stretching the time

Since that little man of mine started kindy, I have noticed the days that he's gone coming around so quickly.  This week he starts two full days.  This morning he decided that we should do some baking today, *groan*, it was the last thing I felt like.  We've been building him a cubby house for his upcoming birthday so Monday seemed like the perfect 'rest' day after a busy weekend.  He put his apron on and proceeded to the pantry where he started pulling out choc bits, rolled oats, coconut and anything else he could reach.  It was then that I realised I had to treasure this time with him.  It didn't matter that we had another stinking hot day, I am so over summer in Oz this year.  All you northerners I look at your snow covered pics with such envy!!!

First up was the biscuits.

Choc Chip Biscuits

500g butter

1 1/4 cup caster sugar

tin condensed milk

1 packet each of dark choc bits, milk choc bits & white choc bits  

5 cups of SR flour

Cream butter, sugar, condensed milk until light and fluffy, add all choc bits and flour.

Roll into balls and place on trays, bake in moderate oven for about 15 - 20 minutes.

Makes about 70 depending on how big they are.

Can be frozen.

Next was some pumpkin scones to use up pumpkins!

Pumpkin Scones

40g butter

1/4 cup caster sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

3/4 cup cooked mashed pumpkin

2 1/2 cups self raising flour

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/3 cup milk, approx

Preheat oven to hot (220C/200C fanforced).  Lightly grease trays.  Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy; gradually beat in egg.  Stir in pumpkin, then sifted dry ingredients and enough milk to make a soft sticky dough.  Turn dough onto floured surface, knead lightly until smooth.  Press dough out to about 2cm thickness; cut 5cm rounds from dough.  Place rounds, just touching, in prepared pans.  Brush tops with a little milk.  Bake for about 15 minutes.

I doubled this, when they were cooled, cut and buttered and popped into the freezer.  I put them frozen into lunchboxes so when the kids are ready to eat they're thawed and fresh.  It isn't the way I have been taught to make scones but they turned out just fine.

I'm telling you, baking on a hot day isn't fun, but that little boy makes it bearable.  He loves watching through the oven door just waiting, waiting till he can test his wares!

Have a fantastic day!