopped

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 cups brown mushrooms, chopped

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup Port 
frozen peas, optional
chopped parsley for garnish  

Place the beef, garlic and bay leaves in a large non metallic bowl and pour the Stout over top. Cover and let marinate in the fridge for a least an hour or overnight. 

Transfer the meat to the slow cooker. Keep the remaining marinade and set aside. Add the chopped onions, chopped mushrooms and chopped bacon. Sprinkle the flour over top and give everything a toss. Pour the Port over the meat and vegetable mixture and then pour the reserved marinade over top of everything. Give a gentle stir. 

Cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours or High for 3 to 5 hours

Add the frozen peas in the last half hour of the cooking time. And serve with fresh chopped parsley. 

Notes: Slow cookers vary so cooking times may vary. If you find that the stew's sauce is not thick enough you can mix a bit of cornstarch with water and add that to thicken the sauce when the stew is done. If you can not find a dark Scottish Stout then use Guinness or any other dark Stout. If you do not want to use Port then red wine may be substituted.   

Hope everyone had a great weekend! - JD