Devonshire Splits

I have a sorry tail to tell about Devonshire Splits. These were a summer holiday treat in our family. Sadly my mother never fully appreciated the skill level required to successfully eat one. They are virtually impossible to bite into without getting a face full of clotted cream and raspberry jam. The skill lay in being able to extent your tongue far enough to scoop out as much of the filling as possible. At the same time not getting your face so close that you either got covered in the filling or inhaled the icing sugar dusting. I had to master this out of eyeshot of my mother otherwise I would feel a sharp tap on the back of my head. Not a good move when you have a cream cake so close to your face. My mother never came to terms with me splitting Bourbon biscuits in half and rolling up the chocolate filling either. I must have been a terrible disappointment to her.

Ingredients

1lb strong white flour, warmed 1 teaspoon dried yeast
½ pint milk ½ pint clotted or double cream
1½ oz butter Raspberry jam
½ oz caster sugar Icing sugar for dusting

Method

  1. Heat the milk and butter together to blood temperature.
  2. Add the sugar and sprinkle on the yeast.
  3. Leave for 15—20 mins in a warm place until frothy.
  4. Sieve the warmed flour into a mixing bowl.
  5. Make a well in the flour and pour in the milk mixture and work into a dough.
  6. Knead on a floured board for about 5 mins until the dough is smooth.
  7. Place in bowl and cover in clingfilm in a warm place until it has doubled in size.
  8. Knock back and knead again then divide into 12 balls and leave to prove on a baking tray until doubled in size again.
  9. Bake in an oven pre-heated to 220°C/425°F/Gas Mark 7 for 15-20 mins.
  10. When cold, cut diagonally two thirds of the way through the bun. Open gently and spread with jam then fill with a good dollop of the cream. Dust with icing sugar.

Just writing out the recipe has made me hungry. Sadly my clotted cream days are behind me. Oh OK! Perhaps just one!

See you at Cherry Day.

Images

raspberry jam
RASPBERRY JAM