Double Chocolate Muffins

I have to tell you that I have no need for any more cookbooks in my life. My shelves are full. When people come to my house their jaws fall open when they realize every book on the shelf in the living room is a cookbook. Now here's the bad part...I still WANT more. It is so hard this time of year because there are always new ones coming out for the holidays. If I don't keep things in check they start piling up on coffee tables and the end tables in the bedroom. Soon I am trying to find nooks and crannies to stuff them. I have come to the point that I even have to be selective in the free ones that publishers send. Now, the rule is that every time one comes in another must go out. I wish I could say that this process was really hard, but the truth is I end up with so many cookbooks that never get used. Either I get lured in by the pretty pictures and the recipes just aren't practical, or even worse... the recipes don't work. I can't believe how many seemingly delicious duds there are out there. Lately, I have been trying to make one or two recipes from a cookbook before I actually purchase it. It's pretty easy these days, especially with the "look inside" option on Amazon. 

So, last weekend I decided to make the Cinnamon Roll Scones from "One Bowl Baking". I had scribbled the recipe down quickly and couldn't read if it was 1/4 or 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda. So, I asked David to look it up for me. Of course I didn't tell him what I was making. As he scrolled through the recipes in the preview he came to the Double Chocolate muffins and got very excited. I had to  break the news that I wasn't making Double Chocolate muffins. So, I promised I would make them this weekend and I did. After making two recipes from this book I am totally sold. These muffins were a hit. Now the only question is which cookbook goes?

Cinnamon Roll Scones

I'm finishing up my final week working in Denali. I'll miss my evening walks in the National Park and being surrounded by such breathtaking beauty every day. On the flip side I'll be happy to have my own kitchen and regular internet again. It's been hard being so disconnected from this site all summer. It seems to happen every year though. Things just get so busy in the summer. It's always a little disappointing when fresh, local food is so abundant and then not be able to share.
I wasn't really sure how this summer would work out and where I would find myself in the fall. There haven't been too many job opportunities this summer, so I am glad I took this seasonal position. I'm still trying to figure out what's next. I haven't given up on the idea of working in non-profit conservation, but the opportunities have been so few. I'd love to find something that combines my love of nature, food, and art. I'm happiest in a position when I am creating something new and have the ability to be creative. I just thought I would let you all know that I am looking again, so if you have any leads...
In the meantime I hope to be puttering around this site a bit more. It feels like every time I go away, a scone recipe is the easiest way to return. One of my co-workers this summer made a cup of tea at 2:00 in the afternoon; she called it her restart for the day. Scones are my blog restart. This one has been years in the making. Ever since I started making scones I wanted to find a way to combine my favorite breakfast treat with David's (cinnamon roll). I've tweaked and played with recipes, even posted a few of them here. None came close enough to give them the name "cinnamon roll scone". The hardest part is rolling or folding scone dough. Scones are not really meant to be rolled out, so I won’t tell you that it is easy, but my technique has much improved and an offset spatula does wonders for the process. If you are easily frustrated by a crumbly dough, you might want to skip this one. If you have a little patience for an absolutely amazing end result, you will be happy you gave this one a try.

Pear and Ginger Scones

Take the leap. Live more simply so you can work less. Pursue your passion. Do what comes naturally. These are all things that have been running through my head lately. I read Ginny Wood's book this summer, what an amazing life that woman has lead. I was already a little familiar with her story from having worked in Kantishna, but I had no idea the depth of it all. What really struck a chord was were she talked about living her life more simply so she could work less and do more of what she loved. Despite that sentiment, the woman worked really hard, yet she never made it sound like work at all. I think that is what happens when you are doing the things you love, things look effortless.
My life has been terribly hectic lately, but I knew I wanted to capture a little of that magic that comes with doing something you love. This scone recipe seemed like the perfect way to ease myself back into this space. I was right, they came together beautifully and the flavor combination is one of the best yet. I love the beautiful color of the pears in the low Alaska light. I could see making these again for the holiday season with pears and dried cranberries. Sounds like the perfect thing for Thanksgiving breakfast. The great thing about scones is that you can make them in advance, freeze them, and then just put them in the oven straight from the freezer when you need them. I'm actually convinced that they bake up just a little bit nicer after they have been frozen. Just place the unbaked scones on a baking sheet in the freezer for a few hours, once they are frozen transfer to a freezer bag. You can then make one or two at a time, or the whole batch when you need them for a special event. They might take a few minutes longer to bake, but you will have very little to clean up afterward.

4th of July Scones

I didn't intend to make 4th of July scones. In Fairbanks, the 4th of July is pretty much a non-event. The primary reason is that it never gets dark, so fireworks are out of the question. I really do miss celebrating the day. Growing up in the Mid-west, the 4th of July was always a big celebration. My grandparents lived in a small town directly across the street from the community park. Every 4th of July there was a parade and a huge celebration in the park. Friends and family would stop by all day on their way to or from the park. The kids would run back and forth from the park all day long. There were games including coin tosses, and watermelon eating competitions. Even though it didn't get dark until nearly 11:00 in Northern Michigan, there were still fireworks every year.

Some of the smaller towns surrounding Fairbanks do have parades and community picnics, but we have never attended. I would like to check out the Ester parade sometime. Maybe this year. For the most part I see the 4th of July just slipping by again this year. Especially with it falling mid-week. Having a day off mid-week feels like more of a nuisance than a break. These red, white, and blue scones made from some berries I had leftover from a variety of other projects might be as close as we come to celebrating. 

Grapefruit Scones

I have always wondered why the New Year is celebrated in January. It just seems cruel to have a person make resolutions for a new year when it is cold and dark and all you want to eat is chicken and dumplings. Well, maybe that is just me.Wouldn't it just be kinder to start the new year on April 1. Then they would have to move April Fool's Day I suppose. Who would want to start every new year being a fool? In any case, this is the time of year when I start craving asparagus and salads. For breakfast every morning I want grapefruit instead of oatmeal or granola. I love grapefruit. I used to eat one for breakfast every morning until travel and living in the backcountry got me out of the habit. Now that I am much more aware of the seasonality of citrus fruit, I have a hard time eating them out of season. Last week I found some exceptionally good grapefruit at our local grocery and I couldn't stop eating them. I liked them so much that in an effort to eat even more of them, I turned them into scones. You see I had already eaten one whole grapefruit on its own and I still wanted more. I know grapefruit scones sound a little strange. These are a little different than my usual scones. They require a little more handling to make sure everything holds together. I found the original recipe to be a little too heavy on the grapefruit zest and a bit bitter, so in the second batch I only put the zest on the top of the scones. You will want to serve these scones while they are still somewhat warm. They reminded me of broiled grapefruit. I loved how some of the juice from the grapefruit oozed out and made them crispy along the edges. If you like grapefruit, you are going to love these scones.

Sparkling Cranberry Cookies

I'm posting a little early this week as I am off to Anchorage for work this week. I have a busy schedule, but I am hoping to sneak in a couple of hours late Thursday afternoon for a little shopping. I purposely scheduled all my meetings downtown and didn't rent a car so I would be forced to walk. I prefer trips without a car actually, I think you see a lot more. When you have a rental car you increase your range and it feels like you spend all your time driving, at least I do anyway. I always want to try and see it all! In addition walking is really good for you, especially during the season of the holiday cookie. I know, more cookies....but these ones are actually somewhat good for you. Ok, maybe good for you is pushing it. I have really been enjoying the flavor of whole-wheat flour lately. I have gradually been incorporating it into more and more foods that I make and now I almost find baked goods made with all-purpose flour a little bit bland. I love the extra flavor the whole wheat flour adds. So, these cookies do come with a bit of a warning...if you are used to some of my usual recipes these might taste a little bit "healthy" to you. The process for making them is very similar to making scones which is probably why I like them so much. I actually thought about calling them itty bitty scone cookies, but that is just a little too cute.
These little cookies would be great packaged up as a holiday gift or hostess treat, a great little bite with a morning cup of coffee. Yes, you can have cookies for breakfast.
I simplified this recipe from the original making the entire dough in the food processor, I just caution you not to go crazy and over mix the dough. This method really cuts down on the number of dishes you use, but if you prefer you can remove the flour and cranberry mixture from the food processor and make the rest of the dough by hand to avoid over mixing. 

Whole-Wheat Pear and Hazelnut Scones

I told you after my last post that I had pear and hazelnuts on the brain. Please be warned that these scones are unlike any of my previous recipes. I have been on this whole grain, nutty, hearty baked goods kick lately. Not to product drop, but I used the Bob's Red Mill whole wheat flour for these. It doesn't necessarily matter what brand you use, just make sure it is something hearty. These are almost the texture of cornmeal muffins. The bits of diced pear just melt in your mouth and then you get the occasional crunch of hazelnut. Let's just say that I was home alone and ate the entire batch over three days. I liked them, yes I did. 
The dough is much more wet than previous recipes, it needs to be to offset the whole-wheat flour. I used Red Pears, but you could use any kind. I was thinking these would be perfect for Christmas morning if you used both red and green pears. They still feel kind of festive even if you don't. Hope you like them as much as I did.

Rhubarb Vanilla Bean Scones

I see you rolling your eyes. More Rhubarb? More Scones? Eleven scone recipes, and now today there will be twelve! That is a lot of scones. Plus, three Rhubarb recipes in one week. That is the thing about living in Fairbanks. I have lived other places where everyone talks about eating seasonally, but never has it been more of a reality than it is at this point in my life. We have such a limited time with fresh produce, that I try to consume a whole years worth in four three months.

David and I were discussing our pizza stone the other night, wondering how many calories have been cooked on that stone since it was purchased five years ago. I can't even venture a guess. If I had to pick one item that holds the record for calorie content on this blog it would have to be all the scones. My quest for the perfect scone is what drove this blog in the beginning. I eventually branched out to other breakfast items, but it seems both on the blog and in real life I keep coming back to the scone. It is my perfect breakfast food. I'm not sure why I never thought about it before, but rhubarb seems to be the perfect scone pairing.  I can't get enough Rhubarb, that is until the blueberries and raspberries arrive!

Meyer Lemon Pudding

This is my favorite time of year in Fairbanks. Most people don't associate the first day of spring with a long walk on a hard, snow packed mushing trail. That is how I spent my first day of spring. Since moving to Fairbanks I have created a few simple traditions that celebrate the seasons. Each year on the first day of spring I have walked down the road to a little area that gets the full effect of the sun and I search the trees to find the one or two pussy willows that tell me spring is indeed on its way. Each year the first day of spring has been the first time I have seen them for the season. I don't know if I never looked sooner, but this year they were a whole week early. I'm hoping this means that spring is indeed on its way and that David won't be snow blowing the driveway in April this year. That might be too much to ask for though.
This is our fourth spring in Fairbanks. Each one has been marked with some spectacular walks. The sun goes from non-existent to blistering hot in what feels like a couple of days. All of a sudden it's 8:00 p.m. and I haven't started dinner yet because it is still light out. I start realizing how important it is to get outside each night and look at the moon and stars and maybe if I'm lucky catch a glimpse of the northern lights. Very soon they will be gone for months. Very soon our beautiful hard packed trails will be spongy, swampy, mosquito infested tundra. March is the month to do it all.
This is also the time of year when the Meyer Lemon season starts wrapping up. I always try and order an extra box of lemons to juice, zest, and then freeze. It is so hard to freeze them as each box that comes in makes me want something fresh and lemony right away. Scones and Lemon Bars are always the first items on my list to make. Recently, I have been on a pudding kick. Am I the only person who likes to eat pudding warm from the pan? I also have a little problem with eating lemon curd with a spoon. If you are one of those people, then this is the perfect thing. This lemon pudding has all the flavor of lemon curd, but it's pudding, so no guilt eating it straight out of the jar.

Meyer Lemon Muffins

It is funny this time of year, Karen thinks I kid when I say her lemons bring sunshine to Fairbanks. If you look at these photos you will see it is true! I look forward to each and every box. Ever since I learned how well lemon zest and juice freezes I usually don't stress about using all my lemons right away. Of course there are always things that I want to make including Lemon Bars when they first come in.
I went and picked up my most recent box from the post office Saturday morning. When I opened the box I knew I had to have some lemony goodness right away!  I thought about making the lemon scones that I usually make for breakfast, but I was feeling like a change. A pure lemon muffin, nothing else to mask that lemony goodness. These muffins fit that description perfectly.

Hey Hey Hazelnut Scones

Did you know that this coming Saturday is World Nutella Day? Guess what, I'm calling it Hey Hey Hazelnut Day instead. Doesn't that sound a lot more fun? I think so. I made these scones from Askinosie chocolate Hazelnut spread. On the side of the jar it says Hey Hey Hazelnut. Go ahead, say it out loud. You can't help but smile can you? These scones are rich and indulgent and I made them even more so with the addition of bittersweet chocolate chips. The original recipe comes from Baked Explorations. Those guys at the Baked Bakery really know how to make a scone. Perfect for the chocolate lover in your life, they would make a great Valentine's breakfast.  The great thing about scones is that you can make them up ahead of time and freeze them, then just pop them in the oven the morning you want to eat them. So make them on a weekday or for Hey Hey Hazelnut Day this Saturday.

Oat Scones

In my quest for the perfect scone  there is one thing I have learned over the last couple of years, a scone is not necessarily a scone. I have had a very hard time accepting this fact. You may remember I was so challenged by this fact that I actually re-named one recipe and called them Blueberry Biscuits because they were not my idea of the perfect scone. I recently ordered the Alice's Tea Cup cookbook. My main reason for ordering the book was for the multitude of scone recipes included. I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little disappointed that it was not a book full of recipes of my ideal scone. I have come to accept that my scone might not be everyone's scone. Some people like them more cake like, others more dry. Sometimes I actually like the scones that aren't scones. The truth of the matter is that these are really good, even if I don't want to call them scones.

My 10 Favorites of 2010

Thank you all for visiting my site in 2010. Here are some of my favorites from this past year, the items that have been made many times and will find their way to our table again in 2011. Happy New Year!

Lemon Pull Apart Loaf 

 Chicken and Broccoli Braid

 Risotto Style Pasta

 Wild Blueberry Cupcakes

 Fresh Tomato Salad

 Rustic Rhubarb and Rose Petal Tarts

 Maple Walnut Scones

 Carrot Ginger Dressing

 Italian Wedding Soup

Green Apple and Shallot Raita

Maple Pumpkin Scones

Many years ago a friend told me that I should always mention that I like to cook in job interviews. Although I have thought about it, I never actually have done it. Well, I didn't have to when I interviewed for my present position. One of my references actually mentioned it for me. I'm not sure if it was that or the fact that I sent a thank you note after the interview. Did you know that hardly anyone does this anymore? Those who do are almost guaranteed the job.
I have made Maple Walnut Scones for my office a few times now. I even did a little scone making workshop at our staff retreat this fall. Now several of my co-workers are making their own scones. My supervisor has  made the lemon and the maple walnut, not long after she asked if I had a recommendation for pumpkin scones. I searched for a while on the internet and the only ones I could find were the Starbuck's knock off scones. So, I decided to try and make my own version. I did a test run last week and brought them into the office. My first version had oats and pecans. I felt they didn't have quite enough pumpkin and spice. This past weekend I went back to the drawing board. I upped the pumpkin and the spice and took out the oats and pecans. I liked this version quite a bit better, more pumpkin flavor. These smelled like pumpkin pie while they were baking, perfect for a snowy fall morning.

New York Style Crumb Cake from Baked Explorations

First of all, there are no apples in this cake. I don't know how they made their way into the photo. Second, I don't have any green trees in my yard anymore. This cake was made only a couple of weeks ago and I can hardly believe my yard looked like that!
I was already itching for Baked Explorations the new cookbook from Baked Bakery in Brooklyn to come out. So I searched around the internet to find a new Baked recipe to try out.  I loved Baked (their first cookbook) and can't wait to get my hands on my very own copy of the new version. I pre-ordered mine from Amazon and it still has not arrived yet. I have to confess that I might have taken a little peek inside at another bookstore in town. Guess what? This coffee cake that I made a couple weeks ago is in the book. That makes me super happy  and hopeful that the second book will be as good as the first one. The cake was tender with an immense about of crumb topping. I am a huge fan of crumb topping, there can never be too much.  Those of you who are fans of the Lemon Scones, and the Maple Walnut ones. I'm happy to report there are two new scone recipes in this new book.
For now, I am tracking that package with my Baked Explorations cookbook. It was in Anchorage yesterday. I'm having a hard time holding out. I nearly bought the one in the bookstore even though I knew it was on its way. Anyone else waiting for the new Baked Cookbook? Here's a recipe to help you hold out.

The Black Cat - Ashland, Wisconsin

If you have been hanging around here for a while you know I like scones. If you have been paying attention you know that this is the scone I have been trying to re-create...

The Black Cat was "the" place for coffee when I was in college. It was the reason I had to work two jobs. Although I never planned it that way, two of the three places I lived in Ashland were less than a block away from this location. It has been at least 5 years since I have had a Black Cat scone and so this was a big deal for me. I was thrilled to find they had my absolute favorite, raspberry. I was hesitant as I already knew this was not going to be the same scone I remembered, because they never used to be covered with sugar. Inside it was still the same scone that I used to love, but here's the thing. I don't know how to say this, but in the years of trying to perfect the Black Cat scone, mine are now better. So, I no longer need to sit and pine away for the Black Cat days as I can make scones even better than the Black Cat in my own kitchen. If you happen to be passing through Ashland, Wisconsin I still recommend you stop in for a coffee and a scone, because I still think they are pretty darn good!

 The Black Cat looks exactly how I remember it, but they have done a wonderful job renovating the CO-OP since I was last there.

Cinnamon Oatmeal Biscuits

I'm still researching that perfect cross between a scone and a cinnamon roll. This is very hard work, not only for me but my  taste testers. They cry out and beg me not to make them eat another warm, light, flaky, cinnamon filled breakfast pastry. I continue on with the punishment, I'm cruel like that! These things are torture. I hope you can all sympathize.

Red Rice with Black Beans and Sausage

 

 This is not a political blog, I try to stay away from the "issues". It's all muffins and scones here! I try and keep things light, well everything but the cooking!

Lately, there are two "issues" that have really been bugging me. One is an article I recently read that condemned the many celebrity chefs touting 30 minute meals these days, saying they are only one step away from fast food. The issue was people who say they don't have time to cook. The article was trying to prove in this day of Facebooking (and blogging) that is not that we don't have time to cook, but we choose not to. Now, I don't disagree with that at all. I love to cook, but honestly not every night. There are evenings that cooking ranks right up there with laundry and vacuuming. I know that there are people who feel this way pretty much every night. I know plenty of people who love to eat, but still hate to cook.

The second issue is with a local non-profit educational farm that I love in every way with the exception of their latest campaign to get people to stop ordering fruit/vegetable boxes from Full Circle Farm in Carnation, Washington. Full Circle Farm provides weekly shipments of fresh organic produce year round to Alaska communities. They ship to some of the remote villages of Alaska. I order from them most of the year, but discontinue my box during the months our local Farmer's Market is open. The main reason I order is to get some unique items that I can't find in our local grocery stores. They also carry Mt. Townsend Creamery cheese which is one of the many things I miss about living in Port Townsend, Washington. The local argument against Full Circle is the fact that many people are ordering from them year round and not supporting their local farms.

Really, I think in both of these situations we need to step back and take a look at the bigger picture (no pun intended here). Obesity is a huge problem here in Fairbanks along with the rest of the country. I am a huge supporter of eating local food and slow cooked food. One of my favorite meals is a big pile of veggies mixed with tofu and slow roasted in the oven while David and I chat about our day over a beer. The one thing I realize is this is not realistic for everyone, nor is coming up with the lump sum funds for a subscription to a local CSA. Honestly, is anything that is getting boxes of fresh organic produce into Alaskan homes or introducing people to cooking for themselves (and not eating fast food) really that bad? Personally, I think there is a bit of food snobbery going on here. In a perfect world we would all have our own gardens and feed ourselves year round from our own backyard, should we then condemn people for shopping at the Farmer's Market? Shame on you for not growing your own lettuce!

So, here's a tasty recipe for a 30 minute meal. Use local veggies if they are available, but if they are not...I won't tell!

Strawberry Shortcake Scones

There are two days each year that a person can comfortably sit outside and enjoy a meal in Fairbanks. Once in the spring when it warms up enough and the mosquitoes have not come out yet, and again in the fall after the mosquitoes have left and it has not yet snowed. Of course when we first moved to Fairbanks you could find us drinking coffee on the deck well after the first snow fall. I guess that novelty wore off quick! Two weeks ago we had that one perfect morning, the Sandhill Cranes were flying overhead and we couldn't resist taking our scones outside.

Although I had not planned to make these scones for that one special day, they turned out to be the perfect thing. Things were looking pretty sparse in the kitchen the morning I made these scones. Literally, seven strawberries left in the package from a salad the night before and no dairy products with the exception of our precious half and half for coffee, and some yogurt.
I grew up eating strawberry shortcake on little spongy cakes from the grocery store and honestly must say I never cared for the stuff especially topped with syrupy strawberries and cool whip. It always reminded me of a strawberry Twinkie. I didn't realize how wonderful Strawberry Shortcake could be until I moved a little further south where it was served on a cream biscuit with real whip cream.  If you have ever eaten strawberry shortcake on a biscuit, that is exactly what this tastes like. If there had been some heavy cream in the house it would have taken everything in my not to whip some up and spread it on these scones!

Cinnamon Swirl Biscuits

I only get around to making Cinnamon Rolls once or twice a year. Even with my regular recipe that allows me to refrigerate them overnight and just pop them in the oven the next morning, it still requires a bit of planning. Our weekend mornings are usually a little more spontaneous (ok, lazy) than that. So, when a friend with two little boys said she could get this version of cinnamon rolls on the table in under an hour I knew I had to give them a try. They were perfect for our household as David is a huge cinnamon roll fan and me ( I bet you didn't know this) a fan of scones. They were like a cross between the two, a perfect compromise. I got so excited by the idea that I actually tried to make them again using the dough from a scone recipe. Ummm, well not such a good idea, it turns out that scone dough doesn't roll up all that well. I am still thinking about the idea though and will continue on with my search for a Cinnamon Roll Scone.
On a side note...I have been doing some spring cleaning around here (no, my house is still a mess). The last few posts have been sitting around gathering dust in the draft post area for a while. I have been cleaning them out to make was for new spring posts (with real light). I have been working little by little for over a month on a recipe index and welcome page. Who knew it took so long to create links to nearly 200 recipe pages! This place is always a work in process, but this one has been a little more than blowing the dust off. This is the last of the old posts, so sometime tomorrow I am going to make the site private for a bit to do a little re-construction project. I'm hoping to get everything back up on Friday with a great recipe to make use of all those strawberries you have stocked up on. See you soon!