Scones 2 ways

Looks good, right? ...Let's examine the road to getting to the above product. The chocolate scones will come later; for now....strawberry!

It's apparently National Strawberry Month and my work hosted a Strawberry Feast where employees brought strawberry dishes of their choosing to share. Okay, sounds great at first. As I've mentioned before, I don't bake. Or, at least I try, but cooking is more my thing. Cooking allows you to express your creativity and taste and add and get enlightened and add another key ingredient that changes the whole flavor. Baking is exact. 1 tablespoon of this. 2 cups of that. I'm not knowledgeable enough to tamper with baked goods recipes. So I feel really boxed in.

So back to Strawberry Feast. I just wasn't going to participate. You want a savory dish? Sure, no problem. But baked good?! Eh... Until I got suckered into it because no one was signing up. So they asked me to bring something since they know I'm a foodie. Sigh... now what? Strawberry mousse? Blah. Strawberry cheesecake? Too much to do on a work night. Trifle? Too common. And then I stumbled upon this. Go ahead, look. I'll wait.





Yea...you getting me now? All of a sudden I was inspired. SCONES! Of course. Not too sweet. Right up my alley. I love a semi-sweet baked good that goes with tea or coffee. (I guess I get that from my time living in France. Plus, I've never been a dessert person anyways.) Now we're talking. And it looked so simple! What could go wrong?! And this time, no cutting out butter or sugar or cream to make it healthier. Those don't seem to turn out, as history has revealed. So here we go...

Strawberry Scones
(courtesy of Confessions of a Tart)

1 cup strawberries (or other fruit)
3 tablespoons sugar (granulated)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, in cubes, slightly softened
2/3 cup half-and-half or cream or cold buttermilk (I used half and half)

Topping:
1 tablespoon sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

Cut strawberries into small pieces. Sprinkle fruit with 1/2 tablespoon sugar; set aside. (I also added a 1/4 teaspoon of good Madagascar vanilla extract to the berries. You could add it or omit if you choose.) Be sure to make the pieces small, or they tend to fall out of the dough.

Combine remaining sugar with flour, baking powder and salt. Add butter, using a pastry cutter or 2 knives to cut in butter. (I used my hands to best incorporate the butter.) Stir in fruit; then add cream/half-and-half/buttermilk all at once. Use spatula to gently stir dough until it holds together.

Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times to incorporate dry ingredients. Be gentle so you don't break up the berries and don't overwork the dough. Sprinkle dough with flour if it gets sticky. (This dough is VERY sticky, so liberally use flour to pat out the dough into a circle.)

Press (pat) the dough into a circle 3/4 inch thick. If any berries peek out, push them into dough. Cut circle into 6-8 wedges, then transfer wedges to the cookie sheet, leaving at least 1/2 inch of space between them. Bake 15 minutes.

Sprinkle with sugar and bake 5-10 more minutes or until the tops are beginning to brown and spring back when you push them. (The sprinkling of sugar over the top for the last few minutes of baking creates a simple, sparkly topping.)
Okay, you know something is going to be good when your batter smells like strawberries and cream. Really. I still remember that smell just looking at the picture!
I made tiny, thin scones since I was trying to feed the masses at work. I made two batches of tiny, two-bite scones. They look like blobs of dough in the picture below. The dough is really sticky and I hadn't quite figured out how to cut and transfer them without ruining the shape. By the second batch I had it down. I found that if my pizza cutter worked better than a knife to cut the dough if floured well. Now they begin to take the typical scone shape. Well-floured dough and the pizza cutter made a HUGE difference!
My camera was acting up on this day, so the pictures aren't very clear, but you get the picture! I love the sugary topping since it adds a simple sparkle to the top. Plus, scones don't have much sugar, so the added sweetness goes a long way. I'm happy to say they were a hit! I'm very particular about sharing subpar food with other people. I take it to heart if my food isn't good, so I was scared to try a new recipe for a work function. But this recipe is a keeper. Please give this a try and adapt with any fruit--or chocolate--you like! Now onto the second attempt with chocolate chunks! My boyfriend loves anything chocolate chunk or chip-- muffins, pancakes, bagels, etc. So since I loved the scone recipe I wanted to try it again two days later with chocolate. I tend to like things rustic, so instead of using chocolate chips, I used my go-to Lindt 70% dark chocolate and chopped it into small chunks. (I use this chocolate for my homemade hot chocolate and my chocolate molten cakes as well.)

I used half wheat flour, half all-purpose flour this time around-- so 1 cup all-purpose, 1 cup wheat. I noticed the batter was much drier once I added the 2/3 cups half and half, so I added around 1/3 cup more to the batter so it wouldn't be too dry. Since I wasn't making these for work, I made them closer to the normal scone size. After they baked I noticed they missed some pizazz on top. (I didn't add the sugar topping to this batch.) So I quickly whisked together half and half, confectioners sugar, and more Lindt chocolate over low heat. Once it thickened and cooled slightly I spooned it into a plastic sandwich bag, snipped the tip, and drizzled it over the top. Beautiful!!

Chocolate Scones
(adapted from Confessions of a Tart)

1 cup chocolate chunks
3 tablespoons sugar (granulated)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, in cubes, slightly softened
1 - 1 1/3 cup half-and-half or cream or cold buttermilk (I used half and half)
I had good natural light coming in this day, so I tried to capture it to get a better picture. I love how these look!

Valentine's Day Dinner

...2 months later! But it was so delicious I had to still mention it! Sea bass en papillote, white wine cream reduction, lyonnais potatoes, and chocolate molten cake! But the best part was that I didn't have to cook the sea bass. It was my boyfriend's gift to me since I'm the one always doing the cooking. (Funny how I still get suckered into doing the potatoes and chocolate molten cake, though ;)
The sea bass en papillote was perfect for my boyfriend to do. It's so simple I intend to use this technique for other fish and poultry. Cut an oversized portion of parchment for each sea bass. Place the sea bass on the parchment and rub generously with olive oil, sea salt, fresh black pepper, a whole rosemary sprig, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and lemon slices. Fold the parchment over the fillet, leaving room for it to steam. If I recall, we cooked it at 350 for around 12 minutes. Sea bass has a high fat content, so it's more difficult to dry it out. Thus why it's perfect for a beginner!And remember that wonderful wine I posted about when I went to Jaleo? Well I knew then it would be saved for a wonderful seafood dinner; and this was it. We used it in the white wine cream sauce and it made the biggest difference in the world! I was so proud of my boyfriend because we didn't follow a recipe for the sauce and he spotted what was missing and added it! Butter, shallots, sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper, white wine, sauteed creminis, rosemary (the missing ingredient), and a touch of cream. Perfect.Lyonnais potatoes are another simple go-to for me for a quick side dish. Pre-cook your potatoes (I used red skinned and left the skins on) in boiling water until a fork can easily puncture the potato to the center. Drain and remove from the pan. You can either slice them or chop; it's your choice. In another pan heat a generous portion of butter and shallots. Add potatoes and coat. Sea salt, black pepper, and chopped fresh parsley. That's all it takes! Now onto dessert!!! I LOVE this recipe. Let me caution you: It is decadent and rich! A small amount goes a LONG way. I have yet to be able to eat my entire portion.

Just look at that center!As I've stated before, I am not a baker. I've made this recipe twice and each time has turned out beautifully. The great thing is that you can make this batter the day before, portion it in ramicans, place in the fridge, cover, and bake the next day. It takes slightly longer for refrigerated batter and doesn't rise as much. I prefer to make it fresh, but if you're in a pinch and need to do it the night before, don't worry. They still turn out molten and the flavor is fantastic. However you bake them, keep an eye on them and check with a toothepick to see when they're done. It's practically goof-proof. Even if you overcook and the center isn't molten, you'll still have the best, most decadent chocolate cake!

Chocolate Molten Cakes
(adapted from Epicurious)

5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I use Lindt 70% dark)
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-2 teaspoons brewed coffee or instant coffee mixed with water

Vanilla Bean ice cream

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Butter six ramicans. Stir chocolate and butter in double boiler over low heat until melted.* Cool slightly. Whisk eggs and egg yolks in large bowl to blend. Add vanilla extract and coffee.** Whisk in sugar, then chocolate mixture and flour. Pour batter into ramicans.

Bake cakes until sides are set but center remains soft and runny, about 11 minutes or up to 14 minutes for refrigerated batter. Run a small knife or toothepick around the cakes to loosen. Turn cakes out onto places. Serve with good vanilla bean ice cream.

Notes: For extra protection against sticking, coat ramicans in butter and cocoa powder. Line bottom with buttered parchment circles. This ensures that the cakes slide out easily.
* Double boiler: In a medium saucepan bring water to a rolling boil. Place another pan on top of the saucepan, making sure that the bottom does not touch the water. Place chocolate and butter in top saucepan to melt. This is an extra precaution against burning the chocolate and butter mixture while melting.
** The original recipe doesn't call for vanilla extract and coffee. However, both intensify the flavor and depth of the chocolate. Otherwise you risk your cake tasting like a melted chocolate bar.

This is a great recipe! The whole dinner was fantastic and was perfected with the delicious Spanish wine. Happy (belated) Valentine's Day to all!

Oatmeal Cookies: Take 2

Yesterday I was bored and decided to try another oatmeal cookie recipe. I made a healthy oatmeal cookie a few months ago (before my blog) with apple sauce and it wasn't bad for a healthy cookie. This time around I didn't have apple sauce but decided to give it a go with butter. I, of course, cut back on the butter but I think it changed the texture of the cookie. The taste is great, but they are far too crumbly. They even cooked in a ball and didn't 'melt' down during cooking like typical cookies. I couldn't bring myself to take pictures because I was so perplexed by the crumbly texture. I guess if I had given in on the full amount of butter it might have helped the texture. Oddly, the recipe calls for cooling the dough for an hour before cooking. I think this gave the dough the extra crumbly texture. You don't need to chill dough unless it's a cookie than will run during cooking--something oatmeal cookies are not known to do.

Oatmeal (Almond) Cookie

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups quick cooking oats
Raisins or nuts (optional-- I used raw almonds and liked the extra nutty flavor)

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, cream together white sugar, butter, and brown sugar. Beat in eggs on at a time, then stir in vanilla.

2. Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in oats. If you are using nuts or raisins, mix into dough, combing well. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour.

3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets. Roll the dough into balls, and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.

4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes approximately 36-60 cookies, depending on how large or small you make them.


As I was blogging about this my mom called to report back that she actually really liked the cookies!! Mom's seal of approval on cookies means a lot, especially since I'm not an avid baker. She said we'll play around with the texture to perfect it, but the taste is there. Thanks Mom! =)

On an aside, I saw a recipe using apple butter and I think that would make a great cookie! I'm trying that recipe next and, hopefully, it'll turn out better visually and texturally than this batch!