Flapjacks

When quarantine began I noticed a few recipes being repetitively done across the internet and social media. One such recipe was flapjacks. I wanted to make these for awhile however kept pushing them aside. Finally making them I can understand the simple crispy  crumbly appeal although I added lemon zest to cut through the sweetness. They are quite crunchy however if placed in an airtight container they do become more chewy.

Flapjacks

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1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup golden syrup

2 1/3 cups quick cooking oats

pinch of salt

zest of 1 lemon, optional

Preheat oven to 350ºF and butter a square metal baking pan. Line with parchment paper.

In a large sauce pan combine the butter, sugar and golden syrup; stirring constantly over medium low heat until the butter melts and sugar dissolves and mixture is nice and smooth.

Remove from heat and add the lemon zest, pinch of salt and oats; stir until coated. Transfer mixture to the prepared pan and spread the mixture out evenly. 

Bake until the top is golden, the edges will be darker, about 25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes and gently cut into 4 squares; cut each into 4 triangles, not to worry the mixture will be soft. Cool completely in the pan before serving. 

 Stay safe everyone! - JD 

Alfonso

This aromatic cocktail is a bit of a departure from the traditional Champagne cocktail.

Alfonso

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makes 1 cocktail

1 oz Dubonnet

1 whole white sugar cube

2 dashes of orange bitters

Champagne

1 twist of lemon

Place the sugar cube into the champagne flute. Add the orange bitters and Dubonnet to the glass. Top up with Champagne. Garnish with a twist of lemon, if you wish. 

Have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

Savoy Hotel Special Cocktail No.1

Another cocktail similar to the classic cocktail, simple, dry and smooth. 

Savoy Hotel Special Cocktail No.1

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makes 1 cocktail

2 oz Gin

1 oz Dry Vermouth

2 dashes Grenadine

1 dash Absinthe

1 twist lemon zest

Fill a mixing glass with ice cubes. Add all the ingredients, except the lemon zest, into the mixing glass. Stir and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of lemon, if you wish. 

Have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

Vesper Cocktail

This James Bond inspired cocktail, is named after the character in the movie Casino Royale, Vesper Lynd. It is a light citrus cocktail that is crisp and complex.  

Vesper Cocktail

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makes 1 cocktail

3 oz London dry gin

1 oz vodka

1/2 oz Lillet or Cocchi Aperitivo Americano  

lemon zest for garnish

Place all the ingredients into a cocktail pitcher with ice. Stir well until chilled, for about 20 seconds, strain into chilled cocktail glass or place all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake for about 10 seconds, this will make the cocktail more bubbly and cloudy. Squeeze the lemon zest over the drink and use as a garnish, if you wish.  

Have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

Blueberry Scones

I have a go to recipe for scones however I do like to change things up a bit and try different recipes now and again. These blueberry scones with just a hint of lemon are perfect. I decided to make 8 larger scones as I wanted them to be a bit more substantial rather than dainty afternoon tea scones. 

Blueberry Scones

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3 1/2 cups (875ml) unbleached all purpose flour

3/4 cup (175ml) caster sugar

2 tablespoons (30ml) baking powder

1/2 teaspoon (2ml) salt

2 tablespoons (30ml) lemon zest

1 cup (250ml) cold butter, cut into small pieces

1 cup (250ml) cold Carnation 2% Evaporated Milk

2 eggs

2 cups (500ml) fresh blueberries

Drizzle Glaze:

2 cups (500ml) icing sugar

5 tablespoons (75ml) Carnation 2% Evaporated Milk

1/2 teaspoon (2ml) vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 425ºF (220ºC) 

Line a baking tray with baking parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the lemon zest. Cut  in the butter with a pastry cutter or use your fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

In another bowl combine the evaporated milk and eggs. Add to the flour mixture. Gently fold in the blueberries. Careful not to over mix. 

Place the dough on a floured surface and shape the dough into a square... or rectangle that is 1" (2.5cm) thick. Cut into 16 pieces.

Arrange scones on the prepared baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 23 minutes or until lightly golden.

To Make the Drizzle Glaze:

Combine the icing sugar, evaporated milk and vanilla in a bowl. Stir until well blended.

When the scones are done, remove from the oven and place them on wire baking racks. Drizzle some of the glaze over the hot scones and drizzle again, 10 minutes later. 

Notes: You probably can replace the evaporated milk with almond milk or milk. You may add other berries such as, raspberries or blackberries or a combination there of. If you do not wish to make the glaze then sprinkle the tops with some vanilla sugar before baking. I made a runnier glaze as I only wanted a hint of sweetness on top. Even though I decided to make 8 large scones instead, I baked them for 23 minutes however felt that they could have come out of the oven a few minutes sooner. 

August seems to have come and gone. We definitely enjoyed the summer weeks and days together. Looking forward to fall. - JD  

Lemon Butter Biscuits

Like the sun I wanted a cookie that was bursting... bursting with lemon flavour. To achieve that I had to tweak this recipe a bit. And the end result was a fabulous one. I know lemons do not grow on evergreens however that was the only tree cookie cutter I had.  

Lemon Butter Biscuits

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1/2 cup butter, soften

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon of lemon zest 

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup granulated sugar for decoration

1. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with and electric mixer until creamy. Beat in the egg until light and fluffy. Mix in the flour, lemon juice and lemon zest, baking soda and salt. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until firm. 

Notes: I mixed all the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl first. After creaming the butter, sugar and egg I added the lemon juice, lemon zest of 2 lemons and about 1/4 -1/2 teaspoon of pure lemon extract and gently stirred. Then I mixed in the dry ingredients. Increasing the lemon zest and adding pure lemon extract completely intensified this rather subtle biscuit and made it burst with flavour. 

2. Preheat oven to 350º F ( 175ºC) 

3. Roll out the dough, a small amount at a time, to 1/4-inch thickness on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Keep remaining dough in the refrigerator. Cut with a 3-inch round cookie cutter. Transfer to ungreased baking sheets. Sprinkle with sugar.

4. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly brown on the edges. Cool for 1 minute on the baking sheets. Remove and place on wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container. 

Notes: I found that baking the biscuits for 8 minutes was enough. However ovens vary. This recipe is easy and fool proof. The lemon can be switched out with lime or orange. With just this basic recipe the flavour possibilities are virtually endless. 

Hope everyone has a good weekend! - JW