Homemade Crumpets

If there was ever a crowd pleasing breakfast in my house, it would be crumpets.

With supermarkets now introducing novelty shaped crumpets at Easter and Christmas time, their popularity is at an all time high for my tribe.

As always, I like to be able to make my own alternative to our favourite baked goods. Limiting sugar, preservatives and cost alongside increasing flavours.

Crumpets are a lot simpler than I thought so here is my recipe. Adapted from several recipes I found online - this was the perfect mixture for me. Enjoy!

Crumpets
Makes 8 - 10 depending on size of baking ring /cookie cutter

You will need:

225g plain flour
180mls warm milk
180mls warm water
1tsp baking powder
2.5g powdered yeast
1tsp salt

Skillet and baking rings (although I also tested using metal cookie cutter and it worked just as well)
Butter or low calorie oil spray for greasing

In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients. You should end up with a batter the consistency of double cream. Thick but pourable. Not stodgy. If it's thicker than cream, add a little extra warm water. There should be bubbles forming in the batter immediately once you have finished whisking .

Cover the bowl with cling film or wax wrap and leave for 1-3hrs depending on the time you have available.

The batter should have lots of bubbles now - meaning it's ready to go!

Grease the skillet and place the greased baking rings in it on a high heat.

Once hot, pour your batter into the rings about half way up. I found this easier to do with a ladle. Cook for 5 mins or until you can move the ring around the skillet freely. Flip it over and press the crumpet through (you may need to run a knife around the outside to free it)

Cook until golden (about 3 mins)

Serve hot or leave to cool and toast later!

The star shaped cookie cutter worked just as well as the baking rings. These could make a fantastic Christmas breakfast using star and Christmas tree shapes. Just ensure the cutter is metal, not plastic!

My children & Husband have taste tested and confirm they are better than shop bought! They certainly didn't hang around long!

What will you put on yours?

XxP&TxX

Autumn Vibes

🍁🍂Autumn Vibes 🍁🍂

Autumn is well and truly upon us. The fallen leaves are starting to appear in the garden and everything's just feeling little cooler.

It's a great time to experiment with new recipes for hearty meals to warm us up.

Today's projects have been making Sloe Vodka and preparing onions for my red onion chutney- served at Christmas with our cheese boards.

Feedback requests yesterday say you would like to see some more easy tasty home baking so that's what you shall get!

Don't forget, if you have any requests for recipes the message button is there waiting or please feel free to comment with your request on any posts!

XxP&TxX

Banana & Dorset Honey Loaf

The humble Banana loaf is probably one of the simplest but tastiest loaf cakes. I love thrifty baking so this is a good 'waste not ,want not' recipe.

 It is a  super simple recipe that uses up the ends of your baking cupboard stock and over ripened fruit.To make a deeper sponge just make the mixture to 170g/6oz and add an extra egg . You can add any extra additions to this recipe with ease. Chocolate chips, sultanas or toffee pieces all compliment the Banana well.

Ingredients :

140g/5oz Butter
140g/5oz Self Raising Flour
140g/5oz Sugar ( Golden caster sugar is my favourite )
2 Large eggs eggs
3 Over ripe Bananas chopped
3 Dessert spoons local Honey (this is entirely down to taste )

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees

This mixture fits wonderfully in a standard 2lb loaf tin with plenty of room if you wanted to add more to the mixture to make a bigger loaf. You will need to line or butter &flour coat this tin well.

 Cream together the butter and sugar. Whisk the eggs and add to the butter and sugar mixture.
Add most of the chopped Banana , keeping some aside for sprinkling on top. Add the Honey. Sieve the flour into the mixture and give it a good mix!

Pour the batter into the loaf tin and sprinkle the remaining banana on top on the mixture. I also drizzled some extra Honey on top .

Pop in the middle of the preheated oven for around 40 mins or until a skewer comes out clean.

Enjoy whilst warm with custard , or cold with a cuppa !

Let me know if you give it a go!

~*~ No Taste like Home ~*~

Home baking appears to have become a lost art. With convenience food being so cheap (and quite literally convenient ) home baking has taken a huge back step.

This week I have been chatting to various people craving that taste of home. Their Mothers steak pies. Their Nans sunday apple crumble . That amazing fruit cake the lady four doors down would make a deliver whilst still hot . For me , its got to be my Mums quiches. Mine do not compare !

Wherever possible, I make everything from scratch. I know what is in it, I know wheres its come from and I know my children wont explode with a sugar rush or preservatives high. Believe me, these children do NOT need help with that!

The art of pastry making, making a simple roux or a basic vegetable soup seems to have disappeared from our knowledge. If its not in a packet..it cannot be made !
It seems a shame that many of our children will be unable to make a meal from scratch through inexperience and lack of home baking at home.

I have been told I am old fashioned in some respects- but this topic struck me as sad. Lets teach our children how to make crumble . Lets show them how to make soup from foraged food . Why dont we get our children cooking us tea for once?

Lets get home baking back on the menu , and those packet foods in the bin!

What is your home baked favourite?

XxP&TxX

*:':*Love what you do *:':*

Last night I shared with you my exciting blog news. P&T is now featured on the @haynetblog website which is an exciting opportunity for me to share my writing with a wider audience

I have always loved words. From the literal use of words to how people prounouce them. To some extent--synaesthesia with certain words and not wanting to use or hear them! At A level it became obsessive, to the extent I remember being able to master my teachers Scottish accent when reading passages of text. It helped me grasp the concept of the piece more accurately. Bizarre but true.

My love of writing sparked from an early age, writing my own books for the book corners at school. Note pads full of short stories, poems and observations. Words just absolutely absorb me.

I am in no way a professional writer,as much as I'd love to be one day! I'm sure my grammar is not always perfect, but I thoroughly enjoy writing. Nothing is more exciting than when I know someone else has read my articles!

If you have recently started following me, I have had an influx of followers over the past week or so, welcome to my page! I hope you will stay and enjoy my writing,gardening, crafts, bakes and general creative mix ups!

You will need a cuppa, a biscuit and a cosy blanket.

You can escape here ☺

XxP&TxX

#patterjackandtweed #home #countrystyle #blogger #bloggerstyle #ruralbloggers @haynetblog #proud#bloggerlife #welcome #writing #language #synaesthesia #mywriting

Blog News!

Very proud to share that my blog, Patterjack and Tweed, can now be found in the blog directory on the Haynet  website.

Go to Countryside and Farming and you will find me there 🌾🖋

XxP&TxX

#patterjackandtweed #home #countrystyle #blogger #bloggerstyle #ruralbloggers @haynetblog #proud #bloggerlife #countrystyle #countryliving #home #homesweethome #countryside #cottagestyle #cottage #cornerofmyhome

*"*Monday*"*

Happy Monday everyone!

This weekend saw a lot of work happening in the garden. Shed constructed thanks to a brilliant local company (Brownes Solutions) borders unearthed and spring bulb shoots revealed.

This week's aims include - * Make some nettle tea as a good natural feed for my vegetable garden and flower borders. The longer this brews the better... Weeks rather than days! *I also need to PH test the soil. Judging by the plants currently growing it looks like an acidic soil - perfect for the camellias I have planted. *Macrame projects for my lovely product testers *The usual home making duties! Washing, washing and more washing!! I don't do things by halves!

What do you aim to do by the end of the week?

XxP&TxX

#patterjackandtweed#home #mondaymood #mondaymotivation #mondaymorning #cottage #cottagestyle #mycountryhome #cornerofmyhome #rural #mystyle #ruralbloggers #gardening #gardener #pruning #reveal #hidden #countryliving #snowdrops @stewartsgardencentres @alysf