7 Layer Greek Dip

A while back one of our board members brought a similar dip to one of our meetings. I have to confess that my original thought of cream cheese and hummus combined was not a good one. It turned out to be exactly the kind of thing I was looking for. Despite the fact that fresh, local veggies have not yet arrived to Fairbanks, this dip has a perfect fresh and spring like flavor.
I immediately searched  online for the recipe and when I found this one that I thought I would fancy up a bit. Maybe use fresh herbs instead of dried, and make my own hummus and homemade pita chips. In the end I just got lazy. You know what? It was still pretty good, ok really good. The only thing I would do differently next time is use fresh, warm pita triangles instead of the store bought pita chips. The dip, I won't change at all. Sometimes when life gets a little crazy it's nice to have something simple to bring to a party.

 

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

Begging for Meyer Lemon Scones

I know what you are thinking. More scones? Really? Can't we move on to danish, or croissants, maybe even cinnamon rolls? What is with you and scones? Well, I just can't help myself. Now that I am getting the hang of this I can't help but sharing them all with you. Everyone needs a simple lemon scone in their repertoire. Plus, I have another tip...these scones are actually better after they have been frozen overnight. They actually were lighter, more flakey and rose up just a little bit higher.

Enjoy the scone photos now, in two weeks this little guy will be joining our family and I promise you will be begging for more pictures of scones just to give your eyes a break from all this cuteness.

Meyer Lemon Scones

Makes 12 large scones

Scones:
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 large egg
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup grated meyer lemon zest

Glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp or a little more meyer lemon juice.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine first six ingredients. Add the butter using your fingers to rub the butter into large flakes and incorporate into the flour.

In a medium bowl whisk together the egg and milk with the lemon zest. Make a well in the dry ingredients and slowly pour wet ingredients into the well. Using your hands, knead until all ingredients just come together.

Divide dough in half and turn one half onto a lightly floured surface. Shape the dough into a disc and cut into six wedge shaped pieces. Transfer wedges to baking sheet and repeat with other half of dough.

Freeze for later or bake on center rack of oven for 25 to 30 minutes until scones are golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack and let sit while you prepare the glaze.

For glaze place powdered sugar in a small bowl (I use a measuring cup as the spout make it easy to pour the glaze. Slowly add lemon juice while whisking to achieve desired consistency. Drizzle glaze over tops of slightly cooled scones. Serve warm.

Maple Walnut Scones

I do not have the words to describe how goood (rhymes with food) these scones are. So goood, we made them twice last weekend. Well, actually I made them once on Saturday because the recipe made twelve. While I was making them I was thinking I would have to halve the recipe before I shared it with you, but there is no reason for that. If you make the whole batch on Saturday, you can eat them again on Sunday (like we did), and Monday, and ... or you can freeze the ones you are not baking right away and pop them in the oven as you need them. You don't have to thaw them. They taste just as good. The only thing that stopped me from making these sooner was one ingredient, the maple extract. I ended up using Maple Flavoring that I found at King Arthur. I always hesitate recommending recipes that have ingredients that are hard to come by. I figure if I can make it happen in Fairbanks, well so can most other folks. You could also use grade B maple syrup and just get a milder maple flavor.
Here is a little secret I learned along my scone making journey. The best way to a lovely, light, and flakey scone is to rub the butter into flat flakey pieces, rather than little chunks. How to do this? Take your hand as though you were about to put on a mitten. Now, put a piece of butter between your thumb and halfway down your middle finger. Now, slide you thumb to the top of your finger. This is the motion you will make as you incorporate the butter. Remember, don't overwork the dough as the butter will soften. You want it to stay as cold as possible while you incorporate it.
Now, I know that I told you that these other scones were perfection, and they are, but so are these ones. So many perfect scones, so little time to eat them all...

But I'm trying.

Maple Walnut Scones

Makes 12 large scones

Scones:
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 large egg
1 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons all natural maple flavoring (extract or grade B maple syrup)
1 cup toasted walnuts

Glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp or a little more maple syrup

Preheat oven to 300 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine first six ingredients. Add the butter using your fingers to rub the butter into large flakes and incorporate into the flour.

In a medium bowl whisk together the egg and milk with the maple flavoring. Make a well in the dry ingredients and slowly pour wet ingredients into the well. Using your hands, knead until all ingredients just come together.

Coarsely chop walnuts and add to the mix. Gently incorporate into dough. Divide dough in half and turn one half onto a lightly floured surface. Shape the dough into a disc and cut into six wedge shaped pieces. Transfer wedges to baking sheet and repeat with other half of dough.

Bake on center rack of oven for 25 to 30 minutes until scones are golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack and let sit while you prepare the glaze.

For glaze place powdered sugar in a small bowl (I use a measuring cup as the spout make it easy to pour the glaze. Slowly add maple syrup while whisking to achieve desired consistency. Drizzle glaze over tops of slightly cooled scones. Serve warm.

A Homemade Life...

Perfection!

Good Morning Sunshine! Yes, this is all natural light in my photos. It feels so nice to have the sun warming our morning breakfast table. Is it the sunshine that has me humming quietly in my kitchen this morning? Well, that is part of it. Another part is that I just finished reading Molly Wizenberg's book "A Homemade Life".  It will officially be released in bookstores today (gotta love amazon's pre-order). I am telling you that you should shut down your computer right now and get yourself to your nearest bookstore to pick up a copy of this book. Don't worry, I'll still be here when you get back. Once the word gets out about this book, it may not be there if you don't hurry. I can't say that you heard it here first, but I will guarantee in a matter of days every food blogger on the internet is going to tell you to go out and get a copy of this book. 

I first became interested in Molly Wizenberg's writing through an article she wrote in her Cooking Life column for Bon Appetit on the trouble with yeast. Not only did I enjoy the article, but the cinnamon roll recipe that accompanied it is now a standard that I have made several times. 

I'll admit that I was not a huge follower of Molly's blog Orangette. Yes, it is in my blogroll and I do glance at it every now and again. As with most blogs I don't sit down and read posts from day one, I have only read the posts since about last September when I was introduced to the world of food blogging. Molly only posts once a week and since I had not known the back story the present posts really didn't have much meaning to me. Yeah Yeah a pizza place, that is nice. Now that I know that Molly met Brandon through her blog, and I know the stories of her family, and growing up as an only child. Well, now I think "Wow, Brandon is opening a pizza place, that's great". Ok, just get the book. You will see what I mean. You too will want to go back and read every post since day one.

Normally I do not cook recipes from books that I read. I have a hard time with the reading/cook book combination. Do I read it or do I cook from it? The writing in this book was so warm, it was as though Molly herself was handing you these recipes in her kitchen on her own handwritten recipe cards. It just seemed natural to want to sit down and make something from this book. The desire was so great that I made these scones before reading the final chapter. The detailed description made me think that just possibly these could be "the" scones I was looking for. I had a feeling about them. As I mixed them together I could tell these were going to be different. When they came out of the oven and I took that first bite, I knew I was close, oh so very close. It took me a long time to figure out exactly what it was that made them different than my favorite Black Cat scones. I started to think that maybe if I couldn't figure how they were different then maybe this was the scone. I slowly savored each bite, and then it hit me, just a little too flaky, too biscuit like. I like my scones just a little more dense. Then I remembered a conversation I had with one of the baker's from the Black Cat a very long time ago. I was told that I really should not eat the scones every day as they were filled with heavy cream and butter. Could it be so simple? Just replace the half and half in Molly's recipe with heavy cream? So, this morning that is what I did and you guessed it, perfection! The photos below are of the scones I made Saturday morning. The photo at the top of the page is my perfect scone with the heavy cream substitute. 
The original version of this recipe calls for lemon and ginger. I think they would be delicious with any variety of combinations of fruit and citrus zest. 
Scottish Cream Scones

adapted from A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

3 tablespoons sugar

zest of one (meyer if possible) lemon

1/2 cup frozen raspberries

1/2 cup heavy cream, plus more for glazing

1 large egg

Preheat oven to 425°F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Using your hands, rub the butter into the flour mixture, squeezing and pinching with your fingertips until the mixture resembles a coarse meal and there are no butter lumps bigger than a pea. Add the sugar, lemon zest, an raspberries and gently stir to incorporate. 

Pour the 1/2 cup heavy cream into a small bowl and add the egg. Beat with a fork to mix well. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture, and stir gently to just combine. The dough will look dry and crumbly, and there may be some unincorporated flour at the bottom of the bowl. Using your hands, squeeze and press the dough into a round mass. Turn the dough, and any excess flour, out onto a board or countertop, and press and gather and knead it until it just comes together. You do not want to overwork the dough; ideally, do not knead it more than 12 times. There may be some excess flour that is not absorbed, it does not matter. Pat dough into a round circle about 1 inch thick.

Cut circle into 8 wedges.

Place the wedges on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pour a splash of heavy cream into a small bowl. With a pastry brush, gently brush the tops of the scones with a thin coat to glaze. Bake for 10-14 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm. 

I swear there were eight! Hmmmm...

Meyer Lemon and Dried Blueberry Scones

If you have been reading for a while you will know that I am the quest to find the perfect scone. Many have fallen by the wayside and although it is not my perfect scone, it is the one I keep coming back to when I want a really good scone. Just because this is not an exact replica of the Black Cat scones in Ashland, Wisconsin does not mean it is not good. I have made these at least a dozen times and David once said they were the best scones he has ever eaten. Whenever I find meyer lemons in my kitchen these are always at the top of the "to bake" list.

Meyer Lemon and Dried Blueberry Scones
from Bon Appetit
3 cups self-rising flour
1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup (11/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups dried wild blueberries (about 10 ounces)
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated Meyer lemon peel or regular lemon peel

Position rack in top third of oven and preheat to 425°F. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk self-rising flour and 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl. Using fingertips, rub in chilled butter until pieces are size of small peas. Add dried wild blueberries and toss to coat. Mix 1 cup buttermilk and finely grated lemon peel in glass measuring cup. Pour buttermilk mixture into dry ingredients and stir until dough begins to form (some of flour will not be incorporated). Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and gather together. Knead dough briefly, about 5 turns. Divide dough in half. Form each dough half into ball and flatten into 1-inch-thick disk. Cut each disk into 6 wedges.
Transfer scones to prepared baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart. Brush tops with remaining 1 tablespoon buttermilk and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until scones are golden brown on top and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes

Meyer Lemon and Blueberry Scones

Another try for the perfect scones...

These are the first scones I have made that called for an egg. They are Orange-Current Scones in the Zuni Cafe Cookbook. No, I did not buy a new cookbook. I couldn't take it any longer and checked a few out from the library! I will call it research for my next purchase. I switched the Oranges and Currents for Meyer Lemon and Dried Blueberries. I prefer the Meyer Lemon Blueberry Scones from Bon Appetit that I have made many times. As with all the other scones these also seemed to disappear quickly.

Meyer Lemon and Dried Blueberry Scones

adapted from Zuni Cafe Cookbook

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter

1/2 cup dried blueberries

1 tablespoon Meyer Lemon zest

1 large egg

1/2 cup whole milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Cut in the butter until it is the size of small peas. Add the blueberries and lemon zest and toss well.

Whisk together the eggs and milk. Add the dry ingredients and mix and fold until the dough masses and the flour is absorbed. Don't worry if the dough is a little streaky.

Divide the dough in half and shape into 2 balls. Pat each one into a 6 to 7 inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Roll about 1 inch thick and cut like a pie into 6 wedges each.

Bake until golden brown and firm to the touch, about 25 to 30 minutes. These are best served warm from the oven.

Blueberry Almond Scones (the quest for the perfect scone part 2)

As I warned you last week, I am on a quest for the perfect scone. This is not it! I replaced the cherries with dried blueberries and cut them into triangles rather than circles. Other than that, not too many changes. These were not bad, just not what I was looking for in texture or flavor. David and everyone at work seemed to like them. I will keep trying. Here is the original recipe...
Cherry Almond Scones
from Macrina Bakery and Cafe Cookbook
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup whole almonds
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled
1 egg
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
Egg wash made with 1 egg and 1 tsp water
1/4 cup coarse raw sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Place dried cherries in a small bowl and cover with warm water. Let soak for 10 minutes. Drain the plumped cherries, coarsely chop and set aside.Place almonds on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for appromimately 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool, then coarsely chop and set aside.Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.Sift flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and baking soda into a medium bowl and toss with your hands to combine.Divide chilled butter into 1/4 inch pieces and drop into bowl of dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut butter into mixture until texture is coarse and crumbly. Add the chopped cherries and almonds and mix with a wooden spoon. Combine egg, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and almond extract in a small bowl and mixt with a whisk. Add to dry ingredients and mix gently with a wooden spoon just until dough comes together. Take care not to overmix the dough. Coat your hands with flour and pull dough from bowl onto a floured surface. Knead the dough for a few minutes, folding and flattening it several times, until dough becomes moldable. Dust the work surface with a little more flour and roll dough out to 1 inch thick. Using a round biscuit cutter (about 3 inches), cut 8-10 scones from the dough. Place scones on the prepared baking sheet, bursh with egg wash, and sprinkle coarse raw sugar over the tops. Bake on center rack of oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let scones cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before serving.

Raspberry Scones

Have I mentioned that I am really terrible about reading recipes all the way through? This is why I cook instead of bake, most of the time.
Lately I had been thinking about the scones I used to get at the Black Cat Coffeehouse in Ashland, Wisconsin. I was a student at Northland College and although it was never purposeful, conveniently all but one of my apartments were within a block of the Black Cat. This was the reason I had to work two jobs to get me through college, my $5.00 a day scone and cappuccino habit. The scones that Honore, the owner made were amazing. I have never found anything that compares since.
I somewhat regularly make Meyer Lemon scones with dried blueberries. These are very good scones. David once described them as the best scones he ever had (maybe he was just being nice). I figure I will never get any closer to finding that Black Cat scone if I don't branch out and try some new recipes. I had been looking at these ones that were posted on the Smitten Kitchen site for a while and decided to give them a shot. Now, had I actually read the directions on the original recipe or the post on the Smitten Kitchen website it may have completely changed the outcome of these scones, but alas I did not and still got some pretty tasty scones out of the deal. My co-workers scarfed them down, although they are about as picky about food as the four legged cohorts in the office (we are dog friendly). Sorry guys! Thanks for eating my scones anyway.
So, where did I go wrong you ask? I decided to make the fruit version of this scone with raspberries. I did not realize until I actually started this post that the last line of the recipe explains to reduce the amount of buttermilk if using fruit rather than the caraway and raisins. I was thinking that the batter was incredibly sticky! Also, I cut them in wedges just like my favorite scones of all time. They were huge, monster scones because of this. They really do need to be cut into small triangles and spaced far apart on the cookie sheet as mine ran together. In the end I really do think these have the potential with a few tweeks to be amazing scones. I added half a teaspoon of cinnamon to the recipe and it really added to the flavor. In the future if I used a tart fruit such as raspberries I would add just a little more sugar as well.

SCONES
2 ¾ c. pastry flour (all-purpose is fine)
¼ c. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
6 oz. butter, ½ inch cubes
**1 c. golden raisins
**1 T. caraway seeds
1 c. buttermilk
*Preheat oven to 375
*Place cubed butter in the freezer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, measure other ingredients (except buttermilk) & place in the bowl of a food processor
*Add butter to processor bowl & mix until the butter and flour are the texture of coarse cornmeal. Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add buttermilk and mix on lowest speed until the dough just comes together.
*Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead very gently a couple of times. Roll dough out to approximately 1 inch. cut squares & then again on the diagonal to create triangles. Bake for 25-30 minutes until lightly browned.
**Option-substitute caraway & raisins with 1 c. fresh fruit, reduce buttermilk to 3/4 cup.