Items to be Buttered
These are the sorts of unsophisticated, family-type foods which are welcome at morning tea time, or on a cold winter’s afternoon or for a late supper, and which can temper the sweet lightness of an afternoon tea menu with their honest wholesomeness. They are the stuff of thrifty baking, of rapid response to an emergency, or to the arrival of an unexpected visitor, and they create a very relaxed and homely mood in your kitchen.
-
Savoury Scones
Scone recipes are always very simple, and so their success depends a lot on the skill of the maker. We all want light scones, not doughy or leaden lumps, and because they are quick breads made not with yeast but with chemical raising agents like baking powder, they must be made speedily. Shirley Dunphy was known for her feather-light scones and she contributed this recipe to the 1963 Tokoroa recipe ...
-
Apricot and Coconut Loaf
This pretty and delicious loaf comes from a 2009 community cookbook, produced by the Tokoroa District Lions to raise funds for their local hospice. My friend Shirley Dunphy is a member of the small team of hardworking and talented women who put it together. Shirley’s Chocolate Caramel Slice is in Ladies, a Plate and her wholemeal date shortcake appears in A Second Helping, called Sister Blake’s Cake. Both those recipes ...
-
Perfect Pikelets
For me, this recipe makes perfect pikelets. Myra Lawrie was my adviser on the pikelet front and I have given her recipe to a number of novice cooks, who have found it easy and reliable. But there are many others in widespread use, so if you already have a winner, stick with it – a good pikelet recipe is a faithful friend for last-minute baking. Pikelets keep well in a ...
-
Banana Nut Loaf
Since we are in the territory of items to be buttered, we’ll begin with a recipe that, although nicely moist and with very good keeping qualities, includes no butter in the mixture. Buttering a slice of this delicious loaf before you eat it is therefore practically obligatory, rather than indulgent. It is very fast and easy to make, but you do need bananas that are very ripe so they mash ...