Suma Bloggers Network - Scones & Raspberry Chia Jam

Gosh, how time flies! It's that time again when I post another recipe using the products that Suma have sent me. Last time I made Broccoli and Cauliflower Mornay and I realised that three of the four recipes that I had created to date were "cheese" based! Talk about stereo type!

This time I decided to move away from the "cheese" even if it is vegan and decided on a sweet recipe; scones with raspberry chia jam.

Believe me I was tempted to make "cheese" scones too! But I resisted and I'm so glad I did as the raspberry chia jam was so darn delicious.

Now, I'm not the first blogger to make chia jam and there are plenty of recipes out there to choose from but I was happy with the one I made and it was super easy.

The scones and jam don't take long to make at all, and it is worth making the coconut cream, but you can also use ready made soya whipped cream that comes in an aerosol can, if you can't wait overnight for the tin of coconut milk to separate.

One question though, do you add the jam first and top with cream or add the cream and top with the jam? I tried both and my favourite was adding the jam first and topping with cream.

They are delicious and I actually ate 2 straight away, the first time, each half was topped in a different order and the second time I added the jam first then the cream. I had to stop myself going back for a third!

Ingredients - Scones (makes 10)

300g Plain flour
2 Tsp Baking powder
1 Tsp Bicarbonate of soda
55g Vitalite
1 ½ Tbsp sugar
60g Raisins
2 Tsp Mixed spice
1 Tsp Ground cinnamon
200ml Almond milk (unsweetened)

Method

Line a baking tray with grease proof paper

Add the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and vitalite to a food processor and pulse until you have an extra fine breadcrumb. You can do this by hand if you prefer, but this way is fast! Plus you don't get messy hands rubbing the margarine into the flour.

Transfer to a bowl and add the sugar, mixed spice, cinnamon and raisins and stir to combine.

Make a well in the centre and pour in the almond milk. Using a fork bring the flour into the centre and mix until you have a ball of dough.

Tip out onto a floured surface and using the heel of your hand flatten to around an 2cm thick.

Using a cutter (or in my case a plastic container) cut out circles from the dough and place on the lined baking tray.

You will need to re-form into a ball and flatten a couple of times to get 10 scones.

Bake in a moderate oven for 12-15 minutes.

Serve with cream and raspberry chia jam

I think the scones would freeze well, but they didn't last that long to find out!

Ingredients - Raspberry Chia Jam

125g Raspberries 
1 Tbsp Agave nectar
10g Chia seed
¼ Tsp Vanilla paste

Method

Place all the ingredients bar the vanilla paste into a small saucepan. Over a low heat, slowly bring to the boil, stirring all the time to break up the raspberries.

Simmer for 5 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly. 

Stir in the vanilla paste and transfer to a glass jar. 

Leave to cool slightly before adding the lid. Store in the fridge, the chia jam can be kept in the fridge for a week if it lasts that long! Its also great on toast or crumpets!


Ingredients - Coconut cream

1 Tin full fat coconut milk 
½ Tbsp Agave nectar
½ Tsp Vanilla paste

Method

Put the tin of coconut milk in the fridge overnight. This helps the 'cream' separate from the coconut water.

About half an hour before you start making the cream, put the bowl you will use to make the coconut cream in the freezer. Using a cold bowl helps the cream to stay firm(ish).

Remove from the fridge and turn upside down, this will now have the coconut water on the top. Using a can opener take of the top (which was the bottom) and pour the coconut water into a bowl and save for a later use. The coconut water is a great addition to smoothies.

You will be left with the hardened coconut cream in the bottom (was the top) of the tin. Remove the bowl from the freezer and spoon the coconut cream into the cold bowl.

Add the agave nectar and vanilla paste and using an electric whisk, beat until you have a thick but spreadable cream.

Add to a glass jar and like the jam, the cream can be stored in the fridge for a week if it lasts that long.

Strawberry Mousse

I'm loving this weather we are having at the moment! Are you? Wall to wall sunshine, I'm so glad I booked this week off from work. We were planning on holidaying in Dorset but unfortunately we had left booking somewhere far too late and couldn't manage to book a cottage for the 3 of us within our budget. 

To cut a long story short we decided to have a 'staycation' and I'm so pleased we did. It has meant some great days out, a visit (& forage) to my gardening angels allotment and lots of gardening and recipe creating too. The only problem is the week has flown by far too fast - I could do with another week!

Marco people watching on Formby Beach

July is the height of the strawberry season and you need to make the most of these delicious berries. Go wild for Strawberry Smoothies, Strawberries & Vegan Ice-cream, Strawberries & Balsamic Vinegar (don't knock it until you've tried it) and Strawberry Mousse.

My recipe for strawberry mousse makes a soft and silky mousse, it doesn't set firm like a blancmange. It tastes of the summer and I could eat it morning, noon and night. In fact I've eaten it for breakfast before now!

The recipe makes 2 large servings (wine glass size) or 4 smaller servings, but you'll go back for more.

Ingredients 

1 Can of coconut milk*
1 Punnet Strawberries
1 Tbsp Maple syrup

*Place the can of coconut milk in the fridge the night before.

Method

First clean and hull your strawberries and halve each strawberry. If they are very big halve them again. 

Add the strawberries and maple syrup to a blender or a liquidiser and blend until smooth.

Place a sieve over a jug and pour the strawberry mixture into the sieve. Using a back of a spoon carefully stir the strawberry mixture so it passes through the sieve leaving the strawberry seeds behind.

Open the can of coconut milk from the fridge and pour off the liquid into a container. Don't throw this away use it in a soup or pasta dish as a base to the pasta sauce. Mushrooms work well.

Empty the coconut cream that has solidified at the bottom of the can into a bowl. Using a electric whisk, beat the coconut cream till it is light & fluffy.

Pour the strawberry mixture into the bowl with the coconut cream and using the electric whisk make sure everything is combined. Pour into glasses and place in the fridge for at least an hour before devouring.

More berry recipes coming soon, keep your eye on that specials board...........

Edit Post: Challenges entered

As per the comment from Shaheen below  I've submitted this recipe to her "Vegetable Palette Challenge". 

Shaheen runs the fabulous Allotment to Kitchen blog and every month Shaheen chooses a colour, and you make a recipe with vegetables, fruits or a combination of both with that colour. Its a great idea! The colour for July is red.

Once you've posted a recipe you email Shaheen and a round up of all the entries will be posted on her blog before the end of the month.

After entering the strawberry mousse recipe into Shaheens Vegetable Palette Challenge I started scouring the web for other challenges and there are lots of them! I came across the flood blog diary, which lists all the challenges that are taking part each month, in July there are 25 challenges. Looking through the list I came across "Lets cook with Strawberries" and I thought why not enter this recipe there too, 'it would be rude not to', wouldn't it?

And I didn't stop there as I came across Simple and in Season blog, which asks you to enter recipes which use a product that's in season right now. I thought this recipe is also perfect for this challenge - why not enter it there too!

Looking around at all the challenges currently going on I came across so many other foodie blogs including Ren Behan who writes about seasonally inspired and family friendly food. Ren hosted the "Simple & In Season" challenge back in April.

I also liked the theme run by Vanesther, who was hosting the

Family Food chill out baby challenge for July. Vanesther runs the blog Bangers and Mash and her and Louisa form the Eat Your Veg blog both run the Family Food challenges. July's challenge "Chill Out Baby" calls for all recipes which are tasty eats and drinks for chilling out and cooling down in the summer sun. July seems to be hitting the mark so far on that one the weather has been gorgeous!

I'll be keeping my eye out for new and up and coming challenges, why not stop by the flood blog diary to see if any challenges tickle your fancy. The food blog diary also lists all the foodie giveaways too which is always worth a look!