Saltuna Recipes

OLD-FASHIONED SULTANA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 150°C and grease a 20cm square or round cake tin.
• Pick over the sultanas to remove any stem- nothing worse than a crunch in your cake.
• Place sultanas in a saucepan and cover them with cold water. Bring to the boil and then drain off the water. Return sultanas to saucepan.
• Stir in the chopped butter and set aside the sultanas to cool.
• Beat together the eggs, essence and sugar. Then add in the sultanas.
• Add your flour and baking powder to another mixing bowl and aerate with a kitchen whisk (or you can sift them together).
• Stir the flour into the sultana mix.
• Pour into prepared cake tin and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

BOLIVIAN SALTENAS

Steps:

• Sprinkle the gelatin over the 1/2 cup cold water in a heat-proof dish; set aside for 10 minutes. Microwave the rehydrated gelatin for 30 seconds or until melted (or melt it over a pot of simmering water). Transfer the melted gelatin to a small bowl and refrigerate until set.
• Place the potatoes into a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat, and simmer until the potatoes are cooked but still firm, about 10 minutes. Remove from water, allow to cool, and shred into a bowl; set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef, and cook until the meat is no longer pink, breaking it up into crumbles as it cooks, about 10 minutes. Drain excess grease. Stir in the shredded potatoes, peas, spring onion, parsley, 4 teaspoons sugar, 2 teaspoons paprika, cumin, salt and black pepper, and 3 tablespoons jalapeno sauce (optional). Simmer filling until hot, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet, or line it with parchment paper.
• Combine the flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cut in the butter with a knife or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (This can also be done in a food processor: pulse the butter and flour mixture until it looks like cornmeal. Turn mixture into a bowl and proceed.) Slowly add the hot water and knead until smooth, about 3 minutes. Keep the dough covered with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel to keep it warm. Divide the dough into 16 pieces and roll them into balls. Keep the other balls of dough covered with a towel while you roll out each round.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball of dough into a 1/8-inch-thick circle. Whisk the beaten eggs and 2 teaspoons water in a small bowl. Lightly brush egg wash on the edges of the dough circle. Place about 2 tablespoons of the meat filling on one half of the dough round; top it with about a 1/2 teaspoon of hard-boiled egg, 1/4 teaspoon of gelatin, a few sliced black olives, and some raisins.
• Fold the dough over the filling. Seal and scallop the edges of the dough together. To scallop, start at one edge of the half circle: fold a small piece of dough (the size of your fingernail) over the seam and press gently. Fold another small piece of dough over the seam so that it overlaps the first piece; repeat until you have sealed the half circle. (You may also seal the saltenas by pressing a fork around edges.)
• Place the saltena on the prepared baking sheet and continue with the remaining dough and filling. Whisk the paprika into the remaining egg wash and brush the saltenas with the egg wash. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

GOLDEN SULTANA BREAD

Steps:

• Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select the setting suitable for standard, soft, white bread. Start.

EASY SULTANA SCONES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment. Tip the flour and butter into a large bowl. Gently start to rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips, allowing it to fall from a short height above the bowl. This will incorporate air into the scones, making them beautifully light. Continue doing this until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Add a pinch of salt, the sugar, sultanas, eggs and enough milk to bring the mixture together into a soft dough. The amount of milk will vary accordingly to the size of the eggs, softness of the butter and temperature of the room. Be careful not to overwork the tough or it will become tough.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Generously flour a rolling pin and roll the dough out to a 2cm thickness. Cut into squares or triangles using a sharp knife, then transfer the scones to the prepared baking tray, spacing them apart to leave room for spreading. Brush the tops with a little milk, then bake for 10 mins. Leave to cool until just warm, then serve with clotted cream or butter and jam, if you like.