Playful yummy bakes for modern home bakers
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Halloween splatter cookies. Trick or treat definitely comes to mind here. Splatter is the optimal word for these little terrors…the process rather than the product is the true demon here. To look at them you’d think, wow, Halloween chic; Jackson Pollock meets baking, fab but …
I know you shouldn’t play favourites but breakfast is my fav meal of the day and these cinnamon oat and banana pancakes are a great way to start the day. I’m the sort of person that is always hungry so I will often eagerly get out of bed for the prospect of a good breakfast.
Pancakes are such a treat and these cinnamon oaty wonders are just that. Perfect for lazy autumn weekends in bed. The addition of mashed banana happily makes them sugar free too, so healthier than most. I tinkered around a few times with this recipe and although you can make them entirely out of oat flour (essentially blitzed up porridge oats) they were a little heavier so I decided on the 50/50 mix with plain flour.
These can be served with your choice of topping but I felt that plums were such a great autumnal pairing for this spiced pancake. Stewed apples of pears would be lovely too. There shouldn’t be rules at breakfast – too early for all that – have fun and do what you want.
4 plums
1 tbsp light brown sugar
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground ginger
Pinch salt
Zest of 2 clementine (or 1 orange)
Juice of 1 clementine
Serves 4 (enough for the pancakes and a little extra too)
50g porridge oats
50g self-rising flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
80ml milk
1 egg
1 ripe banana
Serves 2 people
To make the spiced plums cut the plums into chunks (discarding the stones) and add them to a pan with the rest of the ingredients. Cook on a medium heat until the plums have softened. This will take 5-10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave to one side. (You can prepare the plums in advance and store in the fridge for up to a week).
To make the pancakes blitz the porridge oats in a food processor until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. It will never go really fine like regular flour.
Combine the oat and plain flour to a bowl and add the baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir to combine. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the egg and vanilla and mashed banana. Stir a bit to start making the batter.
Gradually add in the milk, whisking until you a smooth batter. Pour back into a jug so that you can portion out the pancake mixture more easily when frying.
Heat up the frying pan for 5 mins. Add some low-fat cooking spray and pour the batter into the pan. Approx 2 tbsp in each. (You don’t need to be precise here). Cook the pancakes on a low heat and flip when you see bubbles on the top on the pancake and it starts to look more cooked and drier around the edges. This should take 3 mins or so.
Flip the pancakes and then cook on the other side for another minute and then serve. (While you cook the rest of the batter you can keep the first pancakes warm in a low oven).
Serve the pancakes, spoon on the spiced plums and dust with a little icing sugar.
Instead of blitzing the oat flour when you need it (which can be too loud for the morning) you can do it the night before or better yet, blitz in large batches and This can also be done in advance, then measure out the amount you need for a particular recipe. Easy.
I often use brown bananas that I’ve stored in the freezer for this recipe. Defrost in the fridge over-night and then add.
On the look out for more pancake ideas? Try my Pumpkin spiced pancakes with orange maple syrup and toasted pecans. If you love cinnamon I’d completely recommend my Apple pie muffins, delicious.
Jamie Oliver has so many brilliant healthy breakfast ideas if you want more ideas.
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Scones are a favourite of mine and these maple chai scones are perfect for autumn days when you just want to curl up on the sofa with a nice tea, listening to the rain against the windows, feeling more than a little smug that you’re in the warm.
I was inspired by a recipe for almond chai muffins by Nigella and thought that was just the loveliest combination of flavours for breakfast, tea time or whenever. I wanted a flavour that worked alongside chai and thought that maple syrup would be perfect. I used this in the glaze as well alongside another helping of cinnamon to mirror the flavours in the scone.
I’m confident I’ll be making these again…and again…and again.
450g self-rising flour
80g cold butter
1 ½ tsp baking powder
220ml cold milk
2 chai tea bags
30g caster sugar
3 tbsp maple syrup
½ tsp salt
130g icing sugar (sieved)
½ tsp cinnamon
Pinch salt
1 tbsp (plus ½ tsp) of milk
1 tbsp maple syrup
Makes between 10-12 scones.
Tear 2 chai tea sachets and add to the milk in a jug. Pop it covered in the fridge ready to include later.
Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6.
Sieve the self-rising flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.
Add chopped fridge cold butter to the mixture and rub together with the tips of your thumb and fingers in a fluttery motion until it looks like bread-crumbs or an oat mixture. It’s okay if there are some of the butter hasn’t fully combined, as that will help make lighter scones when they bake.
Stir in the caster sugar, then the maple syrup.
Add in the chai milk mixture by hand (this is messier but will help you get the right texture. You’re looking for a dough that holds together and isn’t sticky, otherwise you’ll need to add more flour which will alter the texture of the scones). Different types of flour absorb liquid differently, so add the milk gradually and judge whether you need the last of the milk.)
Once the scone dough has come together, turn out onto a lightly floured board and cut the scones using a 7cm cutter. (I liked the size of these but make smaller ones if you prefer).
Add the scones to a greased baking tray and brush each scone with some milk (taking care that it doesn’t drip down the sides, as this can effect how the scones rise).
Cook for 10 minutes, turning the baking tray half way through to ensure even baking.
Once cooked, transfer to a wire rack to cool.
To make the icing, mix the sieved icing sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt together.
Using a tea spoon, drizzle the icing onto each scone any way your heart tells you.
Scones are best eaten on the day, but will last 2 days in an airtight container.
Before cutting out the scones, I dip the cutter in flour, which will help the scone come out easily. Dip, cut, repeat.
As you cut out each scone, no matter how instinctive or tempting, avoid twisting the cutter, this will make the scones rise unevenly. (They will still taste just as lovely though).
Looking for other cosy autumnal recipes? Why not try my Pumpkin spiced pancakes with orange maple syrup and toasted pecans. or Lemon ginger carrot cake cupcakes
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