Damper-Scones

My dinner went all wrong this evening. I attempted to make Sushi....which on reflection was really dumb. The whole reason I started making Sushi at home was because my closest Sushi Train was a 700km drive. Now I have like 7 Sushi Trains in a 7 minute radius of my house....enough 7s there - they're lucky you know (also do you like my accurate use of "there" and "they're" ...we started our letter writing assessment item today).

So, my sushi rolls fell to pieces. I didn't have enough rice. I also didn't have the right type of rice. I didn't really make enough of anything. We devoured our sushi bits and pieces (and all the random bits of rice floating around the kitchen bench) and were left asking, "So....what's for mains".

Enter Damper-Scones. On the weekend we took a random scenic trip to Mount Tambourine and stuffed our faces with Belgian Hot Chocolate and Scones. Apparently I didn't get enough because ever since I have been craving bready-baked goodness. On Sunday night I kept thinking "damper and golden syrup" but was too lazy to do anything about it....except of course eat a teaspoon (or 4) or golden syrup.

The only solution to tonight's dinner calamity was to make Damper- Scones a reality. Why damper scones? Well, what's the difference really? They more or less seem to follow the same technique you just put different stuff on em.  These were super easy and we had full warm tummies and syrupy faces in less than an hour. Dinner fail = epic win.

Damper/Scones
250 grams self-rasing flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
25 grams butter
175 ml milk

Place flour and salt in a large bowl. Chop the butter into small chunks and add to the flour. Rub the butter into the flour until it all looks like fine breadcrumbs (is it just me or is this the most soothing activity ever? I could do it all day). Add the milk to the flour mixture and gently combine. Turn the dough out onto a flour surface and knead lightly (ensure it isn't too sticky - add some all purpose flour if it is). Form the dough into a large flat ball OR if you want to make scones, break it into several small soft balls. Bake at 180 degrees for about 25 minutes.

Smother in butter and golden syrup or smother in jam and cream. Also add sultanas if you are that way inclined.

Maple Nut Scones

These scrumptious little treats captured my heart (stomach) in San Francisco.

After an amazing week in Las Vegas we decided to spend two nights in San Francisco on the way to Vancouver. We arrived early in the evening and, after navigating ourselves through the airport, onto BART and into the city, we were feeling the traveller's blues.

We headed out to get dinner and found the most amazing little cafe, hilariously named, "The Squat & Gobble". I was fairly ill at the time and just wanted some vegetables. What I got was the most amazing stir fry I have ever had in my life. "Stir Fry?" I hear you ask, "a bit of noodles and veg?" IT. WAS. LIFE. ALTERING. To top the whole experience off our waiter had asked us if we wanted to sit out the front, in the restaurant or in the court yard out the back. Curious, we asked to see the court yard. Overgrown gardens. Fairy lights. Water feature. When restauranty folk talk about 'ambience' this is what they should be talking about.

So what does all this have to do with Maple Nut Scones? Well, after our amazing meal, we felt reenergised and ready to take on the San Francisco nightlife....so we went and saw a movie. By the time we had walked back to our hotel it was late. Very late. And we had to be up at 5am the next day to meet our guide for a fast paced and nonstop tour of one of the most amazing cities I have ever been to.

Morning. Freezing Cold. Exhaustion. Illness reignited tenfold. Mr B. gently forced me out the door and into a taxi to the Ferry Building on the Embarcadero (American for 'awesome place').

Of course we were early and in front of us, like some sort of mecca, was "Peet's Coffee & Tea", purveyor of Maple Nut Scones. I don't know if it was the fact that it was overcast, rainy, freezing cold and I was sick but the latte and Maple Nut Scone I had for breakfast equalled yet another life altering meal in San Francisco.

American scones are different to traditional scones. They are flatter, crispy on the outside and the inside is soft but textured. The icing is sweet, thick and moreish. The whole thing goes down perfectly with a gorgeously steamed to perfection latte.

Since returning to our tiny, unexciting, 'unambient', little town back here in Australia I have had 3 attempts at these scones. I just can't seem to perfect it. Today is the closest I have ever come and really I just got the icing right. So until I get these less than perfect, unlife altering but deliciously iced Maple Nut Scones right I'm not putting the recipe up. Just the icing which would be perfect on anything....especially on a spatular eaten straight from the mixing bowl.

The Icing

What you need...

2/3 icing sugar

2 tablespoons maple syrup

50 grams butter (room temperature)

What you do...

Put the butter and the maple syrup into the mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to combine until creamy. Gradually add the icing sugar while beating slowly until all incorporated. Spread generously on everything.