Scones

Ahhh…. Scones. Rich. Buttery. Warm. Lots of different combinations. Buttery. Quick. Easy. Did I mention buttery? And warm?

I’m not talking about some canned biscuit dough that you flatten and deep-fry. That’s fry bread. I’m talking about breakfast or afternoon scones. The ones your English great-grandmother made. Actually, mine was Swiss so she probably didn’t make these. But I do.

Scones are so easy. Sift together some dry ingredients, cut in some butter, add any dried fruit or extra flavors, stir in the wet ingredients, pat into a ball, cut and bake. And eat.

The secret to flaky scones is to handle the dough as little as possible – just like homemade biscuit dough or pie crust. You want the butter to form those long, flaky layers as it melts while baking. You can roll out the dough and cut it with a biscuit cutter, but I prefer to just pat it out on a pan and cut into squares or wedges.

Scones lend themselves to all sorts of flavor combinations – use your imagination: raisins and cinnamon, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice, cranberries and orange zest, blueberries and lemon zest, molasses and ginger, chocolate chips and zucchini, chocolate and orange…. I could go on, and I have, but it’s time to start baking.

Tip: if you don’t have buttermilk, use plain yogurt. Just stir in 2 tablespoons of plain milk with the yogurt and egg.

Another tip: use different flours – white, whole wheat, brown rice, garbanzo bean. I like whole wheat mixed with some white flour the best for scones.

Here are the basic instructions for scones:
Sift together dry ingredients.

Cut in butter.

You can also do this in the food processor – mix up the dry ingredients. Cut the butter into chunks, add to the processor.

Pulse until the butter chunks are pea size or a bit bigger.

Put dry ingredients with the butter in a bowl (if you used the food processor). Add raisins, cranberries, blueberries, chocolate chips, or whatever additions you choose to add.

Beat egg or eggs with buttermilk or yogurt. Add any other wet ingredients and whisk. Add to dry ingredients. Knead lightly; press on baking sheet lightly sprayed with cooking spray.

Cut into wedges or squares and slightly separate.

I like to brush them with a little milk or half and half. Then sprinkle with sugar – raw sugar makes a lovely crunchy top.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or as directed by the recipe. When they come out of the oven, cut them again to separate. Serve warm.

Traditionally, they are served with clotted cream or jam.

Ready? Let’s go!

CRANBERRY GINGER OAT SCONES
1 1/3 c. flour      
1 c. oats      
¼ c. sugar      
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda     
1 tsp. ginger      
½ tsp. soda
¼ tsp. cardamom
½ tsp. salt
½ c. butter
3/4 c. dried cranberries
1/3 c. plain yogurt
1 egg

Bake at 375 degrees for 15-16 minutes.

CHOCOLATE CHIP
2 c. flour      
1/3 c. powdered sugar     
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda     
½ c. butter
1 egg
½ c. buttermilk
½ c. chocolate chips

Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

WHOLE WHEAT
1 ½ c. whole wheat flour    
½ c. wheat germ      
1/3 c. sugar      
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda     
1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. salt
½ c. butter
½ c. raisins
1 egg
½ c. buttermilk 

Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

GINGERBREAD
2 c. flour      
¼ c. brown sugar     
1 tsp. baking powder     
1 tsp. ginger      
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. allspice
¼ tsp. salt
½ c. butter
1/3 c. molasses
1/3 c. buttermilk

Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

APRICOT
2 ½ c. flour      
½ c. sugar      
2 tsp. baking powder     
½ tsp. baking soda     
¼ tsp. salt      
½ c. butter
½ c. chopped dried apricots
½ c. buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp. sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon

When assembled, brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

CRANBERRY
1 3/4 c. flour      
½ c. sugar      
¼ c. cornmeal      
2 tsp. baking powder     
¼ tsp. soda      
¼ tsp. salt
½ c. butter
½ c. fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped
2/3 c. buttermilk
½ tsp. grated orange rind
1 egg, lightly beaten

When assembled, brush with milk or half and half and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes.

BLUEBERRY
2 c. flour      
1/3 c. powdered sugar     
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda     
½ c. butter
2/3 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 egg
½ c. buttermilk
½ tsp. vanilla

Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

They don’t all have to be sweet. These are great with dinner instead of biscuits.
CHEESE SCONES
2 c. flour      
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda     
¼ tsp. dry mustard     
½ tsp. salt
½ c. butter
½ c. shredded cheddar cheese
½ c. buttermilk
1 egg

Brush with milk and bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes.


These next scones are from Martha Stewart’s website. They just looked so yummy.
GINGER SCONES WITH CARDAMOM
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cardamom pods, crushed and inner seeds ground, or ground cardamom
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup crystallized ginger, chopped in 1/4-inch pieces
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
4 teaspoons sugar
2 large eggs

Use 1 egg in the dough and one egg, mixed with a teaspoon of water, to brush the wedges before you bake them.  Sprinkle with the 4 teaspoons of sugar. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

This one is super-tasty!
LEMON CREAM SCONES
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1/3 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons heavy cream
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter. In a separate bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup cream, 2 eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Add the cream mixture to the flour mixture, and beat on low speed until just incorporated.

Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface, and form into a flat disc, about 8 inches across and 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut into 8 wedges and transfer to prepared baking sheet.

In a small bowl, whisk together remaining egg and 3 tablespoons cream to make an egg wash. Brush scones with egg wash, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400 degrees until the tops are golden brown and firm, 15-20 minutes.

MUMMY’S SWEET WHITE SCONES
6 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
Pinch of salt
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons superfine sugar
1 heaping tablespoon baking powder
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
4 large eggs
1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons milk
Granulated sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, superfine sugar, and baking powder. Make a well in the center and add butter. Using your fingers, work butter into flour mixture until a crumbly mixture is formed.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 eggs and milk. Add milk mixture to flour mixture and stir to combine.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; knead lightly and shape into a round. Roll dough out until it is 1 inch thick. Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter, cut out scones and transfer to prepared baking sheets.

In a small bowl, beat remaining egg and brush the top of each scone; sprinkle each with granulated sugar.

Transfer baking sheets to oven and bake until golden brown and cooked through, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer scones to a wire rack and let cool slightly before serving.

Have fun with any or all of these! Your tummy will thank you!

Labor Day at the Cabin - Part 2

So what happens when you leave a bunch of girls at the cabin on a lovely early fall day in the mountains? First, they take naps. But once that’s done, they have a tea party! Late afternoon found us dipping strawberries in chocolate and sprinkles, putting raspberry jam on tea cakes that Beth made ahead and brought from home, and arranging my chocolate dipped shortbreads on a plate and picking wildflowers for a nice bouquet. We spread the old linen tablecloth on the picnic table on the deck and had a very elegant tea. Walt excused himself and let us be girly on our own.

BUTTER PECAN CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD

2 c. flour                                                                1 c. toasted pecan halves

½ c. sugar                                                              4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate or choc. chips

1/3 c. cornstarch                                                    ¼ c. butter

1 c. butter                                                               2 tsp. honey

½ tsp. vanilla                                                          toasted pecan halves

Place flour, sugar, cornstarch in a food processor. Add 1 c. butter and vanilla and process 30 seconds or until crumbly. Add toasted pecans; pulse additional 5-10 seconds or till well combined. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough just until smooth. Chill 30 minutes. Divide dough in half, roll out to 1/3" thick. Cut with round cookie cutter, place 1" apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake about 18 minutes at 350˚F. Cool.

Place chocolate, 1/4 c. butter and honey in bowl and microwave, till melted, stirring once. Dip each cookie halfway, place on wire rack, put pecan half in center of each. 3 - 3 ½ dozen.

Our dinner was substantially different than the hikers’ dinner at the lake. Jenny made cupcakes – meatloaf cupcakes with pink mashed potato “frosting”. They were so good – mixed elk, deer and antelope meatloaf baked in muffin cups, and spuds from the garden mashed and colored light pink. We had chocolate cupcakes with pink frosting for dessert. It was wonderful – and we even had plates and silverware to eat it on…not so the fishermen.

Somewhere in the rush to get out the door in the morning, the foil which was to contain the fish and potatoes baking in the coals failed to make it into anyone’s backpack. Ditto the silverware. Ditto the salt, olive oil, pepper, etc. These guys left the 21^st century behind and  found themselves five miles from the trailhead with a mess of really nice, fresh 12-13 inch brook trout, some potatoes, onion and some lemons. And that’s it. So what did they do? Did they despair and whine and cry? No. Did they hike out and go to the convenience store in Pinedale for hot dogs and Coke? They did not. They did what real men do under these circumstances – they improvised.

They found a big flat rock that they could heat in the fire. They cooked their fish on that. They buried their potatoes and onion in the coals.

They used the lemons for lemon juice on both the fish and the spuds and ate with their multi-tools. They ate like cavemen. They ate like warriors. And they loved every minute of it.

Sunday morning at the cabin, especially with part of the crew gone, is a special time – a quiet time. A time to sit and read your scriptures, a time to count your blessings. A time for blueberry scones and fresh peaches. This was my day to cook, and I was planning a brunch centered around a casserole, but I knew that we’d need some fuel to start the day. So we had these wonderful scones and some dandy Colorado peaches.

A brief word on scones: Scones are not deep-fried bread dough. That is true only in Utah. Fried bread dough is good – in a sort of a know-that-you’re-eating-a-heart-attack sort of a way, especially with honey. Fried bread dough is good as the foundation of a Navajo taco. But it is not a scone, at least not in Wyoming, or in any place else except the Beehive State. I have spoken.

BLUEBERRY SCONES (PIONEER WOMAN)

2 cups Flour, All Purpose

⅓ cups Sugar

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

⅛ teaspoons Salt

6 Tablespoons Cold Butter

1 cup Fresh Blueberries

1 whole Egg

½ cups Milk

1-½ teaspoon Vanilla

FOR THE STRUDEL TOPPING:

¼ cups Brown Sugar

¼ cups Flour

2 teaspoons Cinnamon

2 Tablespoons Butter

In a bowl mix together the dry ingredients for the scones. Cut in the chunks of butter with a pastry knife.. It should be crumbly in texture. Gently fold in the blueberries. In a measuring cup mix together the egg, milk and vanilla. Pour into dry ingredients and with a fork, combine just until it forms a dough. (If you want to add the zest of 1 lemon, here’s where you’d throw it in.) You don’t want to over mix it because you are going to turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it 5 or 6 times to incorporate everything.

Roll it into a ball and press it down. Brush a little milk on the top and top with the strudel topping, or omit if you want to cut calories. (To make the strudel topping, mix together the topping ingredients to form a crumb mixture.)

Cut the dough in half, then half again and so on until you get 8 triangles. Bake in a preheated 400ºF oven for 18–20 minutes on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

So while everyone was enjoying the scones (baked, not fried) and peaches, that gave me time to prepare the brunch casserole. First, shredded potatoes from the garden. Then the egg mixture, from the eggs our friend Dan gives us from his little laying hens. Next, patties of elk-deer-antelope sausage. Then, chopped Swiss chard from the garden at home. And finally, a grating of sharp asiago cheese to make the whole thing just taste right. It was huge. We could have fed all the neighbors and many of the forest creatures. But it was wonderful. And the leftovers were just right for the hurry-up breakfast we always eat on Monday, when we’re busy cleaning and packing to go home.

BREAKFAST CASSEROLE (PIONEER WOMAN)

2 pkgs. Sausage

Potatoes 6

18 eggs

Swiss chard, 3-4 cups

2-3 c. grated cheese, cheddar jack

2 tbs. butter

2 tbs. olive oil

Oven 400. Slice sausage into rounds, fry till done. Grate potatoes. Melt butter and olive oil, brown potatoes as for hash browns. Season with salt and pepper. Put potatoes in 9x13 glass pan. Top with sausage. Wisk eggs. Stir in chard, or spinach. Stir in 2 c. cheese. Stir well. Pour over meat. Bake 20 minutes, sprinkle on rest of cheese. Bake another 5-10 minutes.

The fishermen got back in the late afternoon, filthy dirty and smelling like fish and full of tales of the fun they’d had. They love these one-night backpacking trips, and they learn so much. They even learn that fish, spuds, onions and lemons can make a meal in God’s country. But after they’d had their showers and changed clothes and you could stand to be near them again, we fed them. We fed them steak sandwiches with homemade mozzarella cheese and tomatoes from the garden.

SANDWICHES (PIONEER WOMAN)

2 whole Medium Onions, Halved And Sliced

1-¼ stick Butter

2 pounds Cube Steak, Cut Into 1/2-inch Strips

1 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 teaspoon Black Pepper

¼ cups Worcestershire Sauce

5 dashes Tabasco Sauce

4 whole Deli Rolls (crusty), Split

8 slices (thick) Fresh Mozzarella

8 slices (thick) Ripe Tomato

1-½ cup Arugula

Season meat with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Melt 1/3 stick of butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onions for several minutes, until golden brown. Remove to a separate plate and set aside.

Return skillet to stove and increase heat to high. Add another 1/3 stick of butter. When melted, add meat to pan in a single layer. Do not stir. Allow meat to sit, undisturbed, for a minute in order to brown. With a spatula, flip meat to the other side and allow to brown. Reduce heat to low. Add onions back into pan, then add Worcestershire, Tabasco, and remaining 1/3 stick of butter. Stir and allow to simmer, adding more Worcestershire or Tabasco as desired.

Melt 1/2 stick of butter on griddle or in a separate skillet. Place roll halves, cut side down in butter and brown over medium-low heat until golden brown.

To serve, spoon meat/onion mixture over bottom half of rolls. Spoon 1-2 tablespoons pan juice over the top. Lay two mozzarella slices on each sandwich, followed by two tomato slices. Top with a generous amount of arugula, then press the top half of the roll on top. Cut in half and serve immediately.

 

We fed them baked beans.

Quick Southern-Style Baked Beans (PIONEER WOMAN)
Serves up to 18

8 slices bacon, halved

1 medium onion, cut into small dice

 medium green pepper, cut into small dice

3 large cans (28 ounces each) pork and beans

3/4 cup barbecue sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup distilled or cider vinegar

2 teaspoons dry mustard or 2 tablespoons Dijon

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Fry bacon in large, deep sauté pan skillet until bacon has partially cooked and released about 1/4 cup drippings. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels. Add onions and peppers to drippings in pan and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add beans and remaining ingredients bring to a simmer. (If skillet is not large enough, add beans and heat to a simmer then transfer to a large bowl and stir in remaining ingredients). Pour flavored beans into a greased 13-by 9-inch (or similar size) ovenproof pan. Top with bacon, then bake until beans are bubbly and sauce is the consistency of pancake syrup, about 2 hours. Let stand to thicken slightly and serve.

We fed them watermelon and cantaloupe. We fed them sweet corn from the garden. We had Chocolate Zucchini Cake for dessert. And we thanked God on this Sabbath day for our wonderful family and this special place.

(Walt wrote this; I just edited. Isn't he a great writer?)

Labor Day at the Cabin

It’s the last official blast of summer – Labor Day weekend. For us, it’s traditional to celebrate it at the cabin. Now I could go on and on about the cabin that’s been in our family for over 50 years. This isn’t the place for that, but it is the perfect place to talk about what we eat when we’re celebrating the last weekend of summer 2011, so here goes:

 

It’s traditional for us all to go to the cabin over the Labor Day weekend. First, we get an extra day, because it’s a 3-day weekend. And second, it coincides with Beth’s birthday, and she has always celebrated her day at the cabin. This year, she and her family had been there all week anyway, so when we came straggling in at 6 PM on Friday night, they had baked ziti with Caesar salad and garlic bread on the table. We were grateful. We were even more grateful when Beth brought out this elegant chocolate-hazelnut gelato. Now keep in mind, this beautiful and elegant dessert was produced in a log cabin 50 miles from the nearest paved road or powerline. We may rough it when we’re at the cabin in some ways, but we eat good!

 

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT GELATO (FOODNETWORK.COM)

2 c. whole milk

1 c. heavy cream

½ c. sugar plus ¼ c.

4 egg yolks

½ tsp. vanilla

½ c. Nutella

½ c. toasted hazelnuts, crushed – garnish

In a saucepan combine the milk, cream, and 1/2 cup sugar over medium heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whip the egg yolks with the remaining sugar using an electric mixer until the eggs have become thick and pale yellow, about 4 minutes. Pour 1/2 cup of the warm milk and cream mixture into the egg mixture and stir. Add this mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Place a strainer over a medium bowl and pour the warm custard mixture through the strainer. Stir in the vanilla and hazelnut spread until it dissolves. Chill mixture completely before pouring into an ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions to freeze. To serve, scoop gelato into serving bowls and top with hazelnuts.

Jenny and her family joined us late that night. Unfortunately, a combination of sick kids and Chad’s work schedule kept Sarah and her family home this year. We missed them. And they missed a fabulous breakfast on Saturday morning. We divide up the cooking responsibilities by day or by meal when we go, so that each family can plan ahead and bring up whatever they need for the meals they will cook. After all, once you’re there, it’s not like you can run to King Sooper’s to pick up some groceries.

Jenny had breakfast on Saturday morning, and she made the most delicious carrot bread. It was easy to make ahead, and it travelled really well. What’s more, as with pretty much all of Jenny’s cooking, it was both delicious and healthy. It tasted just like carrot cake (Walt’s favorite) and was made with whole wheat flour. It was just fabulous.

CARROT QUICK BREAD WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING (COOKING LIGHT)

¾ c. flour

½ c. whole wheat flour

½ c. soy flour

¾ c. quick cooking oats

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

¾ c. packed brown sugar

2 tbs. butter, softened

½ c. water

1 large egg

1 c. whole milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 ½ c. shredded carrot

½ c. golden raisins

Cooking spray

Frosting:

1 c. (4 oz.) softened cream cheese

1/3 c. powdered sugar

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice 

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9x5” loaf with cooking spray.

Bread: Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with knife. Combine flours, oats, cinnamon, baking powder, soda, and salt. Place brown sugar and butter in large bowl; beat till well blended. Add water and egg; beat well. Beat in milk and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture, stirring just till blended. Fold in carrot and raisins. Spoon into loaf pan; bake for 1 hour or till wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely.  

Frosting: Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar together till fluffy. Beat in lemon juice. Spread over top of cooled bread.

Meanwhile, three of the grandkids and two dads were preparing to leave for an overnight hike and fishing trip. While Jenny was feeding the troops today, Beth was making breakfast for the hikers for tomorrow. Granted, she could have sent them up the trail with some Crystal Lite and some trail mix for breakfast, but that’s not how we roll. She made breakfast cookies – another healthy and nutrition-dense recipe that proves that healthy food doesn’t have to cost a lot or taste like sawdust. These things taste like cookies but give kids and dads plenty of fuel for the trail.

BREAKFAST COOKIES (FOOD NETWORK)

3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup (1 small jar) strained carrot baby food or mashed squash or pumpkin

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup bran cereal flakes

1/3 cup raisins

1/3 cup walnut pieces, lightly toasted in a dry skillet for 2 minutes, until fragrant and chopped

Place rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Whisk together flours, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Combine butter, oil and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on high speed, scraping down sides if necessary, until sugars have dissolved and mixture is light in color, about 1 minute. Add egg, carrot puree and vanilla and beat an additional 30 seconds. Add flour mixture and beat an additional 30 seconds. Add oats, flakes, raisins and walnuts and mix over low speed just until incorporated. Dough will be slightly sticky and less cohesive than traditional cookie dough.

Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using between 3 to 4 tablespoons of batter, form a ball and place on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining batter, leaving about 3 inches between cookies. Wet hands and use palm of hand to flatten cookies until about 1/4-inch thick. Bake for 12 minutes, until cookies are fragrant but still soft. Let cookies cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

By late morning, the fishermen were headed up the trail and things settled down a lot around the cabin. We could sit in the warm sunshine and read, chat and enjoy one another’s company. We love this part. And we don’t let food get in the way of relaxation. We didn’t come 300 miles to work! So when lunchtime came, we kept it simple. Jenny brought all the ingredients for great wraps – smoked turkey, fresh spinach and dried cranberries on whole wheat wraps. With a little dressing and some fresh fruit – wonderful.

End of part one - more to come!