I've been juggling a bit recently: a bit of art, a bit of DIY and a bit of baking.
Oh, I'm no baker, but I'm trying to concentrate my efforts on just one item. I've decided on scones. I'm tweeking a Mary Berry recipe. The audacity of me! That icon needs no tweeking!
But I can't resist straying from recipes..so far, I've made Rum & Raisin, Date & Orange and Cheese & Tomato. They're average.
Thing is with a scone, it can benefit from those extra layers of butter, cream & jam, or cream cheese/cheddar. So it's pretty hard for a layered-up scone to be considered dry.
Hebe-the-dog has been keen to sample all varieties - warm from the oven. Her palate is undiscerning. She wolfs down her samples so quickly that I doubt she's aware of any difference in the flavours! Greedy guts springs to mind!
Also, another thing I like about scones is that the washing-up of bowls, spatulas, measuring bowls & spoons takes the same time as the scones take to cook. So simply, wash dishes, put on the kettle, make tea, eat warm scone - adding butter etc, as required.
Hebe-the-dog reacts to the first ding of my kitchen timer like one of Pavlov's dogs. Moving from curled-up sleepy to alert-big eyes-tongue lolling, in seconds.
However, we tackled the Cheese & Tomato scones when they were slightly burnt.
'Cos there was an incident.
I had cut some cheddar into thin slices and when the timer went off, I got startled and dropped the sharp knife. Hebe-the dog was right in there - Jack-Flash - grabbed it (luckily by the handle), and bolted up the stairs with a glint in her eye and a glint between her teeth, just like a pirate!
The offering of a morsel of cheese halted all that filibuster malarkey. But, just shows you, that scone-making can be more exciting than you'd think!
Hebe-the-dog, I think you'll agree, is pretty nippy, speed-wise.
She's even attempting to catch swallows in the park! They deliberately swoop low to initiate the chase, I believe. Like a cheetah, she puts in a dedicated high-pace run. She's often close enough to smell their feet, before they elegantly turn up the pace and effortlessly change direction. I'm sure they add a titter, for good measure.
But she is loathe to give in, believing each new attempt will eventually be successful. Hebe is certainly determined.
But all that running has tired her out. She's dozing now. I've a notion to try Toffee & Banana scones. I'll get a 15 minute headstart before the timer dings Hebe into action.
How calm and ordinary life was before Hebe!
