For various reasons my books are in a chaotic muddle – they don’t actually appear to be because they are all piled on bookshelves, but what isn’t immediately apparent is that they are double stacked. There is a row of books, and if you pull one out, behind it is another row of books. Obviously this is a bit silly – it’s ok if it’s my own books of which i have several copies each, just in case I meet someone who might want to buy one, but for books I’ve bought to read – well, how can I find the one I want?!
There is a pile of books on the shelf beside me, ‘The Pasta Book‘ by Simonetta Lupi Vada, ‘A View From Afar’ – Jewish Lives in Tasmania from 1804‘ by Peter and Ann Elias, ‘The Cuisines of Mexico‘ by Diana Kennedy, ‘Along the Cam and the Great Ouse with Briscoe Snelson‘ edited by Peter Snelson, and ‘Good Housekeeping Colour Cookery‘.
I opened this last book at random and opposite a colour photo of a cream cheeses sandwich loaf, is a selection of recipes for buns of various flavours:
- * cream buns
- * pine kernel buns
- * nutty twists
- * Bath buns
- * lemon yeast buns
- * sugar current buns
- * Swiss buns
- * cherry trefoil buns
Pine kernel buns sound the most unusual, I’m not sure where I would find pine kernels these days – maybe in a health food shop? I have just checked, and yes quite a few health food shops have them, and apparently some supermarkets do although I have never noticed them on display. I will look next time I visit although they are quite expensive (not surprising when you think of how they must be gathered and processed)
Pine kernel buns
4 oz butter
1/2 lb flour
1/2 oz yeast
2 oz sugar
4-6 tbsps warm milk
2 eggs
1 oz sultanas
1 oz chopped candied peel
2 oz pine kernels or almonds, chopped
grated rind of 1 lemon
glacé icing
- 1. rub the fat into the flour
- 2. cream the yeast and 1 level tsp. sugar, add the milk, put in a warm place for 1/2 hour
- 3. add the beaten eggs and mix the dough thoroughly
- 4. knead very well and leave to rise until it has doubled its bulk
- 5. turn onto a board and knead in the remaining sugar, fruit, chopped nuts, lemon rind, leaving a few nuts for decoration
- 6. grease 8-12 patty tins, form the dough into walnut-sized balls, put three dough balls into each tin
- 7. leave to prove
- 8. bake in a very hot oven (450 degrees F, mark 8) for about 10 minutes
- 9. cool on a rack
- 10. when cold run a little icing over each, and sprinkle a few toasted pine kernels
They sound quite tasty, but I think I’d have to practice a few times as I’ve not baked with yeast for quite a while. Might they be even better split and buttered before eating? I remember an advert which said “It’s better with a bit of butter” and i think I agree!
PS I don’t seem to have any images of buns, so my featured image is of some hot cross buns, which reminds me, I bought some today and left them in my daughter’s bag!
Lois Elsden 