Buttermilk scones

• 3 1/2 cups self-raising flour
• 2 tablespoons caster sugar
• 60g butter, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• jam and whipped cream, to serve

1. Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan-forced. Grease and flour a 8cm-deep, 19cm (base) square cake pan.
2. Place flour, sugar and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Add butter. Using fingertips, rub butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
3. Make a well in the centre. Add buttermilk. Using a flat-bladed knife, stir until dough almost comes together. Place on a lightly floured surface.
4. Knead gently until dough comes together. Press out to a 3cm-thick round. Dip a 5cm round cutter into flour to prevent dough sticking. Cut out scones. Gently press leftover dough pieces together and repeat to make a total 16 scones.
5. Place scones, touching, in prepared pan. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until light golden and hollow when tapped on top. Serve with jam and cream.

Vanilla Sables Recipe

Prep Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Yield: 2 to 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 10 tablespoons butter
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Egg wash:
• 1 egg white
• 2 teaspoons water

Preparation:

In a medium bowl mix the flour and baking powder and set aside. In large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix in the dry ingredients until a smooth dough forms.
Form the dough into a disk shape or 2-inch diameter log. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare the egg wash by beating together the egg white and 2 teaspoons of water.
Roll out the disk of dough to ¼-inch thickness, and cut out the sables using a 2-inch fluted cookie cutter. If using a log of cookie dough, slice it crosswise into ¼-inch thick coins. Brush the sables with the egg wash, and bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for 15 minutes, or until they are lightly browned around the edges. Cool the sables for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
This vanilla sables recipe makes 2 to 3 dozen cookies.

Pine Nut Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup almond paste
• 3/4 cup sugar $
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg white $
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, divided
• 4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. 2. Grate almond paste on large holes of a box grater. Combine paste and next 4 ingredients (through egg white) in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).
3. 3. Place 1/4 cup pine nuts in a mini food processor; pulse until finely ground. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine ground nuts, flour, and baking powder, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; beat on low speed just until combined.
4. 4. Stack two baking sheets one on top of the other, and line the top sheet with parchment paper. Shape dough into 48 equal-sized balls (about 1 tablespoon each). Press 3 to 5 of the remaining pine nuts in a sunburst shape on top of each ball. Place 12 balls 2 inches apart on the top baking sheet (keep sheets stacked). Bake 14 minutes or until edges of cookies are lightly browned. Cool 5 minutes on pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Repeat procedure 4 times.