Mothers day is fast approaching, usually its high tea somewhere posh or a casual afternoon lunch. However, we are in a lockdown and its time to get creative. There are so many trends floating around on Instagram and Pinterest about grazing boxes, smash hearts, hot chocolate bombs, mini hampers. Why not make your mum something special at home. I bet she'd love to receive a grazing box from you, including scones, sandwiches, cakes, pastries, tea and dessert. Take it up one notch and add a mini bottle of champagne. 

If you want to push the boat out, bake her a cake, or make a chocolate bomb. We have several recipes on our blog for cakes and an epic 'how to' for chocolate bombs. 

Here we will share some easy recipes which you can make within minutes and let mum devour them!

Savoury scones: Sundried tomato and Basil

  • 256g self-raising flour
  • 1 tbsp caster sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 60g butter, cubed and chilled
  • 204g buttermilk, extra for brushing
  • 43g sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp basil leaves, finely chopped

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 220C/200C fan-forced. Line a baking tray with parchment paper—position oven rack in the top half of the oven.
  2. Sift flour, sugar and salt into a bowl. Add the butter, using fingertips, rub the butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add the tomato and basil.
  3. Make a well in the centre of the mixture. Add buttermilk, using a flat-bladed knife, stir until a sticky dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently until just smooth.
  4. Roll dough out to a 20cm square. Cut into 16 squares. Or you can use a round cutter for a traditional shape—dip cutters into flour to prevent the dough from sticking to them. 
  5. Place scones, just touching, onto the prepared tray. Brush with buttermilk. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden and hollow when tapped on top. 

Serving suggestions:

  • You can serve with ricotta, butter, or cream cheese. 

Traditional British Scones:

  • 350g self-raising flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 85g butter, cubed and chilled
  • 3 tbsp caster sugar
  • 175ml milk, plus more for glazing
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • a squeeze of lemon juice
  • Jam of choice and clotted cream to serve

Method:

  1. Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Tip the self-raising flour into a large bowl with ¼ tsp salt and the baking powder, then mix.
  2. Add the butter and rub till it resembles a fine crumb. Stir in the caster sugar.
  3. Warm the milk in the microwave for 30 seconds till its warm. It shouldn't be hot, add the vanilla extract and a squeeze of the lemon juice and set it aside. 
  4. Put a baking tray in the oven; you want the tray to be hot when you put your scones on top.
  5. Make a well in the dry mix, then add the liquid and combine it quickly with a butter knife or a straight palette knife – it will seem pretty wet at first.
  6. Scatter some flour onto the work surface and tip the dough out. Dredge the dough and your hands with a little more flour, then fold the dough over 2-3 times until it's a bit smoother. Pat into a round about 4cm deep. Take a 5cm cutter and dip it into some flour. 
  7. Plunge into the dough, then repeat until you have four scones. You may need to press what's left of the dough back into a round to cut out another four.
  8. Brush the tops with milk, then carefully arrange on the hot baking tray. Bake for 10 mins until risen and golden on the top. Eat just warm or cold on the day of baking, generously topped with jam and clotted cream.

Tips:

  • Adding a squeeze of lemon juice to the milk sours it slightly, mimicking sharp-tasting buttermilk, often used in scones but sometimes tricky to find. The somewhat sour mix gives a boost to the raising agents in the flour and baking powder.
scones

For dessert, you can do something simple like a cheesecake but a twisted version:

  1. Crush the biscuits and add the melted butter
  2. Whip the double cream to soft peak consistency
  3. Cut strawberries into halves or quarters

Layering time:

  1. In the bottom of the glass, add the biscuit crumb.
  2. Add a few of the strawberries.
  3. Add two spoonfuls of the whipped cream.
  4. Repeat from step 1. 
  5. Top with a whole strawberry on top 

Simple yet very effective, you can also add shaved chocolate on top if you wish. 

glass desserts

We have an epic macaron recipe for you which you can make in advance. 

macarons

If you want to bake a cake, why not make a delicious black forest cake and do some fancy chocolate work. We are pretty sure mums will love this :) 

If you make any of our creations, please do tag us in your pictures on social media; we will like and share onto our pages :)