Breakfast with scones and lemon marmalade

Practically marmalade is bitter and sour jam made from oranges. Living in this country, which loves sugar so much, I found difficulty to buy decent raw material. I have been around farmer market, asking if there were Seville Oranges. Most of California's oranges, such Navel or Valencia were design for juicing.

Then someone gave us bag of lemon, fresh from tree. Idea to make marmalade from lemon comes up mixed with lime to add sourness. To create marmalade that locally grown is bit adventurous. The recipe below came from Allotment UK -community garden which probably straight forward. But for beginner, I recommend to look up at Simply Recipe along with pictures and detail how to make it.

The key is pectin, the ingredients that contains at seeds of lemon. Due the low contents of pectin at lemon, we reduced the water. It's better to leave the seeds, pips and pith soaked overnight with the cheese bag.

Marmalade best served with scones for breakfast. I managed to create British type scones at small round than triangle shape. (In North America, this is refer to buttermilk biscuit so don't get confuse). The buttery taste of scones and kick of lemon marmalade is perfect combination to start another hard day.


Lemon Marmalade

Ingredients:

• 2 lb (900 g) lemons (we added 2-3 limes)
  
• 6 pints (3.4 litres) water (Note : we reduce the amount of water into 3 liter)
  
• 1½ lb (675 g) sugar per 1 lb (450 g) pulp

1. Wash and dry the fruit. Cut in half and squeeze out the juice. Remove the pips, inside skin and pith. Tie these in a piece of muslin.
2. Cut the peel finely or coarsely, according to preference.
3. Put the peel in a large bowl with the bag of pips etc and the juice. Add 6 pints of water and leave to soak overnight.
4. Weigh the preserving pan and make a note of it. Put the soaked peel, pith and pips into it with the water and juice.
5. Bring to the boil and simmer gently until the peel is soft and the contents of the pan have been reduced to half its original bulk. This will take about 1½ hours.
6. Lift out the bag of pips and pith, squeezing it again the side of the pan with a wooden spoon.
7. Test for pectin.
8. Re-weigh the pan and subtract from this weight the original weight of the empty pan to calculate the weight of the remaining pulp.
9. Add 1½ lb (675 g) of warmed sugar to each 1 lb (450 g) of pulp, stir until all the sugar has dissolved.
10. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly until the marmalade sets when tested.
11. Remove the scum and leave to cool slightly.
12. Pot and seal whilst still hot.

Makes about 6 lbs (2.7 kg) of marmalade.

CREAM SCONES

Ingredients :

1 large egg
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbs granulated sugar
1 Tbs baking powder
¼ tsp salt
5 Tbs unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
¾ cup moist, plump currants (optional)

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.

2. Stir the egg and cream together.

3. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. Drop in the butter and, using your fingers, toss to coat the pieces of butter with flour. Quickly, working with your fingertips or a pastry blender, cut and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is pebbly.

4. Pour the egg, cream and currants over the dry ingredients and stir with a fork just until the dough, which will be wet and sticky, come together. Don’t overdo it. Still in the bowl, gently knead the dough by hand, or turn it with a rubber spatula 8 to 10 times.

5. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and turn out the dough. Divide it in half. Working with one piece at a time, pat the dough into a rough circle that’s about 5 inches in diameter, cut it into 6 wedges and place it on the baking sheet. (At this point, the scones can be frozen on the baking sheet, then wrapped airtight. Don’t defrost before baking- just add about 2 minutes to the baking time). Note : I created small round dough as British traditional scones.

6. Bake the scones for 20 to 22 minutes, or until their tops are golden and firmish. Transfer them to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before serving, or wait for them to cool to room temperature.

Yield: 12 small scones
Recipe Source: Adapted from Baking From My Home to Yours from Recipegirl

Blueberries : when my heart bit mellow

I tempted to join Tuesday With Dorrie (TWD) – a weekly baking challenge. Then I think again. Those challenge is not difficult but just need dedication. Every week we’ve try one of the recipe at Dorie’s book Baking : From Home to Yours. Although I’ve got the book but to do rigorously and ritually experiment to bake can be quite daunting for me.

As beginner I love to try everything that consider the way of exploring many possibilities. I do adore Dorie but I am willing to try another recipes from different chef as well as part of my learning process. I am bit fickle actually; want to try many things at once. And suddenly ‘wush’, that’s could be gone. Losing interest because mount household to do. I am in middle of writing a book (oh two actually while one is photo book), so time management said I wouldn’t have spacious room to do more.

Also I am thinking to study further, might back to my root into design rather than to motorway. Again I’ve been turned down by the University because the subject I’d like not for international students; although lot more challenges than “normal” design course. Talked about it with Mr. C, we came to decision to hold for another 6 month. Yeah, this week can be so blue for me.

This muffin just to give me remedy after those overlay thought. It’s easy, not related with any gadget at all. I surprised to realise that this can be done in matter less than an hour.

Blueberries always had been work with muffin. It’s traditional in any western baking. The texture of blueberries when it cooked filled the batter into gooey and melt blue juice. Best to keep blueberries is freeze until you’ve need it. I put in cooking sheet about an hour two then transfer into plastic box. It made frozen process more individual fruit than whole batch.

I don’t have buttermilk, so as on the book said that I can replace with plain yougurt (2/3 cup) and whole milk (1/3) in one cup buttermilk. As the recipe less than that I am not bother to put 1 cup portion than ¾ cup. I run out of honey in pantry, then I changed it with organic maple syrup.

I am pleased with the result. It has sourness and light sweet that blend nicely with evening Yorkshire tea. Even though my heart bit blue, but this muffin just made my mind away.




Orange Berry Muffins
Baking: From My Home to Yours (Dorie Greenspan)

Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
About 3/4 cup buttermilk (or plain yogurt and whole milk)
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons honey (or organic maple syrup)
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup blueberries - fresh, preferably, or frozen (not thawed)

Decorating sugar, for topping (optional) > I am using demerara sugar

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan or fit the molds with paper muffin cups. Alternatively, use a silicone muffin pan, which needs neither greasing nor paper cups. Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet.

Pour the orange juice into a large glass measuring cup or a bowl and pour in enough buttermilk to make 1 cup. Whisk in the eggs, honey and melted butter.

In a large bowl, rub the sugar and orange zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and the fragrance of orange strong. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don’t worry about being thorough - the batter will be lumpy and bubbly, and that’s just the way it should be. Stir in the blueberries. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

Bake for 22 to 25 minutes. If you want to top the muffins with decorating sugar, sprinkle on the sugar after the muffins have baked for 10 minutes. When fully baked, the tops of the muffins will be golden and springy to the touch and a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins will come out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.

text taken from eatmedelicious

Nigella's Hot Cross Buns

Pagi hari saya kangen roti hot cross. Baunya yang wangi cengkeh dan pala kalau dihangatkan memenuhi ruang, dan kemudian diberi sedikit mentega cukuplah menjadi pengisi sarapan. Anehnya saya ngga menemui roti jenis ini di supermarket. Nampaknya memang bukan tradisi Amerika. Lebih terasa English seperti halnya scones dan minum teh seperti yang saya cerita disini.

Akhirnya saya ngepit ke Sunnyvale Library untuk pinjem bukunya mbak Nigella : The Feast. Kalau dari judulnya emang kliatan Cross Buns ini hanya dibuat untuk merayakan Good Friday atau sebelum Paskah. Senyatanya di Inggris, cross bun lebih ke konsumsi massal artinya ya ngga nunggu hari Paskah. Mirip dengan ketupat ngga mesti dimakan Lebaran kan?

Buku Nigella ini berisi berbagai resep sebagai bagian dari hidangan perayaan tertentu. Dari keagamaan, kelahiran hingga kematian. Sebuah konsep yang bagus banget, melihat sisi cooking sebagai tak terpisahkan dari lingkaran keseharian.

Resep ini tidak terlalu sukses saya coba. Karena saya ngga punya tepung untuk roti sehigga saya memakai tepung untuk scones. Saya juga menyimpan adonan kurang lama sehingga ngga menggembung dengan penuh. Hasilnya agak bantat dan keras. Sepertinya dengan kelembaban yang rendah disini, semua roti yang saya bikin dengan dry yeast jadi sekeras batu dalam tempo 1-2 hari :) Beda resep Nigella dengan yang lain adalah penggunaan cardamon (kapulaga). Walau tidak banyak tapi efek yang dihasilkan lebih berbau timur-tengah. Kalaupun ngga ada, tidak perlu dipaksakan. Kebetulan saya ada persediaan. Kapulaga syarat utama membuat pilau (pilaf, pilao) rice kesukaan kami.

Bau yang harum dari cengkeh, pala dan kayuwangi benar-benar saya nikmati. Saya masih penasaran ingin mencoba lagi.



Hot Cross Buns

Untuk adonan roti:

2/3 cup susu

1/2 stick mentega

zest (irisan kulit) dari 1 jeruk lemon

1 cengkeh

2 kapulaga (cardamon pods)

3 cups tepung untuk roti (saya memakai whole wheat flour)

1 pak active yeast (ragi bubuk) kering (1/4 oz)

3/4 cup macam2 buah kering (raisins)

1 tsp bubuk kayu manis

1/2 tsp bubuk pala (kalau bisa langsung parutan)

1/4 tsp bubuk jahe

1 telur

Untuk membasuh roti :

1 telur diacak dengan sedikit susu

Untuk membuat cross diatas roti :

3 tbsp tepung terigu all purpose

1/2 tbsp gula halus

2 tablespoons air

Untuk glazing gula :

1 tbsp gula halus

1 tbsp air mendidih

Panaskan susu, mentega, irisan kulit jeruk, cengkeh dan kapulaga dalam panci kecil hingga mentega mencair. Biarkan membaui.

Timbang tepung, ragi dan buah kering dalam mangkok besar lalu tambahkan bahan harum lainnya (kayumanis, jahe dan pala). Ketika susu diatas sudah mencapai suhu tubuh (tidak terlalu panas atau dingin) keluarkan biji cengkeh dan pala kemudian masukkan telur yang telah diacak. Tuang adonan cair ini ke dalam adonan kering.

Bentuk adonan roti menjadi elastik dan halus -jika perlu tambahkan sedikit susu hangat atay air. Kemudian jadikan bentuk bola dan masukkan dalam mangkok yang diberi mentega sebelumnya. Tutup dengan plastik dan biarkan di kulkas semalam (atau minimum 2 jam).

Panaskan oven dalam suhu 425 degrees. Keluarkan adonan dari kulkas dan biarkan hingga temperatur ruang.

Pukul adonan hingga kempes, bentuk kembali hingga halus dan gampang dibikin. Buat menjadi 16 bola dengan kulit yang terlihat halus.

Tempatkan di kertas roti dalam loyang datar. Jangan terlalu dekat atau jauh, tapi tidak saling bersentuhan. Dengan menggunakan pisau makan, buat jalur cross diatas roti. Tutup dengan serbet dapur bersih dan biarkan hingga 45menit agar adonan naik lagi.

Sapu permukaan roti dengan campuran telur dan susu kemudian membuat isian cross dengan tepung, gula dan air hingga menjadi adonan putih yang halus. Dengan sendok kecil, masukkan adonan putih ke dalam jejak cross yang dibuat tadi. Kemudian panggang sekitar 15-20 menit.

Ketika matang, keluarkan dari oven. Campur gula dengan air panas untuk membuat glazing. Sapukan di atas permukaan roti agar terlihat manis dan mengkilat.


Full version of English's recipe courtesy of Basil and Ginger.