The wind carries an ever slight chill, a reminder that summer and her beautiful weather departs as Autumn has arrived. Late morning sunrise and rain drizzles from the sky, a subtle hint of Autumn slowly settling in for the next few months and breathing new life into old rhythm.
Last weekend, in my haste to enjoy a light wholesome snack and after a visit from a wonderful guest from Ghana, I found inspiration to make one of my old time favorites – the Ghanaian rock buns; also known as rock cakes or scones. They bring back happy childhood memories and I promise you they are delicious and tasty! To me, rock buns are the perfect snack. You may serve them for breakfast on their own, with milk, coffee, or tea. This recipe has been modified from the traditional version. You can also mix it up by adding pumpkin pie spice to the recipe to make each nibble a celebration of the new season.
RECIPE
Prep time Cook time Total time 10 mins 20 mins 30 mins Serves: Makes 12-14 rock buns
INGREDIENTS
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 5 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (seasonal)
- 1-2 teaspoon grated lemon zest (optional)
- 1 teaspoon flax seeds
- 1 egg (beaten)
- 1 cup of milk
- 3/4 cup of butter (1 stick and a half)
- 1/3 cup of dried fruits
- 1/4 cup milk (for coating)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)
- Grease your muffin pan or baking sheet
- Combine your dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, nutmeg, salt, lemon zest, and flax seed (pumpkin pie spice is optional)
- Add butter to the mixture. Mix it well until you have a bread crumb texture, then add your brown and white sugar.
- In a separate bowl, mix your egg and milk. Slowly stir this into the flour mix until it is moistened.
- Put a 1/4 cup full in the muffin pan. If you want these rock buns different from plain scones, add a 1/3 cup of dried fruits like raisins. You can also mix it up with coconut or chocolate chips.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes. A few minutes before the rock buns are ready, coat them with milk to give the top a golden brown color.
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