packed lunches – Feasting Is Fun

Beauvale Cheese Walnut Scones

For someone who genuinely did not like scones, I have been baking rather a lot of them recently. And I have concluded that homemade, or well made bakery scones, are a million miles away from the prepackaged, heavy, scones of my past. During my recent scone bake-a-thon I adapted my Super Light Scones recipe to create an all butter version, which makes the most delicious savoury scones. Welcome my Beauvale Cheese Walnut Scones.

These Beauvale Cheese Walnut Scones are incredibly tasty and two out of our three children loved them. Let me add that they would not eat blue cheese on a cracker. A massive win for me as a mum!

Flavour Alchemy

Truly though, their taste is a reflection of just how much delicious flavour is packed into these scones. The salty melted Beauvale Cheese, against an all butter scone, with the crunch of toasted walnuts and balanced with just a hint of honey.

And I bet you didn’t see that last ingredient coming?

Because blue cheese and honey pair beautifully together, I was going to caramelise the toasted walnuts in honey. Finally though, I decided that I wanted the sweet honey to be no more than a kiss on our tastebuds.

Beauvale Cheese is a soft blue cheese, that doesn’t have the intensity of Stilton. Beautiful eaten with bread or crackers and served on a cheese board, this cheese comes alive when baked in the scones. Warm and melted, it has a rounder, salty and buttery flavour that blends nicely with the toasted walnuts and that little hint of honey.

So, I urge you to try these Beauvale Cheese Walnut Scones, they are incredibly simple to make and are perfect for using up leftover cheese.

Recipe: Makes 12-14 Beauvale Cheese Walnut Scones

50g/2oz Walnut Pieces or Halves

450g/1lb Plain White Flour

3tsp Baking Powder

75g/3oz Very Cold Unsalted Butter

125g/4.5oz Beauvale Cheese – mine was from Pong Cheese

250mls/9fl oz Milk – Whole or Semi Skimmed

3tbsp Milk for glazing the tops of the scones

3tsp Runny Honey

1/4tsp Sea Salt – I use Maldon

1/4tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Method: Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan, gas mark 7

Making The Scone Dough

First of all, in a dry iron skillet or frying pan add the walnut pieces and place over a medium until lightly toasted. You will just be able to start smelling the wonderful walnut oils. Remove from the heat and set to one side to cool.
Into a large bowl sift the flour and baking powder.
Add the sea salt and pepper.
Using the large grating side of a box grater, grate the very cold cheese straight onto the flour – I find it easier to have my bowl on digital scales.
Cover the butter with flour, use a butter knife to separate any clumps, so that the butter is evenly distributed.

Next break off chunks of the Beauvale Cheese and drop them into the bowl.

FF Beauvale Cheese Scones — Golden Beauvale Cheese with a ripple of blue.

Using a butter knife flick the flour over the cheese so that it is covered. This will stop it from clumping together.
Chop the walnuts roughly and add to the bowl. Stir with the butter knife to distribute evenly.
In a jug add 2 teaspoons of honey to the milk. Whisk briefly to disolve the honey.
Make a well in the centre of the bowl and pour the milk/honey mixture in.
Use the butter knife to briefly stir the ingredients and then use your hand to bring them together into a rough dough.
The trick to creating the lightest scones is to handle them as little as possible and only very lightly flour the worktop on which you roll and cut them out.

Shaping The Dough And Portioning The Scones

On a lightly flour dusted worktop tip out your scone dough and flatten with your hands so that it is 5cm/2″ deep.
Use a rolling pin to gently roll the dough to 2.5cm/1″ thickness.

Line a large baking tray with baking parchment or a silicone baking mat.
Using a 7cm/3″ cutter press straight down and cut out the scones. If you twist the cutter as you cut the scones it can cause uneven rising.
Add the last teaspoon of honey to the milk, stir and then brush the tops of the scones.

Baking The Cheese And Nut Scones

Place the scones in the top of the preheated oven and bake for 20-25minutes, until they are risen and golden brown in colour.
As soon as the scones are baked remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack – be careful as they will be hot!

Enjoying These Beauvale Cheese Walnut Scones

These utterly delicious Beauvale Cheese Walnut Scones are perfect served warm, split with butter, a little extra cheese (the contrast between the cold and baked cheese is delicious), or just on their own. Also they taste great cold and so are perfect for packed lunches, picnics and afternoon tea.

Since these scones have higher fat content, they will last 3-4 days in an airtight container. Also, I have successfully frozen similar scones for up to one month. To refresh, defrost and place in a warm oven for 5-10 minutes and they’ll taste as though they’ve been freshly baked.

If you have enjoyed this Beauvale Cheese Walnut Scones recipe here are some others you may also like:

Asparagus Proscuitto Ham Tart

Feta Red Onion Marmalade Quiche

Goddess Cheese Pine Nut Muffins

There are so many wonderful ways of using cheese in cooking and baking. And during the next few months we will discover together, wonderful sauces, dinners, recipes and bakes.

Pong Cheese has a wonderful selection of cheeses on their website. I look forward to widening my cheese palette and creating recipes with all the different cheeses.

I hope that you will join me on this creative journey and together we can have fun discovering new ways to make and bake with cheese in our kitchens? Having fun along the way as we cook up some cracking feasts.

Sammie xx

Pong Cheese provided the cheese for this recipe. All opinions, views, content and photographs are my own. This is not a sponsored post. Please see my Disclosure Policy.

Lemon Drizzle Cake Bars

It is no secret that I love lemon. Whether it be in a glass of Franklin’s tonic water with clinking ice and a slice of lemon, cut into quarters as part of savoury Lemon Thyme Roast Chicken recipe, or even in a sweet bake such as my Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake. Lemons are very versatile. And they bring sunshine into the kitchen on the dullest day’s. So let me introduce my Lemon Drizzle Cake Bars.

While a sturdy, yet delicious oat biscuit base covered in lemon curd and then topped with the lightest lemon sponge ensures these bars are easy to handle. And a drizzle of fresh lemon juice icing ensures your tastebuds wake up with a zing. Resulting in a tasty bar that keeps you feeling full for longer because of the oats.

FF Lemon Drizzle Cake Bars — Lemon Drizzle Cake Bars

Especially ideal for picnics, packed lunches, or just as a mid morning or afternoon snack to keep you going until meal time.

Although I really do need to get around to making my own lemon curd, for this recipe I used Waitrose own luxury lemon curd. Because using a good quality lemon curd makes all the difference to the overall flavour.

Recipe: Makes 16 Lemon Drizzle Cake Bars

For the Oat Biscuit Base:

225g/8oz Unsalted Butter

125g/4.5oz Caster Sugar

1/8tsp Salt – I use Maldon

1tsp Vanilla Extract – I use Nielsen-Massey

1 Large Free Range Egg Yolk

100g/4oz Rolled Oats – not quick cook

125g/4.5oz Plain White Flour

3tbs Lemon Curd – use the best quality one that you can afford

For the Lemon Sponge Layer:

125g/4.5oz Unsalted Butter

100g/4oz Caster Sugar

1/8tsp Salt

1/2tsp Vanilla Extract

2 Large Free Range Eggs

125g/4.5oz Plain White Flour

1tsp Baking Powder

Finely grated zest of 1 Lemon – reserve the juice for the icing

For the Lemon Drizzle Icing:

100g/4oz Icing Sugar

Juice of 1 Lemon

Method: Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan, gas mark 6, 400F.

Making the Oat Biscuit Base:

First of all, line a 28cm x 20cm x 5cm (12″x 8″x 2″) Swiss roll tin with baking parchment. I have found that I am able to line mine without greasing, however, lightly grease the tin if it is easier to keep the parchment in place.
In a large bowl beat/whisk together the butter, cream and salt until pale and creamy.
Add the vanilla extract and egg yolk and continue to beat/whisk until combined.
Add the oats and flour and stir together until combined.
Place the biscuit mixture into the lined tin and press into place using clean fingers.
Place the tin in the fridge and chill the biscuit mixture for 30 minutes.
As soon as it is chilled place the Swiss roll tin in the centre of the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove after the 20 minutes has elapsed and turn down the oven temperature to 160C/140C fan, gas mark 3.
Spoon the lemon curd on to the hot biscuit base and spread so that it covers and almost reaches the edges.

Making the Sponge Layer:

Note: This can easily be made whilst the oat biscuit base is baking.

In a large bowl whisk/beat the butter, sugar and salt together until they are pale and creamy.
Add the 2 whole eggs and vanilla extract. Whisk/beat until light and foamy.
Sift in the flour and baking powder. Add the finely grated zest of 1 lemon.
Fold all the ingredients together, using a spoon, until they are just combined.
Spoon the mixture over the lemon curd coated biscuit base.

Spread the cake batter using the back of a spoon, or an offset spatula, until it covers almost all of the biscuit base.

Place the Swiss roll tin in the centre of the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes.
The sponge is baked when it springs back from a light touch and is a light golden colour. Don’t worry if it is paler than you expect, the lower baking temperature stops it browning as much as you may be used to.
As soon as the sponge is baked remove the tin from the oven, place on a cooling rack and allow the entire bake to cool in the tin.

When the bake is completely cooled, lift out of the tin, using the baking parchment and a palette knife and place on to a board.
Peel back the sides of the baking parchment and tuck them underneath.

Making the Lemon a Drizzle Icing:

Sift the icing sugar into a small bowl.
Add the juice of one lemon.
Mix until you have a smooth, slightly runny paste.
Using a spoon, drizzle the lemon icing over the top of the cake/biscuit slab. I prefer a line style drizzle, but you can drizzle your icing however you wish. Let your creative juices flow! Although I do advise against pools of icing gathering on top of the bake.
Set your Lemon Drizzle Cake Bars bake to one side to allow the icing to set.

Once set you may cut your slab into individual bars.
Cut down the length of the bake in the middle.
Next cut across the width of the bake, creating four quarters.
Cut each quarter into four individual bars.

Because of the sturdy and delicious oat biscuit base, these Lemon Drizzle Cake Bars are the perfect, portable food.

Store in an airtight tin (I use old biscuit tins, usually from Christmas), separating layers with pieces of baking parchment and eat with 5 days.

I had one of the Lemon Drizzle Cake Bars with a cup of tea for a rather late lunch and it was incredibly tasty and refreshing. While using good quality Lemon Curd ensures the right balance of tartness within the bar, as does using fresh lemon juice in the drizzle icing. So I highly recommend these delightfully tangy Lemon Drizzle Cake Bars!

If you have enjoyed this recipe for Lemon Drizzle Cake Bars, here are a few more you may like too:

Bakewell Shortbread Bars

Macadamia Apricot Flapjacks

Double Cherry Drizzle Oat Bars

Since my family love having something homemade to take to school or work in their packed lunches these bars are ideal. Also I hope I have inspired you to try these delicious Lemon Drizzle Cake Bars. Alternatively, why not bake a batch and take them into the office as a Friday, or mid-week treat for everyone?

Finally, whatever you are making, baking and creating in your kitchen, have fun preparing and sharing your feast.

Sammie xx

No part of this post may be reproduced or duplicated without the written permission of the owner. Please see my Disclosure Policy.

Double Cherry Drizzle Oat Bars

Hi lovelies, thank you so much for stopping by and taking a look at what I’ve been cooking up lately. While the sun is still shining and the sky a most glorious blue colour, my mind is once again on portable food. Picnics, packed lunches, outdoor parties, or even just something to have mid morning with a cup of coffee in the garden. May I present these Double Cherry Drizzle Oat Bars!

A crunchy oat biscuit provides the base for these delicious bars. Topped with cherry jam and then a thick layer of light, vanilla sponge studded throughout with glacé cherries. The Double Cherry Drizzle Oat Bars are then finished with a drizzle of cherry icing and a sprinkle of edible glitter!

Incredibly tasty, these bars also hold together really well, very important when being packed up for lunch or a picnic.

Feel free to sit in the sun with a cup of coffee and one of these Double Cherry Drizzle Oat Bars and simply stare at how beautiful and sparkly they are.

I would!

I did!!

For an afternoon tea, you could easily cut these into 24 smaller, bite sized delights, in fact, if you decide to do that, it may well be worth icing them after they have been cut. That way you can loop the icing around each individual square, making them look even more elegant.

No matter whether you make these as beautiful bars or simple, elegant squares, there is one thing guarenteed and that is they taste amazing.

A perfect combination of pretty and pretty yummy!

Recipe: Makes 16 Double Cherry Drizzle Oat Bars

For the biscuit base:

225g/8oz Caster Sugar

125g/5oz Unsalted Butter – softened to room temperature – plus a little extra for greasing the tin

Tiny pinch of salt – 1/8 tsp – I use Maldon

50g/2oz Rolled Oats – not quick cook – I used Waitrose Essential Porridge Oats

225g/8oz Plain White Flour

1/2 Jar/4tbsp Cherry Jam – I used morello cherry

For the sponge top:

175g/6oz Unsalted Butter – softened to room temperature

175g/6oz Caster Sugar

3 Large Free Range Eggs

1tsp Vanilla Extract – I use Nielsen-Massey

Scant pinch of salt – see biscuit base

175g/6oz Plain Flour

Level 1.5tsp Baking Powder

175g/6oz Glacé Cherries

For the drizzle icing:

100g/4oz Icing Sugar

3tsp Black Cherry Syrup – I use Monin Syrup

if you do not have the syrup simple make up the icing adding a little extra water in lieu of the syrup – a tiny dot of pink food colour gel added will create a similar colour

1/4tsp Almond Extract – I use Nielsen Massey

Optional – edible glitter – I used holographic silver

Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan, gas mark 5, 375F

Making And Baking The Oat Biscuit Base

Lightly grease and line with baking parchment a 28cm x 20cm x 5cm (12″ x 8″ x 2″) swiss roll tin.
In a large bowl add the butter and sugar and whisk/beat until pale and creamy.
Add the oats, flour and salt and mix gently until the dough just comes together.
Tip the biscuit dough into the prepared pan and press into a single, even layer with your fingers.
Place the tin in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to allow the dough to rest.
After the dough has chilled place the tin into the centre of the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
The biscuit base will be a lovely golden colour. Once the cooking time has elapsed remove the tin from the oven.

While the biscuit base is hot spoon over the cherry jam so that it covers the base but does not spread right to the edges.

Reduce the oven temperature to 160C/140C fan, gas mark 3, 325FMAKING.

Making And Baking The Cherry Sponge

In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar until pale and creamy.
Add all 3 eggs and the vanilla extract. Whisk/beat until combined.
Reseve 1 tablespoon of the flour and sift the rest of the flour, salt and baking powder into the bowl.
Mix until the ingredients are just combined.
In a separate bowl toss the cherries in the reserved flour, this will prevent them sinking to the bottom of the cake whilst baking – although the cake layer in this Double Cherry Drizzle Oat Bars is not very deep, it is a good tip to remember.
Add the flour dusted glacé cherries to the cake batter and mix gently so that they are evenly dispersed.
Using a spoon, evenly dollop the cake batter over the biscuit/jam base.
Spread out the cake batter until it almost reaches the edges – I used the back of a metal spoon. The cake will spread to fill the pan whilst baking.

Place the tin into the centre of the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes.
The cake layer is baked with it is a golden colour and springs back from a light touch.
When baked remove the tin from the oven.

Allow the Double Cherry Drizzle Oat Bars to cool completely in the tin.
When cooled invert onto a baking rack and carefully remove the baking parchment.
Place another cooling rack on top of the tray bake and flip over again, your bake should now be cake side up.

Making The Cherry Drizzle

Sift the icing sugar into a medium sized bowl.
Add the cherry syrup and stir.
Next add 3 teaspoons of cool tap water and the almond extract.
Stir to combine. You will have a thick, icing that will just hold it’s shape when piped.
Fill a small disposable piping bag with the pink, cherry icing.
Snip the very end of, leaving a small hole.
Pipe swirls and squiggles all over the top of the tray bake. Alternatively, use a teaspoon to lightly drizzle the icing over.
Dust with a sprinkle of your favourite edible glitter, if desired.

Allow the drizzle to completely set before slicing.
Transfer the Double Cherry Drizzle Oat Bar slab onto a flat surface. I use a glass kitchen saver, don’t use your best knife for cutting as the glass will blunt it!
First of all, cut down the centre length of the bake. Cut across the middle of the width to create 4 quarters. Finally, cut each quarter into 4 bars

FF Double Cherry Oat Bars — **Double Cherry Drizzle Oat Bars** sparkling in the sunshine.

Take lots of photos of these utterly dazzling Double Cherry Drizzle Oat Bars just because they are so pretty! Also don’t forget to pop a picture on Twitter/Instagram, tag me in and I will retweet, or give you a shout out.

Portable Food

I know in previous posts that I’ve mentioned not taking ‘anything’ iced on picnics, however, these bars are so completely delicious I’m going to make an exception. The nutty flavoured oat base and hint of almond extract in the cherry drizzle work together in complete harmony with the cherry studded sponge creating a perfectly flavour balanced bar. They stop the Double Cherry Drizzle Oat Bars from being too sweet.

Ok so the smart ones among you (that’s everyone, just to be clear), may have notice that these ‘double’ cherry are in fact triple cherry drizzle oat bars. I’d already written most of this post, edited and labelled photos, so I thought I’d throw in the extra one for free 😉

If you have enjoyed these Double Cherry Drizzle Oat Bars, here are some other recipes you may like too:

Macadamia Apricot Flapjacks

Bakewell Shortbread Bars

Sticky Pecan Sultana Buns

FF Double Chocolate Cherry Drizzle Oat Bars — **Sticky Pecan Sultana Buns** so easy to make and incredibly delicious to eat.

Eating outside, whether on a picnic, at a barbecue or even in the garden, is such a great way of getting together with friends old and new. There is something so informal and relaxing being in the great outdoors. I can see why so many people choose to get married outside, as it’s a great way of mingling a diverse combination of guests in a relatively informal environment.

We are planning a fab get together with our friends and neighbours over the coming weeks, so watch out for fun, feasting and barbecue recipes coming up.

Are you planning on any outdoor get together’s?

Do you enjoy the great outdoors – even if it’s only your back garden?

Sammie xx

No part of this post may be reproduced or duplicated without the written permission of the owner. Please see my Disclosure Policy.

Cranberry Walnut Flapjacks

Gosh mornings are busy. So much to do, yet so little time. Besides that awe are supposed to make time for the most important meal of the day – breakfast. Well I have a solution right here for you my friends – Cranberry Walnut Flapjacks.

Breakfast, is just that – breaking the fast. Our bodies have just been starved for 6-7 hours (I’m being optimistic here), whilst we sleep. Eating a good breakfast helps kick our bodies into GO. If you are anything like me, I need a kick start in the morning!

That’s where these yummy Cranberry Walnut Flapjacks can help.

Packed full of good-for-you, slow release energy oats, one of these bars will keep you going until lunchtime. And, because it’s the morning and let’s face it eating anything can be a struggle, I threw in crunchy walnuts and chewy, slightly tart cranberries.

Yes there’s a squiggle of rich, dark chocolate on top of these beauties – it’s breakfast people, we need all the ~~caffeine~~ flavour we can get!!

The beauty of these flavour and texture packed bars is that you make them ahead.

Making and baking ahead

Imagine this? It’s Sunday afternoon, you spend 15 minutes in the kitchen, whipping up a batch of these Cranberry Walnut Flapjacks and you have breakfast and snacks for the whole week.

Am I the only one who gets that mid afternoon dip around 3-4pm?

Thought not!

Also these bars also make a great mid afternoon snack and stop you grabbing for that chocolate bar/doughnut/cookie. Because we all know these give us an instant feel good sugar hit, only to slump in hunger again half an hour later. Therefore, why not wrap an extra one of these, in baking parchment and take it to work? It’ll keep those hunger pangs away until dinner time.

You can certainly mix up the fruit and nut element. Dried apricots with almonds, or dried figs with pecan nuts. Really the possibilities are endless, I would keep the weights the same, as the flapjack needs to hold together.

I have deliberately not used the word ‘healthy’ for these Cranberry Walnut Flapjacks, as I am aware of the sugar/butter content. I am not a nutritionist, although I would rather pop one of these bars into my daughter’s hand as she heads off for college, than have her grab a muffin or doughnut from a coffee shop!

Recipe: Make 16 Cranberry Walnut Flapjacks

250g/9oz Unsalted Butter

100g/4oz Golden Syrup (light corn syrup)

125g/5oz Light Brown Sugar

Scant pinch of salt – I use Maldon

325g/11.5oz Rolled Oats (not quick cook) I use Waitrose essential oats

150g/5oz Dried Cranberries

100g/4oz Chopped Walnuts

50g/2oz Dark Chocolate (70% cocoa is ideal) – optional

Making and baking the Cranberry Walnut Flapjacks

Preheat the oven to 180/160C fan oven, 350F, gas mark 4

First of all, grease and line a 8″ x 11″ – 20cm x 28cm swiss roll tin/shallow baking tin, with butter and baking parchment.
Into a large bowl add the golden syrup.
Into a medium saucepan add the butter and sugar. Warm over a medium heat, stirring until melted.
Pour the melted butter/sugar mixture into the bowl containing the golden syrup. Stir continuously until combined.

Add the oats, cranberries and walnuts to the bowl.
Stir until all the oats, walnuts and cranberries are thoroughly coated in the melted butter/sugar.
Tip the mixture into the lined tin.

Using the back of a metal spoon press the mixture into the tin, forming an even layer.
Place the tin into the oven and bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.
Remove the tin from the oven and allow the Cranberry Walnut Flapjacks to cool in the tin.
The flapjacks will be very soft at this stage, but will harden on cooling.

Cutting and decorating the flapjacks

Using a sharp knife cut down the centre of the flapjacks. Then cut across the middle. Cut each quarter in half again. The flapjacks will still be slight soft.
Leave the flapjacks on the baking parchment to continue cooling and setting.
As soon as the Cranberry Walnut Flapjacks are completely cooled they can be drizzled with chocolate.
Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt in a heatproof bowl, in the microwave, using 30 second bursts. Stir well and when the chocolate is nearly melted keep stirring and the inherent heat will melt any solid pieces left.
You can use a teaspoon to drizzle the chocolate over the flapjacks or pour the chocolate into a disposable icing bag, snip the corner off and pipe the chocolate on.

Allow the chocolate to set and then store in a tin.

While Cranberry Walnut Flapjacks are perfect anytime of day, they are especially handy to have, when time for breakfast disappears in the morning. Just grab one and eat on the go!

An added bonus, which does rely on checking the packaging, is that oats are gluten free. So even more people can enjoy a delicious, easy breakfast.

If you enjoyed these Cranberry Walnut Flapjacks then try these:

Bakewell Shortbread Bars

FF Cranberry Walnut Flapjacks — Bakewell Shortbread Bars

Macadamia Apricot Flapjacks

Lemon Drizzle Cake Bars

Why not bake a batch of these flapjacks and take them to work? Since I’m sure they would be appreciated. Especially by those who have skipped breakfast!

So, whatever you are making, baking and creating in your kitchens, have fun preparing and sharing your feast.

Sammie xx

No part of this post may be reproduced or duplicated without the written permission of the owner. Please see my Disclosure Policy.