New Idea Food
Scrolls are having a moment. But in my books, they’ve never gone out of style.
With small scale bakeries and supermarket shelves reinventing the wheel (or the scroll), we thought, why not also give it a go? A New Idea food feature was booked in before we knew it.
I engage with endless food content on my feed, and yes, scrolls defied the algorithm – they know what I like! And inspiration truly is everywhere.
And we weren’t short of ideas. We reflected on our traditional bakery favourites and even scrolled through what was already on offer.
It was agreed that a jammy iced one was a must-try.
We always strive to make our recipes achievable because fancy doesn’t have to be hard! And this was in keeping with reserving a dough recipe. The first iteration was tested with a simple scone dough version, instead of the classic yeasted scrolls.
The testing process
The dough was spread generously with raspberry jam and scattered with sultanas before rolling up and slicing into rounds. After baking, the finishing touch was a drizzle of pink icing and a sprinkle of coconut – a finger bun scroll, perhaps?
Sampled fresh, they tasted good! We took the rest home, trusting that our families would give us an honest review. In particular, Karen’s husband, Adam, won’t hold back. And his verdict? ‘They’re a bit dry!’
But you’ve got to cop it on the chin.
Karen thought to lose the sultanas. Which Lara and I agreed was a good call (they were already sweet enough).
The ‘dry’ comment was still on my mind.
Then it dawned on me to try a simple lemonade scone mix. It’s a fail-safe recipe, based on three pantry staples – self-raising flour, cream and lemonade.
They produce, tender, light and fluffy scones that even the Country Women’s Association approve of (rumour has it).
Second time’s the charm
Test number two took place in my home kitchen. I popped them into a muffin pan this time, so they’d retain their shape and prevent dry, overcooked edges.
They rose beautifully and were so tempting that I couldn’t resist breaking off a piece while they were still warm. It was so good, even without the icing.
I topped the remaining scrolls with the icing and coconut, when two little taste testers scurried into the kitchen. My grandkids, Rowan and Scout, wanted a taste of these jammy treats, and when they begged for seconds, I knew we got it right the second time round.
The jam filling, with a topping of pink icing and coconut truly captures the essence of the nostalgic Iced VoVo bikkie.
To make the most of them, we suggest eating them on the day they’re made. For a shortcut, get rid of the icing and serve them warm from the oven.
Ingredients
Method
Line a 12-hole muffin pan (1/3-cup capacity) with paper muffin wraps.
Sift flour into a large bowl. Make a well in centre. Add cream and lemonade. Using a flat-blade knife, stir to form a dough.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently knead into a smooth ball. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out to a 30cm x 40cm rectangle.
Stir jam until smooth. Spread over dough, leaving a 2cm border around edges.
Starting from one long side, roll up dough firmly to form a log. Trim ends. Cut into 12 even slices. Place slices, cut-side up, in muffin wraps.
Cook in a 180°C (fan-forced) preheated oven for about 20 mins, until golden brown. Stand in pan for 10 mins. Transfer scrolls to a wire rack to cool.
ICING: Sift icing sugar into a small bowl. Stir in enough milk for a thick consistency. Tint pink with colouring.
Drizzle icing over scrolls. Sprinkle with coconut. Stand until set.
