From The Mailbox: 5 Tips on Baking The Perfect Scones (Recipe: Nutella Scones)

Ever since I started baking, I’ve grown to realise that one of my favourite breakfasts and tea-time treats to eat and make are scones. Nothing quite hits the spot like a soft and tender bake enjoyed quietly alone on a lazy day, and to have this comfort food on your plate in under an hour, without the hassle of butter softening, or yeast proofing (yes, I’m looking at you, yummy-yet-time-consuming cinnamon rolls), is surely an added bonus, if not an impetus. Yet, each time I blog or tweet on scones;– I must admit I bake them more than I can blog;– I will almost always receive either laments on differing results, or questions on my ‘secrets’ to baking them. This post certainly is a long time coming, but here’s sharing some of my tips on baking perfect scones, and pssst, even if you’re not interested, there is a great recipe awaiting at the end of the post, in celebration of Nutella Day last Sunday.

testing out the tried and tested [recipe: chocolate chip bread pudding with vanilla sauce]

Call me boring and unadventurous (though I’d much prefer somewhere along the lines of safe), but I am the sort who finds a great recipe, and sticks by it. In itself it might sound contradictory given that I’m a food blogger, and the very essence of a food blog pivots on the testing and sharing of a plethora of recipes. Well in case you’ve lost me, what I am more specifically referring to is the fact that I have my chosen repertoire of turn-to recipes I’ve been using as bases, or point of reference, for certain bakes. The way I see it, if a said recipe is tried and tested over countless of times, and have proven its worth amongst differing palates, it must surely has earned itself a spot for tweaking and variations.

A favourite base recipe I’ve used countless of times in experimenting new flavours and combinations has to be the much-loved and understated fudgy cocoa brownies, which has lent itself to some yummy peanut butter blondies, and snickerdoodle blondies, just to name a few. Then there is my most oft-used base muffin recipe, which I can never seem to get tired of, and have made variations with other ingredients such as different chips (butterscotch yum!), fruits (strawberries, blueberries) and spreads (Nutella, jam, peanut butter). Hence it would only seem natural that when I was craving for bread pudding the other morning, I turned to my favourite Nutella chocolate bread pudding recipe for a little tweaking.

striking one off the wishlist [recipe: german apple bundt cake]

It is that time of the year when I rummage through my pantry (and book shelf, don’t judge) for long-forgotten and / or long-purchased-but-never-used baking ware and items. After all, it is only natural that certain baking tools get less attention than others, seeing its novelty and perhaps just the lack of occasions requiring you to whip out your blowtorch or your much-adored Elmo baking pan. And I reckon it is also only inevitable that you enter a new store, not expecting to purchase much, but end up leaving with some irresistible offers on items you may not need, but have always had on your wishlist. Right?

Case in point here would be the Nordic bundt pan I got on offer at ToTT many months ago, wrapped neatly and tucked into the depths of my bookshelf. For a small household not big on cakes, I did wonder (perhaps just for a moment) whether such a large bundt pan would be fully utilised, but after having had baked this beautiful and moist German apple bundt cake, there will no longer be any room for regret of purchase, even if it means baking this recipe over and over again.