Scones and Dampers

There are days when you want to do baking in a small quantity, but you don't want to use the oven. This is what I do, and I like to share my way of cooking with you.  Baking scones and dampers using the stove, baking in a Pot.  Believe me, it is effortless, quick and economical.

Use a heavy based pot, and bake your damper or scone in it.  I use my Le Creuset pot, there are similar pots that are sold in the shops, and they are as good.  You need a light tin to place the dough on the pot.

Scone

The scone: you won't' get nice golden looking scone from this technique, but you could imitate it by brushing/glazing the scones with honey and brown sugar mixture prior cooking.

Plain Scone with Jam

Baked scone in a pot, with home, made pumpkin jam

Recipe

Baked Scones in a Pot (over the stove)

Ingredients:

1 cup full self-raising flour

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons melted margarine

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

extra flour for kneading

Glaze mixture

1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon honey mix with 1 tablespoon hot water and 1 tablespoon melted butter or margarine.  Mix all ingredients together and stir to make a smooth mixture.

Method

Put the pot with the lid over a hot heat, make sure that the pot is very hot, it takes approx 10  minutes

Mix all the ingredients together to make a smooth dough.  Put onto a floured board, and knead it lightly and quickly.  Cut the dough into 10 small rounds, place the scones onto a lined tin cake (the size is small or big,  it has to fit in the pot)

Put it on the hot pot, cover and cook for 6 minutes.  Open and check that the scones rise enough.  Put the lid back onto the pot, take the heat off and leave the scones for another 6 minutes further cooking.

Take the scones out and transfer them onto a wire rack to cool.

The scone is moist, and the top is not crusty, but it has a golden brownish colour.

To serve: serve the scone as you like it.  I split them into halves, butter and add some topping.



Damper

The damper is a traditional Australian soda bread prepared by swagmen, drovers, stockmen and other travellers.  It consists of a wheat flour based bread, traditionally baked in the coals of a campfire. The damper is an iconic Australian dish.   (Wiki)

Delicious and easy cooking dampers in your kitchen.  You don't need to be in the bush to cook rustic looked damper.

Nine Herbs Damper

Damper cooked in a Pot.

Recipe

Nine Herbs Damper

Ingredients
250 g self-rising flour
1 egg (50g)
A pinch of salt

the cooking damper in a pot

2 tablespoons oil
140 ml of milk
Nine mixed fresh herbs-chopped
(chives, rosemary, thyme, mint, lemon balm, fennel leaf, dill, coriander, flat parsley)
Extra flour for kneading
Method
Heat the heavy pot with the lid on for ten minutes, until it's very hot.
In the meantime, prepare the damper dough.
Place the flour, salt and the chopped herbs in a large bowl, mix together.
Add in the liquid ingredients (lightly beaten egg, milk, oil) to the flour mix
Quickly stir, mix together to have a soft and sticky dough.
In a floured board, place the dough, rub your hands in flour, knead the dough quickly
Make a round ball and flatten a little, cut a deep cross in the dough then place it on a tin.
Put on the preheated pot,  put the lid on, bake on the high heat for 5 minutes
Reduce the heat to very low and continue cooking for 10 minutes.
Open the pot, check the damper.  It should be risen but not cooked or burnt.
Put the lid back, and continue cooking for 10 minutes, turn the damper over to cook to brown for 2 minutes further.
Transfer the damper onto a cooling tray

To serve: cut in wedges, butter and put any topping as you wish.  I put cheese on top, or simply butter them and eat with soup.


Note: I used nine fresh herbs, as I have an edible herb garden in the backyard.  You could improvise, use any herbs you fancy.

Variations Of Dampers
Damper with macadamia nuts or even sweet dampers by adding any dried fruits, serve buttered and drizzled with honey.

Damper with Macadamia Nuts

I suppose you could cook these dampers outside in the backyard in the BBQ kettle.  Do it on a sunny day, enjoy the garden and fresh air.

I have a confession to make, once I cooked a damper with this technique, and forgot to put the dough in a tin; instead I put the dough straight on the pot, . . . . Soon after, I smelled of burnt cooking.  Be organised and don't leave the kitchen before you set the timer.

The hot weather is here now, it is advisable not to use the oven to cook, instead cook by using the stove, to keep the kitchen cool and the whole house pleasant.

Happy Cooking!



Thank You for Stopping by
Until Next Post
Susy