Cherry-plum preserves + scones

I usually do not buy cookbooks without taking a look inside their pages first – I have done that in a few occasions and got really disappointed; but after reading the reviews for "Sarabeth's Bakery: From My Hands to Yours" and seeing a photo of one of the cookie recipes I felt I would love the book – and I did. It’s full of great recipes, beautiful photos and there are several recipes for preserves, which is something I intend to make more often – especially after tasting this cherry-plum preserves, which is one of the most delicious recipes I have ever made. I am sure the preserves would work beautifully over some panna cotta or served along a slice of simple pound cake or angel cake, but I went the traditional way and baked some scones to serve with it. Fantastic combination.

Cherry-plum preserves
from the gorgeous Sarabeth's Bakery: From My Hands to Yours

900g (2 pounds) cherries, pitted and halved
900g (2 pounds) ripe plums, pitted and cut into about 1cm (½in) cubes
½ cup (120ml) fresh orange juice
3 cups (600g) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (80ml) fresh lemon juice

Combine the cherries, plums and orange juice in a non-reactive large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring often. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often, until the fruit is tender, about 15 minutes.
Stir in the sugar and lemon juice and return to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, until the fruit has fallen apart into a thick, chunky puree, about 20 minutes – the plums dissolved completely and the cherries remained in pieces.
Let cool completely, store in jars and keep in the fridge.

Makes 7 pints (4 liters) – I halved the recipe above and used 500g cherries + 400g plums

Simple scones
from the always amazing Donna Hay Magazine

2 cups (280g) all purpose flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
pinch of salt
3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter, cold and chopped
¾ cup (180ml) whole milk + a little extra for brushing

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Add the butter and use your fingertips to work it into the flour mixture until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Use a flat-bladed knife or a fork to mix in the milk until the dough is soft and sticky. Knead the dough lightly on a floured surface and press into a round approximately 3cm (1.2in) thick.
Use a 5cm (2in) plain cutter to cut rounds and place onto the prepared sheet. Brush the tops with milk and bake for 15 minutes or until risen and lightly golden.
Serve warm with the preserves.

Makes 12

Cheese pinwheel scones

Don’t let these fool you: despite their pale look, they are pretty addictive. Don’t believe me? Joao had several. And he never eats my baked goods. Ever.

I usually don’t go for savory baking, but who can say no to bread filled with 3 types of cheese?

Even though the scones were delicious, there are two things I’d do differently: add more salt to the dough and use an egg wash to get them nicely golden.

Cheese pinwheel scones
recipe from this box

250g all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
pinch of salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper – I used freshly ground black pepper
30g unsalted butter, chilled and diced
185ml milk

Filling:
40g goat’s cheese, crumbled
40g grated parmesan cheese
40g grated mature cheddar cheese – I used the yellow mozzarella we have here, made with cow’s milk
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 220ºC/425ºF. Grease or line a baking tray with non stick baking paper.
Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper into a large bowl. Using your fingertips, rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the milk and, using a flat-bladed knife, mix to form a soft dough. Add a little extra flour if the dough is too sticky.
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and roll out to form a 20x25cm (8x10in) rectangle. Sprinkle the goat’s cheese over the surface, then sprinkle over the parmesan, cheddar and parsley. Starting from the long side, roll the dough into a cylinder. Cut the cylinder into 10 equal 2cm (3/4 in) thick slices. Transfer the slices to a baking tray, spacing them 2cm (3/4 in) apart.
Bake for 10-12 minutes (mine took 28 minutes in the oven) or until golden and cooked through. Cool on a wire rack.
Serve warm.

Makes 10