Cucumber Sandwiches
Ingredients:
- 8 slices of white sandwich bread
- Butter, softened
- ½ a cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
- Mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon of chives, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon of yellow mustard
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Method:
- Spread a thin layer of butter on one side of each slice of bread.
- In a small bowl, mix together 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise, the chives, 1 teaspoon of mustard and salt and pepper.
- Spread a thin layer of the mayonnaise mix over 4 slices of bread before placing a single layer of cucumber slices on top of each slice.
- Top with the remaining slices of buttered bread and cut off the crusts. Cut each sandwich into three fingers and arrange them onto your tiered serving tray.
Chocolate Biscuits
Ingredients:
- 400g ready to roll puff pastry
- 5 tablespoons of chocolate spread
- 1½ tablespoons of roasted hazelnuts, chopped
- 1 egg, beaten
Method:
- Unroll the puff pastry and flatten until it reaches your desired thickness. Spread the chocolate spread across the entire surface, right to the edges, and sprinkle over the chopped hazelnuts.
- Start with one corner and roll the pastry to the middle. Go to the opposite corner and roll it until the two rolls meet in middle.
- Place the roll onto a baking tray, lined with baking paper, and lightly brush it with the egg mix.
- Place the roll into the freezer for 15 minutes until it has chilled and firmed. While the roll is in the freezer, preheat your oven to 220°C.
- Using a serrated knife, cut the roll into thin slices (roughly 1 -2 cm). Place each slice onto your prepared baking tray, spaced evenly apart.
- Bake for 10-15minutes until golden before transferring the slices to a cooling rack.
*This recipe makes 15 -18 biscuits depending on the thickness.
Buttermilk Scones
Ingredients:
- 2 ½ cups of self-raising flour
- 2 tablespoons of caster sugar
- 60g of butter, chopped
- 1 cup of buttermilk
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 180°C and line a flat baking tray with baking paper.
- In a large bowl, sift the flour and add in the sugar and butter. Rub the butter into the flour and sugar until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Add in the buttermilk. Using a butter knife, stir the buttermilk into the breadcrumbs until dough starts to form.
- Gently press the remaining dough together until it forms a ball. Place the dough onto a floured surface and gently press or roll it out until it is 2½ - 3 cm thick.
- Using a cookie cutter or glass, cut rounds out and place them 1 cm apart on the baking tray.
- Brush the tops with a touch of milk before placing them into the oven to bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until light and golden.
- Allow the scones to cool before serving with freshly whipped cream and strawberry jam.
Tips:
*Scones are best eaten the day they are made.
*Tap the top of the scone before removing from the oven. If it sounds hollow, then you know they are ready.
