Summer teatime: Plum jam & Scones

The downside of loving food is eating too much of it! I've been on a diet lately hence not posting in a while.

Today I had a basket of juicy black plums. To be honest I'm not keen on eating plums, but I love plum jam. And what's the best use for plum jam? Scones! A perfect teatime treat for a summer's day.

I was always rather afraid of jam making, it always seemed mysterious and complicated. But once I started, I discovered how easy it is once you summon up the courage.

My tips are, get a sugar thermometer, and make sure you keep stirring so it doesn't burn on the bottom! Jam tends to bubble and splash when cooking, so I recommend using a large pan that's only a third full to minimise mess. Rubber gloves also protect your hands from sugar splashes!

Plum Jam

Jam uses roughly equal amounts of fruit and sugar. I always try to use less sugar (say 60/40), but it just makes it trickier to set.

• 750g plums, chopped and stoned
• 750g sugar
• 1 small apple, peeled and chopped
• Juice of half a lemon
• 100 ml water

1. Add the fruit, juice and water to a pan, bring to the boil and simmer for half an hour or so until the fruit is cooked.
2. Take off the heat, and stir in the sugar until it dissolves.
3. Return to the heat and crank up to maximum. I have a sugar thermometer which hangs on the side of my pan so you can always see the temperature.
4. Stir gently every so often so that it doesn't stick to the bottom.
5. Keep checking the temperature. When it rises to 104C, that's the "setting point" at which it turns into jam.
6. To test whether it's set, the traditional method is to put a couple of saucers into the freezer. Drop a small dribble onto a cold plate and poke it with your finger. If it "wrinkles" or just feels jelly-like, it's set. If it stays runny, you need to cook for longer.
7. Once it's reached setting point, take off the heat. Leave to cool for a few minutes. It will thicken as it cools so don't worry if it still seems runny, but if it's very thick while it's still hot, you might want to add a splash of water from the kettle.
8. Pour into sterilised jam jars. I always label my jars so I remember what they are and when I made them!

Scones

Scones are one of my store-cupboard staples. If I was a glamorous housewife I could claim I only make them when unexpected guests pop by, but the truth is I make them for myself because they're so quick! I tend to leave out butter but add 50g for more indulgent scones. Serve them with butter and/or clotted cream for full-fat luxury, or just with greek yoghurt for those watching their waistline!

• 225g self raising flour 
• (or, 225g plain flour plus 1.5 tsp baking powder)
• 150 milk
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• Handful of dried fruit (optional)

1. Mix it all together in a bowl.
2. Bring together into dough, you just want to mix it so everything is incorporate into a ball.
3. Preheat your oven to 220C.
4. Transfer to a floured surface, and roll so that it's an inch or more thick.
5. I'm greedy and like big scones so I use a large pastry cutter to make 4 scones. A smaller one should make 6, or 8 for bite-sized ones.
6. Punch the cutter straight down, trying not to twist the sides.
7. Pop each one onto a baking tray. You can leave them plain or glaze with milk.
8. Whack into the hot oven and cook for 15 mins.

Cheese and onion soda bread rolls

I ran out of bread so quickly knocked up these rolls to go with my soup, they baked while the soup was cooking. If you've never made bread before, soda bread is the easiest way to start, I was quite proud of the results!

Soda bread is pretty forgiving, you just mix it up and go. The proportions are very roughly 2 parts flour to one part liquid, it's quickest to just use cups or whatever measuring implement you have handy, especially if you're in a hurry! Sodabread traditionally uses buttermilk, but who has that hanging about? Milk and yoghurt do just fine.

This makes about four smallish long rolls (obviously I ate one of the above, just to check). Soda bread doesn't last more than a day, so therefore I was entirely justified to gobble one fresh from the oven!

• 200 g self-raising flour
• 100 ml milk
• 1 big tbsp natural yoghurt
• Sprinkling of salt
• Smattering of cheddar cheese
• 1 spring onion

1. Finely chop the onion.
2. Plop the yoghurt and salt into the milk and mix.
3. Preheat the oven to 200C fan (220C or equivalent)
4. Put the flour and onion in a large bowl and pour in the milk mixture. Stir with a fork until it comes together into a mass.
5. Transfer to a floured surface, and knead very gently. Essentially all you're doing is making sure it's mixed thoroughly into a not-too-sticky dough, soda bread mustn't be overworked.
6. With your hands roll it into a sausage about 12"/30cm in length. Cut into four equal portions and flatten to form four rectangular rolls about two fingers thick.
7. As a decoration I snipped the top of these with scissors at an angle to form triangular points - either do that or just slash across the top.
8. Top them with some grated cheddar. In the picture I also sprinkled black onion/nigella seeds but in retrospect this is slightly gilding the lilly!
9. Pop onto a baking tray then into the oven for 15-20 mins. Tap underneath, a hollow sound says they're cooked.

Leave them to cool a bit, then eat with gusto.