Strawberry Scones

Strawberries were on special... and they were so sweet and juicy...

One day it was strawberry shortcake and a day later, not wanting to waste a single berry..I made some scones.

Here is the basic sweet tea biscuit recipe I use. Instead of rolling or cutting ..I just drop it in huge dollops onto a baking sheet. It makes lovely rustic looking scones.

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
4 tsps. baking powder (I usually reduce this amount)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup firm shortening (I always use butter)
1 egg
milk

Mix dry ingredients in bowl. Cut in fat with pastry blender 'til mixture has the appearance of fine crumbs.

Beat the egg with a fork in measuring cup and add milk to make one cup. Add milk and mix gently. If it seems a bit dry I add a couple of tablespoons of plain yogurt. Perhaps if you prefer to roll it or make cut outs.. you won't need the extra moisture..., but I like mine nice and moist.

Drop large rounds onto a baking sheet..leaving a bit of room to spread.

Bake at 400 F for 10 - 20 minutes. depending upon the size.

It says it makes 12-18 biscuits 3/4 inch thick. I usually make 9 large mounded scones....or 6 giant ones.

For a creamy lemony/strawberry scone... substitute buttermilk or sour cream for the milk, add juice of 1/2 to 1 whole lemon and some lemon zest; reduce baking powder to 2 teaspoons, add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and a handful of cut up strawberries. I usually make some smaller chunks and some a bit larger .... Sprinkle sugar on the top if you like.

These are lovely ... with a great crumb.... and even two days later (if any survive that long ) .. are not dry or tasteless. If you want to reheat ...place in a paper towel...and heat for a few minutes in the microwave. Just like fresh out of the oven. Quick and easy... give them a try..you'll be glad you did!

the "slipper" tastes pretty good...

Ciabatta ... apparently the name means "carpet slipper"... is a no-knead bread anyway, so I'm not sure what the big deal is in the video ...but, it seemed so simple compared to other recipes in my bread books... (which call for a few more steps and a few more ingredients) ... so, I gave it a try. It was simple...pretty tasty and I'll definitely make it again. I was surprised that the crust did not get as dark as the Tuscan Peasant Bread... but, perhaps the oil and cornmeal on the baking sheet is the way to go versus the parchment .... ?? or, perhaps the water in the oven for extra moisture is the answer.. or, perhaps the honey in the mix ... ?? who knows, but I was pleasantly surprised to see the bottom more golden than dark brown. Not that I mind a well cooked crust. I also love a chewy crust...which this has. Yum... I only had one small piece today...but, can't wait for toast in the morning.... I love artisan type breads toasted!











The crumb of mine is not as airy as the master's... but, it still has a few good sized holes. My bread book says to handle it very gently to preserve the air bubbles for those lovely large voids. .. not that extra large holes would enhance the flavour. Perhaps I'll wear kid gloves next time.... just so I can have a holey loaf for my photo shoot.

Oh, yes....the guy doesn't mention it in his video..but..on his blog...he says he always bakes bread with a pan of water on the bottom of his oven. It would probably be a good idea to revise your video mister...

No knead ciabatta

No-Knead Ciabatta Bread from Foodwishes on Vimeo.

Had to post this one.... Susan sent me a no knead video... the one that calls for heating your lovely Le Creuset dutch oven in blistering heat before you toss in the dough... and I just couldn't get my head around doing that. Not that I own one but, you know..say if I did....some day.....

Plus..it sounds a bit dangerous...so hot and all...

So...I while I was checking out the video..I saw this one. Ahhh...much better idea. Hey Susan...it is the Tuscan all over again... your recipe is still the best. Although, with this one ... they just mix and leave it for 18 hours..then bake it. I'm definitely giving this one a go... I'll let you know what happens.

UPDATE:: I knew it!! found this post on a foodie site talking about no-knead breads.....

Don't use your enamel Le Creuset for this procedure! Massive, permanent, discoloration and funky spots and stripes to your pot. Did this about a year ago and my beautiful pot, although functional, is now ugly.

French Dimpled Rolls

In my search for Kaiser buns, I thought this might fill the bill...but, still not a Kaiser. However, they ARE very tasty buns...or rolls as they are called in my Bread book. The description says:
"A French and Belgian specialty, these attractive rolls are distinguished by the split down the center. They have a crusty finish while remaining soft and light inside -- they taste great, too."
If you know Kaiser buns you can see why I thought this might be the same type of crust and flavour.

3 1/2 cups white bread flour (I used all purpose flour)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 ounce fresh yeast (I used 1 and 1 1/2 tsp. Traditional Active yeast granules )
1/2 cup lukewarm milk
3/4 cup lukewarm water

Lightly grease 2 baking sheets. Sift flour and salt into large bowl. Stir in sugar and make a well in center.

Mix yeast with the milk until dissolved, then pour into the center of the flour mixture. Sprinkle on a little of the flour from around the edge. Let sit at room temperature for 15 - 20 minutes or til the mixture starts to bubble.

Add the water and gradually mix in the flour to form a fairly moist, soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 - 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with tea towel and let rise at room temperature, for about 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in bulk.

Turn out onto lightly floured surface and punch down. re-cover and let rest for 5 minutes. Divide dough into 10 pieces. Shape into balls by rolling the dough under a cupped hand, then roll until oval. Lightly flour the tops. Space apart on baking sheets, cover with tea towel and let rise, at room temperature, for about 30 minutes or til almost doubled in size.

Lightly oil the side of your hand and press the center of each roll to make a deep split. Re-cover and let rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place a baking pan in bottom of the oven and preheat oven to 450 F. Pour 1 cup of boiling water into the pan and bake the rolls for 15 minutes or until golden. Transfer to wire rack to cool.











What are they talking about? I slathered on some butter and had mine steaming hot!! Ohhhhhhh.... YUM !!



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WARNING! If you have not poured hot water into a very hot baking or roasting pan before...please be careful ! It still sizzles and splashes a lot. Make sure you hold it at a distance and wear a glove.... it still is pretty wild. The second batch I made..I poured some in before it got up to temperature...and added some more as I put the buns into the oven. This particular book doesn't even say use boiling water... and it definitely should. For safety.

I found my hand didn't make any type of split at all in the dough..., so, ... I used my bread scraper to make a deep groove and could have gone deeper or sharper to make them look more like the picture in the book.

I also mixed mine in my mixer and used the regular way of mixing things. Began with yeast sprinkled on water, etc... then add flour later...after the poolish bubbled.......

These are yummy buns indeed...just not quite what I wanted ... I was still on the hunt for the elusive Kaiser buns...or as I found out later.... Kaiser rolls. I found some!! ... they will be next..











Who cares if they are not quite the picture in the Bread book. They sure did taste wonderful.....

Cinnamon

This week's ingredient.... Cinnamon! I love cinnamon. Of course, I also like a bit of sweetness with it. Even in my Peanut Chicken recipe, I like to add some honey or brown sugar to mellow the taste of this lovely spice.
Cinnamon buns would be the perfect choice...but, as some of you may know I am on a workout and strengthening kick right now...so.... can't make those sinful treat...only because I just know I would absolutely feel compelled to eat more than one...okay...probably several....so...I chose this recipe instead. I can hold back with just a loaf...although this loaf is very tasty too!!
Guess who sent me this recipe? My financial advisor. What do you suppose that means?

The recipe says it is Cranberry Pumpkin Bread.... but, as usual, ...... to me it is not bread without yeast. Yeh, yeah..I know... many loaves are referred to as breads....but, not by me. Using frozen cranberries adds a little zing of tartness to the light sweetness of the loaf... I liked it. My brother baked it as well..(said it was too cold outside to do much else and the stove was helping keep the house warm).. .but he used Craisins...he figured they were cheaper, but I can't vouch for that and did enjoy the little tart surprises of non sweetened frozen berries. I never use the full amount of berries in any recipe either..... usually overkill in my guess-timation. I just toss in a handful that looks good to my eye. Remember my usual admonition.... a recipe is just a guideline... add or subtract as you like. Maybe you like more cinnamon...less clovers (yeah, right clovers...ahahha... as if... but, you know I meant cloves didn't ya?) anyway... always your own personal preference. I usually make a recipe to the letter the fist time...then, if it's what I call a "keeper", I tweak it in subsequent attempts... to perfect it for the enjoyment of my very own gustatory receptors....(my taste buds).... .

so...here is my nod to cinnamon for Diana's challenge this week....and I'm darn well referring to mine as a loaf ... so there.

Cranberry Pumpkin "Loaf"

2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 cup orange juice
zest from an orange
1 1/2 tsps. vanilla
1 1/4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

Stir together flour, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, cloves and ginger in large bowl.

In another bowl, (or mixer bowl) cream together butter and sugar til light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Mix well. Add pumpkin puree, orange juice, orange zest and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix just until moist. Fold in cranberries.
Pour batter into a large greased loaf pan and bake on centre reack for 60 to 80 minutes or til a toothpick comes out clean. (mine took almost the full 80 mins)
Cool completely before slicing and serving. (the loaf is sort of soft feeling..and you will make a mess if you slice early..... .... yep..I had to taste it as soon as I could without burning my tongue...and crushed one end of it..... )

This definitely needs a large loaf pan or go for two smaller ones... perhaps check the times after 60 if you use smaller pans. I used my biggest loaf tin which is 9 X 5... and it was full. I do have to say it is a rather dense crumb to this loaf... it is not light and fluffy and really doesn't rise too much, As a matter of fact... the first one I made almost looked like it was not fully cooked ..but around the bottom and outside to halfway up the side...not in the middle where it would normally be if it was undercooked..... .weird... but, it definitely was baked right through. Maybe because it is so huge... it just weighed the lower part of the loaf down ... I'm not sure. Second batch (because I bought a large tin of pumpkin and had enough for seconds) I used two smaller loaf tins...and still there was a slight recurrence of that... but not as bad....don't know what it is.
However, this is still a very tasty loaf.... I'll make this one again sometime down the road....