Cinnamon Spiced Scones

This dough throws together before the oven heats up!  Can't get any easier than that.

Cinnamon Spiced Scones

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
1/2 cup buttermilk, plus more for brushing (buttermilk substitute: 1/2 cup milk + 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar)

Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon, then pulse to blend. Add butter, scattering it over the flour mixture.  Pulse until the butter is pea-sized, about 6-8 times. Add the buttermilk, then pulse until moist crumbs form, about 6-8 times.

Transfer mixture to a large piece of plastic wrap.  Use the wrap to gather the crumbs together, then press the dough into a 1” thick disc about 5” in diameter. Peel away plastic wrap.  With a sharp knife, cut the disc into 6 wedges.
 

On the prepared baking sheet, arrange scones 1” apart.  Lightly brush each with buttermilk, then sprinkle with sugar (I used a coarse variety for this).  Bake until golden brown, about 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Serve with pumpkin butter!
 

 

From here.

Raspberry Marzipan Coffeecake

What do you do on a holiday? Well, make good stuff that's bad for you, of course.

Raspberry Marzipan Coffeecake

Cake

2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon Chambord or other raspberry liqueur
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3.5-4 ounces almond paste, finely chopped
2 cups fresh raspberries

Streusel

1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, cold and cut into small pieces
1/3 cup slivered or sliced almonds

Heat oven to 350F.  Grease 9-inch square pan.  In small bowl, mix 1/3 cup flour and 1/4 cup sugar.  Cut in firm butter, using pastry blender until crumbly.  Stir in almonds.  Set aside.

In large bowl (or stand mixer), beat all coffee cake ingredients except almond paste and raspberries on low speed 30 seconds.  Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.  Spread half of batter in pan.  Sprinkle with half each of the almond paste, raspberries, and streusel.  Repeat with remaining batter, almond paste, raspberries, and streusel. 

Bake about 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean.  Serve warm or cool.

  

Apricot Scones and Clotted Cream

Cheapskatism is often the mother of my trying new recipes.  In this case, it was about that decadent British delicacy, clotted cream.  Well - it may not be a delicacy there, where Devon cream can be found in the dairy section, but here in Merka it's all but impossible to find except online.  Nonetheless, I was too stingy to shell out seven bucks (plus shipping) for a microscopic jar of it, and began to wonder if there was a way to make it myself.  It turns out there is, though it takes quite a bit of waiting time.  Then when I'd done that experiment successfully I realised I needed something to serve this angelic substance on - scones, natch. 

Apricot Scones and Clotted Cream

Homemade Clotted Cream (it takes some time, so plan ahead!)

First, you need unpasteurised (preferably) or plain ol' pasteurised cream.  Ultra-pasteurised won't work for sciencey reasons I won't go into here but which you can read about at the link below.  Then, find a small covered oven-safe pot, one in which the cream will come up 1-3" up the sides.  Heat oven to 180F and pour 1-2 pints of cream in the pot; cover.  Leave the pot in the oven 8-12 hours (make sure your oven doesn't shut itself off!) or until the cream develops a thick yellowish skin - this is the clotted cream.  Sure, that description sounds disgusting, but it's the good stuff, trust me!  Next, remove the pot from the oven and cool to room temperature.  Finally, chill the cream in the fridge for another 8 hours.  When done you can spoon the thick clotted cream into another sealed container (and the rest of the cream can be used for another purpose).

Cream method taken from here.

Apricot Scones

2 3/4 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
2 cups chopped dried apricots
1 cup sliced almonds
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 tablespoon apricot liqueur
1/2 cup to 2/3 cup half & half or milk
2 teaspoons milk
2 tablespoons coarse sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder.  Work in the butter with a pastry cutter just until the mixture is unevenly crumbly; it's OK for some larger chunks of butter to remain unincorporated.  Stir in the fruit and nuts.   In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, almond extract, apricot liqueur, and half & half or milk.  Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir (use your hands if needed) until all is moistened and holds together.   

Line a baking sheet with parchment; if you don't have parchment, just use it without greasing it.  Scrape the dough onto the floured parchment or pan, and divide it in half.  Round each half into a 6" disc. The discs should be about 3/4" thick.  Brush each circle with milk, and sprinkle with cinnamon and coarse white sparkling sugar.  Using a knife or dough scraper (dip in flour if needed to prevent sticking), slice each circle into 6 wedges.  Carefully pull the wedges away from the centre to separate them just a bit; there should be about 1/2" space between them, at their outer edges.   

For best texture and highest rise, place the pan of scones in the freezer for 30 minutes, uncovered. While the scones are chilling, preheat the oven to 425F.  Bake scones for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. When you pull one away from the others, it should look baked all the way through; the edge shouldn't look wet or unbaked.  Remove the scones from the oven, and cool briefly on the pan. Serve warm, topped with apricot jam and the clotted cream. 

Basic scone method from the wonderful King Arthur Flour people, here.

Here, have another look, because you can never have enough.

Sausage/Hash Brown/Cheddar Bake

So I just made this up on the fly as part of Easter brunch this morning - and wow, it's pretty darned good if I do say so.  And even better, really easy.  I used reduced fat sausage and cheese, so I only feel mildly guilty for having seconds.  And maybe thirds.  OK, I feel kinda guilty about that.

Sausage/Hash Brown/Cheddar Bake

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound pork sausage (I use the Jimmy Dean reduced fat kind)
1 onion, minced
1 can Campbell's cheddar cheese soup, undiluted
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
1 pound (16 ounces, or half a package) Ore-Ida Southern Style frozen hash browns, or similar
fresh ground black pepper

Heat oven to 350F.  In a nonstick skillet heat heat oil and sauté onions until translucent.  Add sausage and cook through, using spoon to break into small pieces.  Spread sausage evenly into an 8" square glass baking dish.  Spoon soup over the meat and top with half of the cheese and a sprinkle of pepper.  Spread frozen hash browns on top; cover with the other half of the cheese and more pepper.  Bake 1 hour, and then put under the broiler for a few minutes to brown and crisp up the top.

It's Bacony, It's Cheesy, It's Puffy - What's Not To Love?

It's not nutrish, but it is most def delish.

Bacon and Cheese Danish

1 sheet store-bought puff pasty, cut into quarters

8 slices cooked bacon

About ¼ cup cheese – blue (crumbled) or extra-sharp Cheddar (grated)

½ cup sour cream

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons spicy mustard

½ teaspoon paprika

Fresh ground black pepper

Egg wash for pastry top

Preheat oven to 400F.  In a small bowl stir together the sour cream, Worcestershire, mustard, paprika, and as much pepper as you like.  The consistency should be thick.  Put quartered puff pastry on a baking sheet.  Spread squares with the sour cream mixture, then sprinkle with cheese.  Place two slices of the cooked bacon on top of that, then bring two opposite corners together and seal.  Brush pastry top with beaten egg.

Bake for 15-25 minutes, or until golden brown.  Then eat them all before everyone else gets up and feign ignorance when they ask you what that heavenly aroma is.

I imagine some caramelised onions or a tomato slice on these wouldn't go amiss, either...  hmmmm...!

My Grandmother's Waffles

Simple, easy, and light... (and a perfect way to use up some of those bushels of strawberries you voraciously and foolishly bought.  And by you, I mean me.)

2 cups Bisquick
1 egg
1 small bottle (1.25 cups) club soda
scant 1/3 cup vegetable oil

Mix all ingredients together, trying to get out as many lumps as you can.  Use in your waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions.

For variation: replace a little bit of the club soda with orange juice, add a few drops of orange extract, a tablespoon of grated orange zest, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Make this to go with it: 

Orange Syrup

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons grated orange rind

1/2 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons orange liqueur

Combine all ingredients in a heavy saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes or until sugar dissolves.