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    Home » recipes » baking

    By Amanda Smyth 10 Comments

    bites for blokes - Jan's man food

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    Long term readers will recall my tearful reunion with Jack last year.  Jack is a bit of a doggy delinquent and I’ve collected him from many far flung places over the years.  If I’d only strapped a Go-Pro to his melon, I might have made enough to cover his bail bills!

    Our hound is a first class scoundrel, but he’s also a first rate judge of character.  So when he became particularly enamoured with local couple, John and Jan, it was hardly surprising that we became friends.  John works on the farm now and has been known to pull up in his ute, open the door and ask “Mind if I bring my dog to work?”

    John is the kind of bloke who remembers its bin day.  I can count on him to scramble to the rescue when customers knock on the door and I'm still in my pyjamas.  Jan is the kind of bird who gives you her mobile number and volunteers to watch your children for an hour so you can have your next routine cervical cancer investigation unaccompanied.  She’s also a fabulous cook.

    Last night was Father’s night at Kindy.  It was another “bring a plate to share” event.  Still smarting from the jam roly poly rejection of last week, I enlisted expert help.  This week’s time-worn tucker are treasures that Jan clipped from the Family Circle Magazine in July 1985.

    Both recipes are based on Jan’s basic scone dough.

    basic scone dough

    Ingredients:

    3 cups self-raising flour
    ½ tbs sugar
    1 ½ teaspoon salt
    60g butter, chopped
    1 ¼ cups milk

    Method:

    Combine the flour, sugar and salt.  Rub in the butter until the mixture is crumbly.  Add the milk, mix lightly until just moistened.  Turn out on lightly floured surface and knead gently.

    You can also do this in a food processor.  Dry ingredients first, then butter.  Process until the mixture is crumbly.  With the blade spinning, add the milk in a thin stream until it comes together in a ball.  Turn out on your floured board and you're good to go.

    cheese + bacon wheels

    Ingredients:

    half the basic scone dough above
    1 tbs tomato sauce
    ½ teaspoon mustard
    ½ cup chopped, cooked bacon
    ⅓ cup grated tasty cheese

    Method:

    Roll or press out the scone dough to a 25cm x 20cm rectangle and trim edges.

    Spread combined sauce and mustard over the dough and scatter bacon and about half the cheese on top.  Roll up carefully and cut into ten even slices.

    Arrange in a 20cm baking pan lined with baking paper – laying the slices flat.  Brush with milk and scatter the rest of the cheese on top.

    Bake in a 220C oven for 15 to 20 minutes.  Allow to stand for five minutes, then break into wheels and serve.Bites for Blokes - Cheese and Bacon Wheels - Cooker and a Looker

    cheesy sardine fingers

    Ingredients:

    half the basic scone dough mixture above
    2 tablespoon tomato sauce
    1 cup grated tasty cheese
    3 sweet gherkins, sliced thinly lengthwise
    110g can sardines in oil, drained

    Method:

    Roll out the dough to a 35 x 20cm rectangle.

    Spread tomato paste evenly to edges of the dough.  Sprinkle cheese on the centre third of the rectangle; top with gherkin slices.

    Fold left third of dough over filling; arrange sardines on top.  Fold right third of dough over sardines.

    Invert the stack on a baking tray lined with baking paper; so that the sardine layer is at the bottom.  Cut the loaf into ten fingers, but do not separate.  Brush with milk.

    Bake in a 220C oven for 15 – 18 minutes or until cooked through and brown.  Cool slightly; pull apart into fingers and serve hot. Bites for Blokes - Cheesy Sardine Fingers - Cooker and a Looker

    Very few of these bad boys came home.  Maybe the daddies were hungry from all the kid aerobics.  More likely the inclusion of tomato sauce in Jan’s man food was too good to pass up.  It's little known but scientifically proven fact, blokes can sniff the red stuff out!

    are you partial to red sauce?

    who remembers bin day at your place?

    what’s the oddest way you've met a friend?

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. robomum says

      May 09, 2013 at 9:41 pm

      I love scones! I've only made them once but they were a bit on the rock hard side. Maybe this weekend 😉

      Reply
    2. mamagrace71 says

      May 11, 2013 at 7:29 pm

      Cheesy sardine fingers - yes, please! Would love to give those a try!

      Reply
      • cookerandalooker says

        May 13, 2013 at 7:14 pm

        I'm not normally a sardine fan Grace, but these were my favourite of the two.

        Reply
    3. Mother Down Under says

      May 11, 2013 at 9:52 pm

      Our dog has also led us to good people...her dog boyfriend's parents are now our son's godparents...if that makes sense.
      Anyway, putting the bins out is a man's job for sure...but it is usually me who remembers it is bin night.

      Reply
      • cookerandalooker says

        May 13, 2013 at 7:13 pm

        Your dog has a boyfriend Caitlin? Hussy! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Ed @ The Tunnel says

      September 08, 2015 at 5:27 pm

      With Bin Night I find it hard to remember if it is recycling fortnight or not. And cos I "go early" with my bins, if I put the recycling bin out by mistake then the neighbours will follow my lead and perpetuate the error. Oh the guilt! I need John and Jan down my way.

      Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Burny McBurn takes on Internet recipes | Sit Down Mummy says:
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      [...] and a Looker – Cheese and Bacon Wheels These ‘work’ for me. Both times I have made them they have been delish and gobbled up [...]

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    2. flourless jaffa cake + my invisible bucket - Cooker and a Looker says:
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      […] bucket has been a bit leaky this week, but I’ve had some good news today.  Our friends John and Jan welcomed their first grandchild this week; a baby girl who shares David’s birthday. Newborns […]

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    3. food for football fans - Cooker and a Looker says:
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      […] knock em till you’ve tried em – these cheesy sardine fingers are the […]

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      […] bacon and cheese wheels […]

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