Neven Maguire: teatime triumphs

I think we all love the smell of freshly baked scones. It is always worth the effort to make them and it is not a lot of effort. They will be in the oven in a quarter of an hour and baked in 10 or 12 minutes. For a perfect treat, all you need is a knob of butter, some cream and your favourite jam, along with a cup of tea.

The second recipe is also a favourite of mine. This goes back about four years, when we were filming for RTÉ in Flahavans at Kilmachthomas, Co Waterford. Mary Flahavan looked after us so well and she baked the oatmeal chocolate-chip cookies for the team. We all loved them and she gave me this recipe. Our breakfast chef bakes these every day and we leave some in Kilner jars in our guest rooms. They go well with a cup of tea after the drive to Blacklion. For a savoury biscuit that goes very well with cheese just leave out the sugar and the chocolate.

And even if you don’t get around to making these cookies with your oats, remember: porridge is a great way to begin the day.

Buttermilk scones

Makes 8-10 scones

225g (8oz) self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting

pinch of salt

pinch of baking powder

75g (3oz) butter, diced

40g (1½oz) caster sugar

1 large egg, lightly beaten

3 tbsp buttermilk, plus a little extra

butter, whipped cream and raspberry jam, to serve

1 Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F), Gas mark 7. Sift the flour into a bowl with the salt and baking powder, then rub in the butter. The best way to do this is to pick the mixture up just with your fingertips and lightly rub it together before letting it fall back into the bowl.

2 Repeat this until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. You can also use a food processor to do this, although I never bother. Stir in the sugar.

3 Beat the egg with the buttermilk. Make a well in the centre and, using a palette knife, gently and quickly stir the liquid into the flour.

4 When it begins to come together, finish off with your hands. It should be soft but not sticky.

5 If the mixture seems slightly dry, then add a little more buttermilk, a teaspoon at a time.

6 Lightly flour the work surface. Turn the dough out onto it and pat into a circle about 2.5cm (1in) thick – be very careful not to roll it any thinner: the secret of a well-risen scone is to start out with a thickness no less than 2.5cm (1in).

7 Cut into triangles with a sharp knife or stamp out 5cm (2in) rounds with a cutter, giving it a sharp tap – don’t twist it, just lift it up and push the dough out.

8 Carry on until you are left with all the trimmings, then bring these back together to roll out again until you can cut out the last scone.

9 Arrange the scones on a non-stick baking sheet, brush with buttermilk and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until well-risen and golden brown. Leave to cool for at least 10 minutes on a wire rack.

10 These scones are best served warm and straight out of the oven. Serve with butter for spreading and small pots of the whipped cream and raspberry jam.

Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

Makes about 36

275g (10oz) Progress oatlets (Flahavan’s)

100g (4oz) plain flour, plus a little extra for dusting

150g (5oz) caster sugar

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

225g (8oz) butter, at room temperature

100g (4oz) plain or milk chocolate chip drops

1 Blend the oatlets in a food processor until quite fine. Add the flour, caster sugar, bicarbonate of soda and butter and blend again until the dough just comes together. Fold in the chocolate chips.

2 Divide the dough into three pieces and roll each one into a long sausage shape that is 15cm (6in) long and 4cm (1½in) wide. Wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for one hour to firm up.

3 Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas mark 6. Using a sharp knife, trim the ends from each cookie roll and cut each one into about 12 cookies, so each cookie is about 1cm (½in) thick.

4 Arrange the oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, well-spaced apart, onto parchment-lined baking sheets.

5 Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, until a pale golden colour and slightly firm.

6 Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a minute, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

7 To serve, put into kilner jars or arrange on a plate. CL