The edge of Nowhere and Raspberry and Passionfruit Scones

My Dad is a fairly quiet sort of a guy.

Actually, not that’s entirely accurate. He’s intelligent, charming, chatty and after a few drinks leans towards a tad rowdy (I’m speaking of the tree this apple fell from after all) so perhaps one ought not describe him as quiet.

In a little house on the edge of Nowhere my Dad lives a fairly quiet sort of life.

He has his routines.

He potters about quite happily in his garden and whiles away hours reading book after book whilst listening to the tick tock of his mantle clock as gulls gently call him from the bay.

There’s a cafe up a very sheer hill that he walks to and chats with the girls when he feels like it, but mostly his company is seagulls and the odd seal, dolphin or whale.

Quiet.

Peaceful.

And then came Hurricane Holsby.

Instead of squawking gulls he has fighting toddlers.

Gone is the gentle lap of the tide on the shore, and it is replaced by elephant like stomping up and down and down and up his hall and the Peppa Pig opening score.

The gentle buzzing of bumble bees cannot be heard over the incessant farting, crying, fighting and giggling… and that’s just me.

I try to stay on it, but his neat little house doesn’t know what hit it.

Kiki insists on downing trou and peeling off her nappy (and then running around with her leggings around her ankles in that totally Monty Python-esque waddle), so there are nappies and the odd wee strewn about on the floor…. today I barely saved the Persian from a nugget.

I know sometimes it all gets a bit much for the poor man, but for the most part, I know he flippin’ loves it.

These babies are bringing a life to the ol’ boy that I rejoice in watching.

I’m shit at relaxing so I’m finding new bush tracks to run, and I accidentally ran up a mountain twice. It was truly exhilarating once I caught my breath.

I’m writing a lot and I’m baking up a storm.

Banana, Dark Chocolate and Carrot Bread, and these scones. Too much to eat, but I’m giving it a crack.

These are inspired by Bill Granger’s Blueberry Breakfast muffins but he uses cream where I use yoghurt.

Any berry would work and just make it up from there, cowboys.

What you will need : 

• 250 g (9 oz/2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
• 1 tablespoon caster sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• A pinch of salt
• 100 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup passionfruit swirled yoghurt (or whatever floats your boat)
• 1/2 cup frozen raspberries
• a little milk for glazing

What you will need to do :

Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.

Pulse the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a food processor until well combined. Add the butter and pulse until it is roughly chopped in and the texture of breadcrumbs.. Tip into a bowl

And mix in the eggs and cream with a knife. Gently mix in the berries with your hands.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and press into a 15 cm square. Cut into quarters and then cut each quarter in half. Place on the baking tray and brush with the egg and milk glaze. Bake for 15–20 minutes or until golden. Serve warm, with lashings of butter.

Cook Once, Feed All is about making your life easier whilst preparing nutritious and quick food for your family. Hailed by Mouths of Mums as the ‘must have recipe book for all families’, this book is a collection of family friendly recipes, all accompanied by stories from my life.

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