A recipe from Cooking with the Two Fat Ladies SCONES Makes about 12 Fresh scones, still warm from the oven, are part and parcel of the delicious teas of our childhoods.??No one seems to make them nowadays; instead, they buy terrible things in supermarkets tasting of soda and studded with soggy fruits.??Scones take but a moment, so do try them. 1 2/3 cups self rising flour small pinch of salt 4 tablespoons butter 2/3 cup milk, fresh or buttermilk. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.??Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl.??Rub in the butter with your fingertips until it all resembles crumbs.??Mix in the milk.??Form into a soft dough with a metal spatula.??Knead lightly on a floured board, then pat out into a round 3/4 inch thick.??Cut into 2-inch rounds with a cutter. Place the rounds on a greased and floured baking sheet and brush with milk.??Bake for 10 minutes until well risen and brown.??Cool on a rack, but eat when still warm, with lots of butter, clotted cream, and jam.??Yummo. Variations: Fruit scones: Add 1/3 cup dried fruit and 2 tablespoons superfine sugar. Savory scones:??Add 3/4 cup grated hard cheese and 1 teaspoon dry mustard, or 1/3 cup minced olives, anchovies, or what you fancy.
I actually taught myself to cook using this book. I had never been much of a cook before I discovered the Two Fat Ladies television program, but was so intrigued that I ordered their cookbook after seeing only a few episodes. The recipes it contains offer genuine flavor and not the tasteless slimmed-down "light" cuisine I find almost inedible. The desserts are particularly good, and I have successfully made the Adult Chocolate Cake, the Danish Apple and Prune Cake, and the Galette Des Trois Roix. Unlike other cookbooks I have tried, these recipes actually worked. Moreover, the ladies' overall cooking philosophy comes through in the book, emphasizing organic ingredients and better quality meats over bland supermarket-stocked products. You'll also benefit from the interesting food history cited throughout that comes from Clarissa Dicksen-Wright's vast knowledge of earlier cooking techniques, and the tremendous good humor of the memorable and beloved Jennifer Paterson. I highly recommend the book, together with the sequals from the follow on series.
As much fun to read as the recipes are to eat.
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 26 years ago
Ya' gotta love these gals. I never miss their television show. Their refreshing, down-to-earth style and recipes are like a breath of fresh air. This is a useful and entertaining cookbook for "real people."
Every bit as good as the television show
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 26 years ago
You wouldn't think that the book could be as entertaining as the TV show, but it is (I actually took it to bed to read!). Their brief recipe descriptions and the lengthier anecdotes carry the same irreverent tone. You can tell the two fat ladies have gotten around, and have collected their recipes from some interesting people and places along the way. Given what they might have included (spotted dick?) the recipe selection is actually pretty accessible to the American palate. More, please!
We love Jennifer and Clarissa.
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 27 years ago
My husband, who is the chef in our family, and I never miss Jennifer and Clarissa on TV and the book is more of the same. Not since Julia Child have there been any cooks with more personality and joie de vivre. The cook and the gourmand in our family loved this book! (I want to be Jennifer when I grow up.)
An absolutley excellent book.
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 27 years ago
An absolutley excellent book. Lots of pictures loads of brilliant recipes and loads of excellent little stories.
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