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.