Ingredients

Method

For the gemer (ginger beer):
• 2 litres water
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 t cream of tartar
• A handful raisins
• Peel of 1 pineapple
• 1 t instant dry yeast
• 2 T ginger powder
Cream scones
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 T baking powder
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups fresh cream

Method

Ingredients

For the ginger beer: pour 2 cups of water into a pot. Add sugar and dissolve over a low heat, stirring regularly. Add ginger, cream of tartar, raisins pineapple peel and the rest of the water. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Allow to cool (about an hour) and stir in the yeast. Cover and leave to stand overnight. Strain through a sieve into a 2-litre bottle and chill before serving.

To make the cream scones: preheat oven to 180'C and grease and oven tray.

In a large bowl, sift flour, salt and baking powder. Using your hands, rub butter into flour and add sugar.

Beat eggs and cream together. Make a well in centre of dry ingredients and pour in the cream mixture. Mix with a knife, being careful not to overmix.

On a floured surface, pat dough to a thickness of 2cm and use a cookie cutter to cut into rounds. Place on the greased baking tray and bake for 10 - 21 minutes, until just golden on top.

Cook's note: Dikuku le gemer (scones and ginger beer) always remind me of family celebrations and my favourite aunt in particular. We always eat scones and drink ginger beer the day before a big event, when all the women gather to make the umqombothi and peel and chop the vegetables for the big occasion. My aunt will have the same carrot in her hand for at least three hours – sharing the latest (and heavily embellished) story from her exciting life. As we hang on to her every word, the pile of veggies becomes smaller and smaller. Between her and the scones and ginger beer we couldn’t be more entertained, and the chore is done that much quicker.

Mogau Seshoene, A.K.A. The Lazy Makoti, is a cookbook author and TV star.

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