Sunday 16 August 2020

Belgian Scone - International Scone Week 2020 #ISW2020

Wow! It's International Scone Week again.  Where did that twelve months go, my friends?  And hasn't it been interesting/scary/terrifying/invigorating/craaazzzyyyy?  I don't know whether I'm Martha or Arthur these days (as the saying nearly goes).  

ISW started way back with Celia from the Fig Jam and Lime Cordial blog, and is currently maintained by Tandy from Lavender and Lime.  Everyone and anyone is welcome to join in; just make some scones, my friends, and check out Tandy's blog post to find out the finer details.  (But hurry, it finishes on the 16th!)  

You are probably looking at my photo below, and saying 'That's not a scone!'  I found this recipe in a copy of The 21st Birthday Cookery Book of The Country Women's Association in Tasmania, first printed in 1957.  The name is Belgian Scone; no idea why as it seems to be an apple cake.  Delicious anyway, and it's in the spirit of ISW.  So I ploughed ahead!


delicious, spicy, appley scone/cake 





Serves 6, more or less:


ingredients:


1 tbs (20g.) butter

4 tbs (80g.) raw caster sugar

1 cup (150g.) self-raising flour, sifted

1/2 tsp mixed spice (or cinnamon or nutmeg)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup (140 mL) milk


Topping:

1 large apple, grated or finely sliced

3 tsp raw caster sugar

1/2 tsp nutmeg or cinnamon


Method:

Cream the butter and sugar in a medium mixing bowl

Add the flour, spice, egg and milk to the bowl, and beat well

Pour the batter into a 17.5cm or 18cm/7 inch cake tin, which you have greased on the sides and bottom, and lined with a round of baking paper

Now place the grated apple or slices over the top of the batter

Then sprinkle on the sugar and nutmeg

Bake at 180C/350F for 30-35 minutes till a skewer in the centre comes out clean

Let it cool on a wire rack for five minutes before (carefully) turning out


Notes:

I bet you're saying: 'Huh?  How come she's using cups and spoons?  And why is that half a cup of milk shown as 140 mL rather than 125?  And what about that flour?  Well, my friends, this book uses Imperial measurements, and not just imperial, but OLD imperial, which means a cup is about 284 mL!  Yep, just to make life that leeetle bit harder for bakers all over the world:-)

Use plain caster sugar if that's all you have, but the raw gives the cake a lovely hue and flavour

This recipe was provided by Mrs. J. H. Jones of George Town, which is a sweet little town in northern (ish) Tasmania.  Mrs. Jones did not say how long to bake it, other than: 'bake in a moderate oven'.  You had to know what you were doing in those days.  She also gave no directions for the topping, other than saying use apple, spice and sugar.


cream the butter and sugar together


ingredients including creamed butter and sugar

                                                                       
add the other ingredients into the creamed butter and sugar

all beaten-up and (almost) ready to bake


grate your apple for the topping
grate your apple for the topping

ready for baking @ 180C/350F for 30-35 mins.


ready to eat

and then there was ... not much left :-)

this was one of the ads in the 1957 edition

I had to laugh; the CWA President was Mrs. Crisp.  Seems very appropriate.  This scone cum cake is delicious!  So easy, and uses pantry ingredients.  Worth a go, my friends.  And feel free to join in #ISW2020.  Tandy is happy to see your interesting and unusual (or normal) scone recipes on her blog.


appley artwork © Sherry's Pickings





54 comments:

  1. I use imperial measures all the time (as interpreted in the US). Ounces, not grams, is kind of a stupid system -- metric is so much more convenient, and when it comes to baking, weighing ingredients rules. But I use what I know, and I know imperial. Anyway, call this what you want, it looks terrific to me. Thanks!

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    1. thanks for dropping by KR! Yes measurements are such a bugbear. i spend ages calculating for each recipe...

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  2. I have never heard or or had a Belgian scone...it looks absolutely droolworthy, Sherry.

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  3. I wonder if it is Belgian!? So interesting! And perfect for winter weather. I have so many apples I'm starting to feel overrun here.

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    1. yes it's a great time of year for apples! i wonder if the Belgians make this?:)

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  4. I have to confess I have never made scones but your Belgian scone looks yummy. I would love to have that as a treat right now.

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    1. funny scone! looks and tastes like an apple cake but fab whatever the name.

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  5. Looks like a fun baking experience Sherry 😄👍

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  6. I am happy to believe that this is a Belgian recipe, the Tasmanians are savvy cooks and know all there is to know about baking with apples being the Apple Isle. Looks delicious Sherry. Thanks for the fun story.

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    1. hi pauline
      yep the tassie guys should indeed know how to deal with apples...

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  7. Google lists exactly one recipe titled "Belgian Scone" and it appears to be almost exactly the same as yours. The author (who isn't identified in the blog) says it's an old handwritten recipe from the 1970s. Isn't that strange?

    be well... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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    1. hi Mae
      yes i came upon that recipe too. i guess her mum (I think it was her mum) must have written down the CWA recipe! Would love to know why it's Belgian and a scone, when it's a cake really...

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  8. Yum,I love cakes with apples!

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  9. I had no idea about Scone week. This looks good. But boy -- those measures! That could be a very tricky transfer!

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    1. i seem to spend a lot of time calculating for baking ...

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  10. Happy ISW! (I didn't even know it was a thing!) I have only made my Nana's recipe for scones - but this Belgian Scone is fascinating, and I have been looking for a "one apple" recipe. Maybe I will make this for my birthday brekkie.

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    1. ooh happy birthday! yes one large apple should do the trick. why Belgian? I'd love to know...

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    2. Thanks! The big but not so special 62! I am curious about the Belgian part, too...

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    3. happy birthday again. every birthday is special! glad to be around each year, I find. that was obviously a good vintage:)

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  11. Now thats a fancy and massive scones! I want one

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  12. What an interesting recipe. And I gather a moderate oven made sense when you used an Aga or something similar :)

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    1. she didn't even tell us how long to bake it for. You just had to be a canny cook!

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  13. You're right! You really had to have some baking savvy back in those days. Glad you stuck this one out, though...this scone looks amazing! Granted, 'scone' does seem like a strange term for this one, but I don't mind what it's called. It's my kinda dessert for sure!

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    1. yes scone doesn't seem like the right word but who knows what those tricky Belgians get up to?:-)

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  14. I soooo wanted to participate and just didn't get my act together. Your posts always make me hungry and I want to try making scones now. It's been a long time and I used a mix but I am ready to run with the big dogs now. All homemade.

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    1. hi tina
      yes scones are so quick and easy to make by hand. give it a go!:-)

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  15. Not what I think of when I think of scones but it would be great with a cuppa tea. I have tried making scones from old school recipes and failed badly and getting enough liquid in. I am glad to have learnt that there is an old imperial measurements to look out for too - so fascinating to read these old recpes

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    1. you're so right johanna. it seems like a tea cake really but it is good. yep the old recipes are fun but you have to be so careful with the measurements.

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  16. So happy to see apple time is back :-) :-)

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    1. winter is always good for apples after the autumn harvest!

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  17. I wish I knew about scone week! Maybe I will know in time for next year!

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  18. Sherry, that looks great! Though I wouldn't call it a scone, Belgian or otherwise, I would eat a big slice of it with my tea right this minute!

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    1. hi jean
      it is nice, tho yes i wonder why it's called a scone:) goes well with a cuppa!

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  19. What fun! And the cake looks yummy.

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  20. I believe that it's worth a go! I'll try it!

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  21. Belgian Scone are absolutely wonderful Sherry !! Thank you for sharing this recipe!

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  22. I love a good scone and this looks absolutely delicious.

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  23. Oh what fun. I love old book's like these. A Belgian scone? A Cake? Who cares it sounds both simple and delicious. The old ones are often the best ones.

    Choclette x

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    1. hi choclette
      yes i love going thru old cookbooks. so much fun!

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  24. Thank you for sharing this wonderful post keep your awesome work
    I have many hobbies. I love to travel and read. But my favorite hobby is cooking. Let me tell you why! First, I'll tell you a little bit about why I started cooking. Secondly, I'll give you some information about what I like to cook. Third, I will say how I use the Blog ẩm thực for cooking.

    When I started cooking, I was 10 years old. My mom wants me to be a chef. She has always believed that girls have to make different types of food, because one day they will get married. In my country, it is normal for girls not to cook. I feel lucky because I can cook many dishes. Now that I cook some of the dishes my children and husband love, I become happy and proud of my mother and myself. Foody

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    1. hi there food blog
      i'm hoping and assuming that you're genuine! Sounds extremely unusual that girls are not expected to cook!! i would have thought that girls/women are always expected to cook, in any country...

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  25. I've never heard of a Belgian scone but it sure does look delicious!

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    1. it was new to me too Sammie. those clever CWA ladies!

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  26. I'm definitely up for Scone Week! Scones are something that we like to enjoy quite a lot in our house. Thanks for this recipe!

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    1. no worries Unknown. if only i knew who you were...

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