Who needs scones when you can have traditional Cornish splits instead? Soft and slightly sweet yeasted bread buns are the perfect vehicle to load up with jam and cream. Please note, jam first, cream on top!
Now what could be more perfect for a Cornish cream tea or English tea party than these Cornish splits? A Diamond Jubilee street party was not something we thought we would be attending. We’d planned to use the additional time to catch up down at our plot. But at the last minute we received an invite to a small party just up the road and we thought it would be churlish to refuse.
Best of British
As Cornwall is the first (and dare I say best) county in the UK, it’s no surprise that Kernow kicks things off. I am somewhat partisan, I confess – Cornwall is my home after all.
So to the challenge. I am looking for you to showcase something that embodies Cornish food. This could be the good old Cornish pasty, or for those that love fish, Stargazey pie. For those with a sweeter tooth, there is of course saffron cake or how about a good Cornish cream tea? Not forgetting, of course, that the jam goes first with a hefty dollop of clotted cream on the top – unlike the heathen practices of other counties.
Or you may prefer to use some great Cornish ingredients. Famed for its dairy, seafood, vegetables and soft fruit, Cornwall has a wealth of fresh and delicious produce to choose from. Our new potatoes are second to none, our cauliflowers famous and I had my first punnet of local juicy and flavoursome strawberries this weekend.
Everyone knows about clotted cream, but we also have some amazing cheeses, including Cornish Blue, winner of the World Cheese Awards 2010, Yarg, a semi-hard cheese wrapped in stinging nettles, Cornish Camembert, Allet Dairy Goat’s Cheese, Cornish Gouda and the Cornish Crackler, an award winning cheddar.
You still have until 15th June to enter this challenge. It’s not only a chance to show off your Cornish inspired creations, but you can also win £50 worth of Amazon vouchers.
I’m not sure how local chocolate is to Cornwall, but I’ve endeavoured to sneak it in anyway!
I’d been planning on baking Cornish splits for my entry into Cornwall’s Best of British challenge, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity to make them. I had Cornish sea salt, Cornish strawberry jam, Cornish Strawberries and Cornish clotted cream to use.
Cornish Splits with Jam, Cream & C
So what exactly is a Cornish split? It’s a yeasted almost bread-like bun which pre-dates the Johnny come lately scone as the original receptacle for jam and clotted cream. And I do mean the Cornish cream tea. It’s jam first every time, whatever they say in Devon.
I had to get chocolate in, of course Now how best to do it? I thought I’d try substituting some of the butter with white chocolate as mentioned by Dan Lepard in his wonderful book Short and Sweet. He’d referred to it as a lard substitute, but what the heck.
Turns out Dan is absolutely right. I’ve used it in many yeasted bakes subsequent to making these Cornish splits and it really works. Just take a look at my Liskeardy cakes.
So this recipe is how I make Cornish splits and like Frank Sinatra, I did it my way.
Kneading Technique
- Oil your work surface and ease the dough onto it from your bowl. Knead briefly and then gave it the Dan Lepard turn and fold treatment as interpreted by Carl Legge in his folding bread video.
- Return to the bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for thirty minutes.
- Give it another brief knead followed by three turn and folds.
- Return to the bowl, cover and leave to double in size.
- Form into rolls and leave to double in size.
Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
As well as the obligatory strawberry jam and clotted cream, I thought some chocolate dipped strawberries would provide a nice finishing touch.
For these, all you need to do is cut strawberries in half and dip the bottoms in melted chocolate. Lay them on greaseproof paper until they’ve set.
Cornish Split Success
The storm abated as we trudged up the hill with the Cornish splits safely ensconced in a weather proof box. The party had migrated under cover and there was little space on the groaning table for my offering. I needn’t have worried as they disappeared really quickly. In fact they were a roaring success. I was particularly pleased when a local farmer’s wife, who has been making them for many years gave them her seal of approval.
The splits were soft and slightly sweet and made the perfect foil for the lashings of jam and cream. The dipped strawberries were perhaps not the most elegant, but when they were perched on top of the cream, they looked just right. All in all, I have to say I was quite proud of my first attempt at Cornish Splits.
Other Cornish Recipes You Might Like
- Hevva cake (aka heavy cake)
- Liskeardy cakes (aka non-lardy cakes)
- Saffron buns
- Vegan saffron buns
- Vegetarian pasties
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Cornish Splits – The Recipe
Cornish Splits
Ingredients
Cornish Splits
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 250 ml milk
- 100 ml water
- 50 g white chocolate (I used Green & Blacks)
- 500 g strong white flour
- 1 tsp of Cornish sea salt
- 2 tsp dried yeast
Chocolate Strawberries
- 75 g dark chocolate (I used Green & Black's 72%)
- 12 strawberries
- 24 heaped tsp strawberry jam (homemade if you can)
- 24 heaped tsp clotted cream
Instructions
Cornish Splits
- Melt the butter in a pan with the milk and over a low heat.
- Add the white chocolate and leave to melt.
- Place the flour into a bowl with the sea salt and yeast.
- Make a well in the centre and pour in the liquid, ensuring it's warm but not hot.
- Stir from the inside out until fully incorporated, then leave for 15 minutes.
- Oil a work surface and ease the dough onto it from the bowl. Knead briefly and then give it the Dan Lepard turn and fold treatment as interpreted by Carl Legge in his folding bread video.
- Return to the bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for 30 minutes.
- Do another brief knead followed by three turn and folds.
- Return to the bowl, cover and leave to double in size.
- Divide into 12 pieces and form into rolls.
- Cover with a tea towel and leave to double in size.
- Bake at 200℃ (400℉, Gas 6) for 15-20 minutes. Tap the bottom of one split to test. If done, it should sound hollow.
Chocolate Strawberries
- Melt 60g of the chocolate in a bowl suspended over a pan of hot, but not boiling, water.
- When melted, remove from the heat and add the remaining 15g to temper the chocolate. Leave for a few minutes then stir until smooth.
- Cut 12 strawberries in half and spoon chocolate over one side.
- Leave to set then turn them over and spoon chocolate over the other side.
- Allow the splits to cool, then cut them in half and spread with strawberry jam.
- Dollop a spoon of cream on top, then place a chocolate strawberry on top of the cream.
Notes
Nutrition
Sharing
I’m also entering this for the fabulous Tea Time Treats table which has a summer fruits theme this month chosen by Kate of What Kate Baked. Karen of Lavender and Lovage is also running a giveaway on her blog to coincide with this month’s theme.
Working London Mummy has chosen strawberries as this month’s One Ingredient, so how could I resist? Nazima co-hosts this monthly challenge with Laura of How to Cook Good Food.
The monthly Simple and in Season hosted by Ren of Fabulicious Food is being guest hosted this month by Laura of How to Cook Good Food. And as Strawberries are very much in season during June, I am sharing my splits with this one too.
Finally (I think), I am also submitting my Cornish splits to Javelin Warrior’s Made with Love Mondays where all submissions must be made entirely from scratch.
ps I really do like the idea of these split cakes. V interesting and never seen them. Am doing roundup post a little belatedly but will link to this x
Thanks WLM – they make a nice change from scones, although I love scones too!
Wow a lovely entry for strawberry one ingredient. I never had them but Cornish list with chocolate dipped strawberries sounds wonderful
I’ve never heard of Cornish splits either…but I’ve had plenty of Devon ones!!
They do indeed look delicious and it’s so great that you managed to wangle some chocolate into it in two clever ways.
By the way, when I have a cream tea I always do the Cornish way on one side and the Devon way on the other and I am ‘split’ over which is better
Now that is very diplomatic of you Kate – I like it. And where, I’m wondering, do you get Devonshire splits – I’ve never seen them in a tea shop either?
Lovely! I think we need to start a Cornish/Devonshire split revival movement.
Yes indeed, like the sound of that 🙂
You can not get better than chocolate covered strawberries in my opinion! A very indulgent topping so perfect for the celebrations.
You’re so right, those strawberries were exceptionally good!
Oh I do love a cornish split…and love the addition of chocolate dipped strawberries – very posh!
Thanks CC. Sort of figured I’d better do posh as it was for the Queen – in a very round about sort of way!
Never heard of cornish splits but these look delish. Your method of mixing white chocolate in a yeasted bun sounds interesting (m itching to try this :D).
One of the main reasons I wanted to make Cornish Splits was to highlight this much neglected Cornish bake. Hope you do give it a whirl 🙂
love the sound (and look) of these – the chocolate coated strawberries on top look extra fancy – hope you enjoyed the street party.
I was surprised to see that the yeasted version came before the bicarb version of “scone”. Makes me wonder if it was a great moment when they discovered how quick buns could be with bicarb rather than waiting around for yeast to rise
The street party was a little odd as I only recognised about two people (apart from the friend’s who invited us), yet we walk down that street nearly every day to our plot! I believe bicarb is a relatively recent discovery (ie 19C), so bread would have been around long before scones. You’ve piqued my interest now and I’ll have to find out more.
I love everything about these Cornish splits. Somehow they seem like the perfect foil for clotted cream and strawberry jam. You know I have just returned from the most bizarrely unpredictable weather week I have ever experienced in the South Hams. I didn’t even make it to Totnes for lunch at Fat Lemons Cafe. We ran out of days as the weather picked up on the day we were due to go. So, we relied on the local scones and clotted cream. I think I could have done with your Cornish splits to cheer me up on the torrential downpour days! But, I will just have to make them for myself as they sound so wonderful.
Thanks for entering Simple and in Season too! xx
Oh Laura, what a shame about the atrocious weather. I’d completely forgotten you were down last week. Cream teas seem like a good way of keeping things going though and you’ve always got Fat Lemons to look forward to next time. The splits make a very nice change to scones and were delicious in their own right.
They look delicious!
Thanks Foodycat – they were delicious 😉
Wow. Never heard of Cornish Splits but they look so perfectly up my street. I need these in my kitchen now! The chocolate dipped strawberries is a great idea and makes them proper fancy! … and didn’t you do well entering all those challenges. I feel quite left out! ;0)
Sorry Dom, need to check out Random Recipes toute suite 😉
Thank you so much for entering this super recipe into TTT! I’d never heard of Cornish Splits before now (and guess what I’ll be tucking into as soon as I’m down in the West Country?!)
Thanks Kate. I’d be very interested to know if you found some.
What a great recipe, reminds me of something my mum used to make when we were little – the strawberries top them off nicely.
Thanks Nic, I think the strawberries took longer than the splits!
Oh wow! this is an absolute treat I would love! I’ve bookmarked it! : )
Thank you Vanessa. Do let me know how you get on if you do give these a go.
I love yeast cookery but have yet to make Cornish spilts. A real change from scones and something I will try this weekend.
Oh do let me know how you get on. When it comes to yeast cookery, these really aren’t at all complicated.
I made these once after you suggested them but my recipe turned out more like bread rolls than something sweet so I like the addition of white chocolate in these very much. They looks delicious and I hope you sang Land of Hope and Glory at the top of your lungs 😉
Oh bother Kath, you know there was no singing – what a missed opportunity. Oh sorry to hear you weren’t impressed with Cornish Splits. What recipe did you use? I didn’t have one, so found out what I could on the internet and then made it up! The white chocolate makes for a nice soft dough.
What a shame there was no singing, you could have shown your patriotic side. I think my recipe, which I think was from my Dairy Cookbook (but I could be wrong) was missing the sweet ingredient. I will try to find another one and give them another go. I might just try the white chocolate.
Kath, the white chocolate works well. This is the 2nd yeasted bun I’ve tried it in.
I love the idea of replacing some of the butter with white chocolate – Dan is full of such brilliant tips!
These look absolutely delicious and the perfect tea time treat. Being a Londoner I’m torn over the jam/cream first debate, but if I ever make these I promise to do it the Cornish way!
Yes, Dan’s a real wonder. Your compromise sounds like a good one – hope you do give them a go 🙂
Yummy recipe and so easy!
Have a nice week end
Thanks Manu – easy and delicious, but sadly not made much anymore.
I’m from the Devon-Cornwall border and have never heard of these! Will definitely be giving them a go.
Sadly scones have rather taken the limelight over the neglected Cornish split. There’s a railway pudding someone has entered for this challenge and I’d not heard of that either. Can you be persuaded to enter?
Lovely…I was sold when I got to the baked rolls part, the rest was a bonus, Great recipe, have often devoured them but never made them. x
Sue, I’m impressed you devoured them. I only know one place that makes them and she’s stopped doing her tea room now.
These look really really good! My hubby has been asking me to make ‘Devonshire splits’ for a while now,I’m guessing these are the same?
Not having followed a recipe for these Paula I’m no expert, but I suspect they are very similar. They aren’t difficult either, so do give them a go.
I’ve never heard of Cornish Splits but would definitely love to try yours as they look so tempting! I’ve made my entry but haven’t had time to blog about it yet but will definitely get to it before the deadline. I’m really excited to share it as I made up my own recipe 🙂
Ros it’s so hard to get everything posted in time – I often don’t manage it and am always trying to catch up and falling further behind! Really looking forward to seeing what you’ve come up with. The splits were delicious, though I say it myself 😉
Around 20 years ago I remember being more than a little surprised to be served Cornish splits when I went into a tea room somewhere near Newlyn. But I was quickly persuaded – I just love them. Yours look great and that addition of chocolate sounds fascinating.
It sounds as though you are one of the rare ones who’ve actually tried Cornish splits. I’ve only ever had them at one particular establishment which has now sadly closed! The white chocolate makes for a particularly soft crumb and also gives a subtle vanilla flavour.
They look fabulous! I love sweet yeasted buns but hadn’t really thought to serve them as you would scones for a cream tea. I must try this!
Scones are delicious and I know you are a fan C, but it’s nice to ring the changes and these were delicious too.
PS: Thanks for the link to the Breast Cancer Care giveaway too….xxxx
You’re very welcome 🙂
A FABULOUS entry for Tea Time Treats and Best of British and I ADORE Cornish Splits too….I JUST LOVE your chocolate dipped strawberries…..really fab Choclette! 🙂 Karen
Thanks Karen. It’s really hard to find Cornish splits these day. But know I’ve made them and realised how easy they are, I shall be baking them again! Dipping the strawberries was much more of a faff than I’d thought. To do it well and more easily you need a big bowl of melted chocolate, but it’s not really practical.
You should be very proud of these, Choc, as they look sensational! Perfect way to celebrate the Jubilee! And I love that you’ve subbed white chocolate – I know you’ve mentioned this before, but I still haven’t tried it. I really must, as there’s heaps of white choc in the cupboard that needs using up. I also have a stash of cocoa butter – I wonder if that would work even better, as it wouldn’t upset the sugar balance in a recipe?
Thanks Celia, I have to confess to being a tincy wincy bit proud 😉 Using white chocolate makes for a nice soft crumb. I would have thought cocoa butter would work fine. I have a feeling Zeb Bakes might have tried using cocoa butter once, but I can’t remember what in and what the results were.
Oh boy do those look yummy! Well done on coming up with such a recipe-your neighbours had a treat!
Thanks GD. Next time I have a tea party, I will be making these rather than scones. Mind you, I do love a good scone, but it’s nice to do something a bit more unusual and they were delicious.
Stunning, just as well I didn’t make Cornish Splits for my entry to the Best of British! I couldn’t compete – however I have a plan and it should be blogged next week before the deadline!
Oh goodie Janice, so glad you have a plan. More entries are very much needed.