Northumberland breakfast treats, cooking with kids, campfire or kitchen
It’s fun discovering new recipes that can be cooked on a campfire as well as at home and this traditional Northumbrian sweet breakfast treat is simple enough for older kids to cook on their own. It’s a deliciously comforting, super-quick recipe that can be fried in a heavy pan on a campfire and is equally as good for a warm after-school snack when calories need boosting.
Campfire cooking
At a Scout Jamboree in 2018, we were tasked to showcase things from home for visitors from around the world to sample the flavour and culture of fellow Scouts in other countries.
Our Scout group organised an English tea party with bunting, croquet, country dancing and cream teas. We also cooked up this local Northumberland delight – quick and easy to make in the mess tent on a camping stove; the inimitable Singing Hinny…!
But what the heck are they, you may well ask?!
What is a Singing Hinny?
Hinnie or Hinny is actually a Northumbrian or north-east English term of endearment for female, lass or ‘honey’!
A Singing Hinny or Singin’ Hinny is a kind of sweet bannock formed into a round, flat patty and cooked in a frying pan, griddle or skillet; a griddle-cooked drop scone really – an original pan cake.
The ‘singing’ refers to the sound they make when browning in the pan. Sources say it’s the fat sizzling but we think it’s the raisins whistling as they heat up!
They’re apparently called fatty cutties in Scotland but I much prefer Singin’ Hinny!
How to make Singin’ Hinnies
With just five ingredients and fried in a pan, Singing Hinnies take about 15 minutes to make from start to finish. Easily cooked on a campfire too, they are absolutely delicious!
You will need: –
- 8oz self raising flour
- 2 oz butter
- 3 oz raisins
- 3 oz sugar
- Milk/water
- Oil for cooking
Method
- In a bowl rub the flour and butter together
- Mix in the sugar and raisins
- Add milk a little at a time until the mixture becomes a stiff dough
- Mould into small round cakes or patties
- Heat oil in a frying pan
- Place patties in pan and brown both sides until golden – listen for the singing!
- Serve straight from the pan warm, with butter and/or jam
- ENJOY!!
After watching them being made at Cub camp, Caroline and I made our first batch at home – smaller than the camp ones (as they’re supposed to be) and with spelt flour hence the browner look.
We enjoyed our ‘elevenses’ with spoons for the jam and everything, and ate the lot.
Bannock always reminds me of my friend Julia, who would love these campfire treats though perhaps with less sugar! She was even more in my mind this day because of the gift of the delicate, sepia-like rose stem from ‘Nana’ (Julia’s Mum). It’s called ‘Julia’ and was gifted to Nana when Julia died last year.
After-school snack
As you can throw together Singing Hinnies in about 15 minutes including cooking time they are perfect for warm after-school snacks when the kids need a scrumptious treat to fuel adventures and play time.
We made light work of our Singing Hinnies (I couldn’t quite capture on film, above, the evaporating warmth rising up as we broke them open for tasting).
Wild wishes for cooking up lots of delicious breakfast treats whether on a campfire at home.
Join our Urban Cookfire Revolution and get your kids cooking in the garden. This is an ideal starter recipe.
Why not pin this to save for later?
For more fun and child-friendly recipes check out Kids of the Wild’s recipe pages.
This reminds me of my girl guide days, we made something similar called “dampers” except we didn’t have a pan so wrapped the dough round sticks to cook then eased them off and stuffed jam down through the hole to eat them. I think I have an old blog post on making them on a camp fire with my kids. So lovely to find easy campfire recipes and repeat them at home. Lovely to see the scouting movement is still doing these back to basic activities for a new generation. #CountryKids
We did damper on sticks at Cubs this Thursday, with added cheese or blueberries for a twist. Delish! Our Scouts are certainly doing heaps of outdoor stuff as we’re a traditional group. I think Scouting is doing well at the moment. Great for kids!
These look really yummy and exciting to cook on a campfire! I love the idea of an after-school snack that only takes 15 minutes to prepare as well! I really love the name too! #CountryKids
I know, the name is great isn’t it, makes you want to try them just for the name. And they do sing (or squeak perhaps!)
Not something I’ve heard of but they sound delicious #Countrykids
They are, and so speedy to make
Ohh I think I’ll give these a go, they sound great and I love the idea of showcasing the local culture at the scout jamboree. Mich x
It was a great idea at the jamboree and was fab to see everyone so proud of their home countries, so interested in everyone else’s and no signs of the racism or nationalism (from anywhere in the world) that so many people over here seem to associate with ‘patriotism’. Bit deep but it was really refreshing and faith in humanity-restoring! Who’d have thought a Singing Hinny could create such debate!!
Singing hinnies is a much nicer name that fatty cutties! The International Cub and Scout Jamboree sounds like it was fun and that English tea party sounds perfect. I had never come across singing hinnies before but they sound very easy to make – I will have to give them a try! #CountryKids
They’re super easy and much tastier than a plain damper bread. Hoping to get Cub camp written up soon, amongst a thousand other things!
What a great introduction to different places around the world. I’ve never heard of these before. #CountryKids
I’d never heard of them either, but very tasty!
Oh yum! I’m sharing this with my children’s beaver and cub groups – they look so delicious! #countrykids
Fab, it’s a great one for scouts, so simple and easy and can be done in the hut as well as on camp. Thanks for sharing