Savory Scones: Take 2

This is take two on savory scones. Not because the first batch didn't work, but because they are delicious and after reading another savory scone recipe, I decided you can pretty much use any combination of herbs and cheese that you like. So here it is, a random mishmash of the herbs from my mom's kitchen and chives from the yard, plus cheeses from the fridge.

Parmesan and Herb Scones 
Adapted from The Cheese Board: Collective Works

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons finely ground yellow cornmeal
½ stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
½ cup parmesan and cheddar, grated
½ cup chopped herbs (I used dried thyme, parsley, dill and oregano with chopped fresh chives)
½ cup milk
1 egg, beaten

Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Sprinkle lightly with cornmeal.

Beat together the milk and the egg and then set aside. In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, soda, cayenne pepper, cornmeal and salt. Rub the butter into the flour mixture, working until you have no lumps bigger than a pea. Add herbs and cheese and stir or toss to mix. Pour the wet ingredients into the dries, reserving just a little of the milk-egg mixture to use as a glaze. Bring dough together gently with a wooden spoon.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead it a few times. Pat dough into a round approximately ½-inch thick, and cut into 8 or 12 wedges. Place on an ungreased baking sheet lined with parchment. Using a pastry brush, glaze wedges with any remaining milk/egg mixture.


Place scones onto prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for about 15 minutes or until scones are light brown on top.Yields about 8-12 scones.
 
Enjoy! 

makin' a ragù, real quick like.

Here's a new, cool thing that I learned: ragù can be abbreviated. Ragù can take all day to cook, reduce and transform into something worthy of bearing the "sauce" name OR it can be a speedy dish, something you whip up in 30 minutes or less. You choose. It's hard to beat all day slow-cooked flavors, but on weeknights, making a five hour sauce is too much. It crosses the line between dedication and madness.

Hot Italian links from Uli's in the market.

Ragù (Quick Style)
Adapted from Bitten

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp.  olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb. spicy italian sausage removed from casing
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup milk
1/4 cup tomato paste
salt and pepper

1 lb. of pasta
parmesan for serving

Boil salted water for the pasta. Put the oil in a skillet or sauce pan over medium heat add the onion and garlic. Cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until it softens. Add the sausage in bits, and turn the heat to medium high; cook, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is nicely browned, add wine and cook until the liquid reduces.


Add milk and tomato paste, season to taste with salt and pepper; stir to blend, and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until thickened. If sauce it becomes too thick or dry, add a little more milk or water.

Once the sauce is done and the water is bioling, cook the pasta. When pasta is al dente, drain and toss with sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan and adjust seasonings to your liking.

zucchini bread

when a zucchini is staring you straight in the eyes, it's best to make a bread, you will not win that stare down. Dan's mom gave me two HUGE zucchinis from her neighbor's yard.  I used one to make these two loafs of bread.  I shredded the other one and froze the shreddings, I am hoping to break it out of the freezer at a later date, probably for a special occasion and bake something else.  Zucchini bread is really a lot like carrot cake, only we don't call it cake, even though it has all the same ingredients. Because it is a BREAD and not a CAKE it means you are allowed to eat it for breakfast.

This trial run, I did half whole wheat flour and half regular.  Although it makes for a healthier final product, it also made it slightly dry and a little more dense.  I'd recommend either doing one cup of whole wheat and two cups of regular or, better yet, use all white flour. 

ZUCCHINI BREAD  
Yield: 2 loaves or approximately 24 muffins

3 eggs
1 cup olive or vegetable oil (or a mix of the two, I used 3/4 veg and 1/4 olive)
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
1 cup dried cranberries, raisins or chocolate chips or a combination (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease and flour two 8×4 inch loaf pans or line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the eggs. Mix in oil and sugar, then zucchini and vanilla.

Combine dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon,cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt, as well as nuts, chocolate chips and/or dried fruit) in a separate bowl.

Stir this into the egg mixture. Divide the batter into prepared pans.

Bake loaves for 60 minutes, plus or minus ten, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Muffins will bake more quickly, approximately 20 to 25 minutes.

trust your instincts.

especially if you are hanging out with bears. 

 Designed by Ashley G.

classic babycakes

B-day treats for Erin: babycakes with yellow cake and chocolate frosting.

 mmm chocolate.

naked babycakes.

rolled in sprinkles.

all dressed up and ready to go.

CHOCOLATE SOUR CREAM FROSTING


This recipe is adapted from The Dessert Bible

Makes 5 cups of frosting, or enough to frost about 90 babycakes (srsly.)
15 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 1/4 cups sour cream, at room temperature
1/4 to 1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place the chocolate in the top of a double-boiler. Stir until the chocolate is melted. You can also melt it in the microwave, just check every 30 seconds to prevent burning. Remove from heat and let chocolate cool until tepid.

Whisk together the sour cream (room temperature), 1/4 cup of the corn syrup and vanilla extract until combined. Add the tepid chocolate slowly and stir quickly until the mixture is uniform. Taste for sweetness, and add 1 tablespoon at a time, until it’s sweetened to your liking.

Let cool in the refrigerator until the frosting is a spreadable consistency. This should not take more than 30 minutes. Should the frosting become too thick or stiff, just leave it out until it softens again.

Serve it with a yellow cake.  It's a classic!

lemon + capers = chicken piccata

ever since my mom introduced me to this dish a few years ago, I have been obsessed.  I became even more obsessed when I discovered that it's pretty breezy to make.  it's just browning some chicken, squeezing some juice and making a little sauce out of the juice and capers. easy breezy. lemon and capers. pure enjoyment.

CHICKEN PICCATA

2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup brined capers
1/3 cup fresh chopped parsley

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt half of the butter with half the olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt remaining butter and olive oil together. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.

Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.

Serve with pasta, I usually toss the pasta with the remaining sauce from the chicken.

cuppy cake puppy love

sprinkle organization

cuppy loves in the making

cuppy loves on a cake platter.  pretty alex posing in the background.

the final batch, hearts of blue and green.