In between writing essays and studying for exams I have the tendency to wonder off. Studying is great and when you LIKE the topic you have write about, it is not hard. Though boredom is unavoidable when you have to read multiple journal articles from Google scholar; this doing my head in. For anyone that has gone to University or collage you know what I am talking about. Nobody likes the referencing system and the fact they think they are all so unique. Really they are minutely different: one may have comma in one place, the other may use capitals for the names. Frustration in a nutshell.
Academic papers are the hardest thing to write when you have no idea how to string the concepts together. It is painful staring at a blank word document with the blinking line taunting you, mocking you in fact. Blink, blink, blink; the constant reminder that you have not managed articulate a simple sentence to describe an idea you know well. It seems like we stare at the blank page hoping in vain that something will turn up or strike which will make you writing machine. Never once happened *sign*.
Often in these moments of writing desperation and boredom I look to the kitchen for inspiration. Cooks and bakers are a batch of creative genius aren’t they? I am not talking about the people who originally developed the first sponge cake or pudding; I am talking about the everyday Joe who combines the most unexpected food stuffs into something great. For instance who was the first person to try McDonald’s ice cream with fries? or trying to stuff bacon into desserts?
For me I personally love when people combine two desserts or baked good together. Cheesecake mousse, brownie tarts and ice cream with chunky bits of cake all are personal favourites. I do not think I will ever be creative as these people but for now I can try and undertake my own food mash up. Anything to procrastinate a blank word document.
Sweet potatoes we now taste good in sweet and savoury things, so much more flavoursome than the ordinary white kinds. I have always wanted to make sweet potato baked goods but more often than not my family and I eat the potatoes before I get a change to bake with them! These are scones, yep the humble scone. I often bake scones on a weekly basis because it is quick and yields big rewards for little effort, not all are blogged but that’s because they are sort of plain. Anyway I was think afternoon tea (again) and was wondering how I could add another layer to scones which are tender and yielding. Inspiration hits! Against the scone’s foundations add a crunchy cookie topping! It was there all along.
The cookie is based on the ginger snap, with its signature combination of sugar and spice works wonders with the malt of sweet potato. I recommend only using the cookie topping if you are going to eat them right there and now because it does go soft, but really scones do not taste that great the day after anyway. Serve with a generous amount of honey or golden syrup and nice warm coffee. Picture perfect morning breakfast or solo afternoon delight in the late months of Autumn. You do not have to do the topping but it makes it different.
Cookies and scones? You now have scookies! A shot out: I wonder if anyone else would like to give this a go and improve on it and find out how to make the crust away crisp. I would love to learn.
Sweet potato scones with ginger snap crust
Adapted from this recipe on allrecipes.com.au
100g plain flour
130g whole meal flour
3g salt
11g baking powder
4g bi carb soda
250g mashed sweet potato
30g butter
30g vegetable shorting
75ml butter milk
1 egg
30g brown sugar
For the cookie topping
Adapted from Joy of baking
90g butter
50g brown sugar
50g raw caster sugar
30ml maltose
1 egg white
Scraping of vanilla bean seeds about half a pod
130g plain flour
2g bicarb soda
1/8 salt
2g ground cinnamon
2g ground nut meg
1g ground cloves
2g ground ginger
2g all spice
Cream together your butter and sugars with an electric whisk, until it pale brown, fluffy and light.
Add the maltose, egg white and vanilla seeds. Mix again.
In another bowl, mix your spices, flour, baking powder and bicarb.
Mix in dry ingredient into the butter mix. Fridge for 30 minutes. Prepare a tray lined with baking paper
Roll dough into balls with a 1.5cm diameter. Press flat slightly. Place on tray and repeat. Place in fridge until use.
Scones
Pre heat oven to 200c.Line two trays with baking paper.
Rub the butter and shortening into a large bowl with the flavour. You are cutting the fat into the flour here. Once the flour has absorbed all the fats, place in refrigerator for 1 hour.
In jug crack your egg, butter milk and sugar. Whisk to combine.
In your flour bowl make a well. Add your baking powder, bicarb, salt, with a whisk until combined.
Add your wet mix to dry and stir with a spoon until just combined.
On a well-floured surface pat out your scone dough into a rectangle. Using a 7 cm floured cutter, punch out your scone and place on trays. Leave room for 3cm of spreading.
Place a disc of cookie on the top of each scone. Bake for 15minutes or until top is a deep golden brown. Remove from tray and serve right away.
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