Feta, olive and sun-dried tomato scones

A savoury scone that is perfect for a quick lunchtime snack. The tangy and salty taste of the feta cheese marries perfectly with the black olives and sundried tomatoes to give a classic Mediterranean flavour combination. This is similar to my sun-dried tomato, olive and cheese loaf but substitutes feta cheese for cheddar and uses olive oil instead of butter.

225g self-raising flour

a large pinch each of cayenne, baking powder and black pepper

3 tbsp olive oil

(if the sundried tomatoes come in a jar, use 1 tbsp of the oil instead of 1 tbsp of olive oil)

125g feta cheese (75g cubed for the scones and 50g crumbled for the topping)

50g sundried tomatoes

12 black olives, sliced

1 egg, beaten

1-2 tbsps milk

Preheat the oven to 190ºC and line two baking sheets with greaseproof paper.

Sieve the flour into a bowl and add the baking powder, cayenne and black pepper. Make a hole in the middle, add both oils and stir around with a knife. Then add the olives, sundried tomatoes and feta and mix together. Next add the beaten egg and, using your hands, bring it all together to form a soft dough. Add more milk if needed.

Now tip it onto a floured board and roll out to a depth of about 20mm. Cut out shapes with a circular cutter and place onto the baking sheets - I used a 6cm cutter which made 10 scones. Brush the top with a bit of milk and crumble on the remaining feta cheese.

Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes and when done, cool on a wire rack.

For an alternative savoury treat, check out my cheese and chive scones ...

Jumbo black pudding sausage rolls

I've been experimenting with sausage rolls as they are such a favourite in our house and make for a quick and simple supper. My latest creation is a black pudding sausage roll made with Clonakilty black pudding from west Cork. Its crumbly texture makes it ideal for this recipe. I've doubled the size from my original sausage roll recipe and added some of my apple chutney to bind it all together.

1 sheet of puff pastry

6 sausages or 280g sausage meat

180g black pudding

1 tablespoon apple chutney (or grainy mustard)

black pepper

1 egg (beaten)

Take the pastry out of the fridge at least an hour before you want to use it.

Preheat the oven to 200ºC and line a tray with baking parchment.

Remove the skin from the sausages (I simply snipped them lengthwise with a pair of scissors and pulled off the skin) and put the sausage meat into a bowl. Mash with a fork, crumble in the black pudding and then add the apple chutney (or mustard) and a few grinds of black pepper. Give it a good mix so everything is combined.

Unroll the pastry sheet onto a board and lay the meat mixture down the middle.

Brush one side of the pastry with your beaten egg and roll up from the other side. Press firmly together with a fork and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

When the time is up, cut into six slices and place on your lined baking tray. With a sharp knife, score three lines across the top and brush with the remaining beaten egg. Pop into your oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool slightly before serving with a leafy salad.

Easter Fairy Cakes

Fairy cakes are smaller than cupcakes and therefore ideal for younger children. This simple recipe is one I've had since my children were small and it was probably the first thing they learnt how to bake. It makes 12 fairy cakes but if you're catering for a large gathering, simply double or triple the amount.

125g unsalted butter

125g caster sugar

125g self-raising flour, sieved

2 large eggs

½ tsp vanilla extract

2-3 tblsp milk

You will need a 12-bun tin lined with paper cases.

Preheat the oven to 180ºC

Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and the eggs, one at a time, alternating with a spoonful of flour. Then add the remainder of the flour and mix well. If you need to loosen the mixture, add a splash of milk.

Spoon the mixture into the cases and put in the oven. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack before icing.

I used the butter icing below with a few drops of yellow food colouring, but you could just add a few drops of water to the icing sugar and scatter sugar sprinkles or a handful of sweets on top!

Butter Icing

100g unsalted butter, softened

100g icing sugar, sieved

your choice of food colouring

Whisk the softened butter in a bowl and gradually add the icing sugar. If you tip it all in at once, you'll just get an icing sugar cloud! Pipe the icing onto the cakes and top with a chocolate egg or two.

Check out my other Easter treats including mini chocolate Easter nests.