simply eat. baking // Mary Berrys' devonshire scones

With tomorrow being Mothers Day I thought this fab scone recipe from queen of baking Mary Berry, would be an ideal treat to make for mums everywhere (who doesn't love a scone!) and they are so simple it's ridiculous.

I will not tell you what I did because I did exactly as Mary instructed, apart from adding in a few chopped cranberries in at the end...I love cranberries. I also used a square, yes square, fluted cutter for my scones which I think makes them a a little more fancy...

Follow the recipe HERE, do it exactly as she says and you will end up with perfect scones. It is a super simple recipe, she uses the food processor rather than all that finger flapping stuff and they take no time at all. In fact by the time I had popped them in the oven and cleaned up they were ready!

Oh and you can freeze them...so if like me you are a 2 person household and 10 scones is just too much in one sitting then once they are baked and cooled pop them in a sealed bag and freeze. Simply defrost and (to quote Mary) 'refresh in a moderate oven for about 10 minutes.'

These really are the ultimate scone and perfect for breakfast or part of an afternoon tea. In fact they were so nice I just ate one on it's own fresh out of the oven, no butter, jam, anything...just with a cup of tea. Bliss...

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simply eat. snacks // roasted chickpeas

image copyright simply eat

So...in my last post I said I was going to try roasting chickpeas. This was inspired by a Pin I came across for THIS recipe...I know what you're thinking, it is a bit weird! But my curiosity won over and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised...they tasted kind of like peanut brittle, the chickpeas really go crunchy which I wasn't expecting! If you fancy giving these a go then here's what you need to do...

Ingredients

• 200g Can Chickpeas in water (this is a small half can size so if you want to make the recipe with a normal sized can just double the rest of the ingredients.)
• 1 tsp Honey
• 1/4 tsp Sesame Seeds
• 1/4 tsp Cinnamon

Simply...

• Drain the chickpeas really well and dry the excess off with a paper towel. I then removed the outer skin on the chickpea, these can be a bit tough so it's worth taking the time to do this.
• Then place on a baking tray on some greaseproof and roast for 45-50 minutes at 180c. 
• They will go golden brown and when you taste one they should be crunchy all the way through.
• In a bowl combine your Honey, Sesame seeds and Cinnamon. (If your honey was the set variety like mine then just pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to loosen up.)
• Tip in your chickpeas and stir to coat well, tip back on the greaseproof tray and pop back in the oven for another 5 minutes.
• Once done leave to cool to let the honey harden slightly...that's if you can resist the temptation to try this weird and wonderful snack!
• Keep in an airtight container. These should last for a few days but they are best on the day.

image copyright simply eat

I would love to know if you give these a try! If honey sesame isn't your thing then pop over to the site I got the idea from HERE as they had other flavour combos such as Garlic Parmesan or Smoky Spice...

ps - Apologies for the crappy photos, it was the evening and artificial light never quite makes up for the real thing!

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WELCOME TO SIMPLY EAT.

Hi, my names' Rebecca and I am one serious foodie...

I LIVE to cook...I have a food obsession!

I LOVE baking...there really is nothing better than a homemade cake, cookie or muffin.

My PASSION is home cooked food that is simple to make and I try to keep it as healthy as possible.

I own far too many cookbooks, compile endless boards on Pinterest, follow dozens of blogs (as you can see by the links on the right!) and will happily watch any tv programme related to food. I am always on the lookout for the next recipe to try...

I am currently studying to become a Nutrition and Weight Management Adviser so this blog is a place for me to share my ideas, thoughts and recipes with you and hopefully you will give them a go too!

I try to make my food as healthy as possible and from scratch as much as I can. Of course I use cheats here and there (if Delia can do it so can I!) but if it helps to get homemade good food on the table and not out of a microwave I'm all for it! 

I will say I'm not a great meat eater as I was veggie for a number of years...so don't expect to see steak on the menu! Although many recipes can easily be converted to use whatever meat or substitute you enjoy and surely that's what is important, eating healthy food we can all love. 

So stay tuned for the first recipe...an experiment in Roasted Chickpeas as a healthy snack?! We shall see...

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