Breakfast

Now that spring is finally around the corner, it’s time to abandon our winter warmers for breakfast, and start awakening our tastebuds. Citrus fruits are always a delight first thing in the morning, and have the effect of stimulating our palate and our metabolism. I’m not suggesting you suffer though – this breakfast combination makes a very luxurious treat… I made it last week for the 11yo during half term, and as today is her 12th birthday, I made it for everyone…

Blood-Orange Compote, and scented Crème Fraîche

Ingredients:

4 blood oranges
20g caster sugar

100g creme fraiche

1/2 vanilla pod

Method:

Put the crème fraîche into a small serving bowl, and zest at least two of the blood oranges into it, to taste – you’re looking for a zingy, tart contrast to the sweet compote. You may want to sweeten it to taste with icing sugar – it will be very tart… Alternatively, you could a teaspoon or so of vanilla extract, to round out the flavour
Peel and segment the oranges – make sure you do this over a bowl to capture all of the juices
Warm the orange segments and their juice in a pan over a low heat
Cut open the vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds – add them to the pot with the sugar
Remove from the heat and allow the ingredients to infuse together while you make the drop scones – if possible leave it somewhere which will retain the heat in the pan (like warming drawer, or warming plate on an Aga)

Drop Scones

Ingredients:

2 eggs, lightly beaten
100ml milk
25g caster sugar

25g butter, melted
125g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt

Sunflower oil or butter, for greasing

Method:

Whisk the eggs, butter, and around 90ml of the milk, until thoroughly combined
Put the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder into a bowl, an pour in the wet ingredients, gradually incorporating the dry ingredients. Keep whisking until you achieve a smooth, but thick dropping-consistency batter. If the batter is too thick, incorporate a little more milk, until the correct consistency is achieved.
Heat a flat griddle pan, and drop the batter in blobs from a spoon. The mixture will spread out a little, so leave enough space between the scones.
When the top surface of the drop scone begins to dry a little, and little bubbles begin to form and burst, flip the pancake over, and cook for a further thirty seconds.

Serve the pancakes with the compote, and Crème fraîche on the side. Delicious. The acidity in the blood-oranges will keep your taste-buds zinging for hours.