I have been on a popover kick lately.  I still have a sweet one to share with you but my latest was a savory cheddar cheese rosemary. It would be a perfect bread with Easter Ham or in our case a barbecue.

A few weeks ago I went to a meeting of local food bloggers.  Kim of Rustic Garden Bistro gifted each of us with a half-dozen eggs from her girls. Check out her cute packaging! They were freshly gathered (is that the right term?).

Look how beautiful the colors of the eggs are.  That night I decided to use these beautiful, fresh eggs and made these tasty popovers.  A new addition to the Adventures In The Kitchen popover collection that includes Red Velvet Popovers and Hazelnut Popovers.

If you are looking for last-minute Easter dessert ideas here are a few from the AIK archives.

Malted Milk Cheesecake

Strawberries and Cream Pavlova

Yogurt Blueberry Tart

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I am sure you noticed I have been tinkering with the design.  Hopefully I will finalize in the next day or so.  The upgraded site will be mobile friendly, so you can find your favorite AIK recipes from the road.  I looked to see if I had a better picture of this cake. Trust me it was super yummy but my frosting ended up a bit thick and I was rushing to bring it with to my small group.  It has fresh blackberries, brown sugar and glazed.  The yogurt makes the cake super moist.

This is short today but I wanted to share this with you! Also, the winner of the Zoku Pops is Donna Cairns.  Donna please send me your info and I will send the pops out! Enjoy!

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Last weekend I had an idea that turned into a delicious lunch. Homemade blackberry jam spread across sliced of bread.  Top with brie, jalapeno and bacon.  This is one good grilled cheese.

It all started with homemade blackberry jam.

You start with sugar and blackberries.

Strain the berry mixture.

Place in a small saucepan and cook. Bring to a boil, stir in 1/2 cup blackberries and cook 10 minutes over medium heat.

What is your favorite grilled cheese?  I’d love to hear!

Are you on Pinterest?  I am and if you follow me I’ll follow you back. I pin photos of my food here and from Betty Crocker.  I also use it for vision boards and ideas.  What do you use it for?  Look forward to see what you are pinning these days.

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When I was attending the She Speaks conference in July, we ate at this cute restaurant, The Pewter Rose. We were served these delicious Butterscotch Scones as an amuse bouche.

The restaurant is in the historic South End of Charlotte and occupies the second floor of a turn-of-the-century textile warehouse.  It is light and airy with ceiling fans all across the ceiling.  It is called an eclectic casual bistro that offers internationally American cuisine.  Last time I visited I had a lovely goat cheese salad.  Everything on their menu looked delicious and their latest special is to make an mashed potato omelette.

But back to the Butterscotch Scones. They were so good I knew I had to come home and recreate them for you!  They have chips of butterscotch inside and dusted with cinnamon sugar on top.  Served warm they are like having a piece of coffee cake.  I made a batch and then froze half of them to have on hand.  You can place them on a sheet and in the freezer for half an hour.  Then place in a freezer bag.  They are good for two to three months. 
Butterscotch Scones
2 3/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup brown sugar sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup cold butter, chopped & put in freezer 10 minutes
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 large eggs
1teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup half and half
2 teaspoons milk
2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar, optional

Preheat over to 425 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder.

Blend the egg, vanilla and half and half in another bowl.

Cut the butter into the flour mixture.  Stir in the liquid mix until combined and add the butterscotch chips.

Roll out dough about 3/4 – 1″ thick.  You could drop them as well and skip rolling out the dough.  Refrigerate for 1/2 hour.  Brush with milk and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Bake 18-20 minutes.  Serve with butter and preserves.

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Recently my niece called a meeting with me to discuss new recipes for us to make.  She pulled out her Pink Princess  cookbook by Barbara Berry and we sat at the family room game table.  She has become a great little baker and loves to help out in the kitchen.

When I brought my coffee over she ran over to get her lemonade.  She had stickies and we marked all the recipes that sounded good.  We were hard at work. When her brothers tried to join us she said “there are no breaks in meetings!” We then prioritized which ones we wanted to make first.  Chocolate Peppermint Scones were her first priority.

It turns out peppermints aren’t so easy to find in June in Southern California so we make Chocolate Chip Scones.  They were easy for her to make under my supervision.  This recipe uses cream in place of butter.  She cut out heart shaped scones. Her brother even joined in on the fun and cut out some alphabet shapes.

These scones are delicious eaten warm right out of the oven.

Chocolate Chip Scones
by Barbara Berry

Prep Time:  10 minutes   Cook Time:  20 minutes
Servings:  12

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups All purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup whipping cream plus 2 tablespoons

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour sugar, baking powder, and salt until well combined.

Add 1 cup whipping cream to the mixture, stirring just until ingredients are moistened. Turn mixture out onto lightly floured surface. Knead gently until soft dough forms (about 2 minutes). Pat dough out to about 1 inch thickness. Cut out into assorted shapes.

Place scones 1 inch apart on foil-lined baking sheets that have been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Brush each scone with the remaining 2 tablespoons whipping cream and sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until very lightly browned. Really good served warm.

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This weekend is time change so we will be able to enjoy the start of spring evenings.  This time of year always feels like a time of renewal and new beginnings.  Even here in Southern California, after a season of colder weather and dark evenings, we look forward to spring. Farmers markets will soon be loaded with fruits and vegetables.

What are you looking forward to seeing at the farmers markets this year?  Do you have a recipe waiting to me made? I still have meyer lemons to use up.  Here is an exhaustive list of things to do with a Meyer lemon.  I am thinking of a marmalade.

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Where we came from often influences the food we make.  In many cultures recipes are passed down from generation to generation.  When they are in the right mood kids love to hear bits and pieces of family history and they have already chosen family favorites that they love us to make. Recipes are such a wonderful way to pass on our family heritage and teach kids about the countries we come from.

It is National Pancake Week so it seemed like a fine time to share my favorite pancake.  One of the recipes that I fondly remember is my Nana Well’s banana pancakes.   One of my earliest memories of our time together is helping Nana Wells make banana pancakes.

They moved out here when my grandfather came from Illinois to open a church in Anaheim.  The Wells were from Ireland though I don’t think of banana pancakes as Irish.  Each had recipes from the countries they had come from. I wish now that  I had gathered more of the family recipes.

As I grew up and made Banana Pancakes in my house I would place thick slices of banana on the pancakes before flipping them.  They caramelize and sweeten as they cook. You can chop up the bananas and sprinkle them on the batter if you would prefer.  If you are looking for other types of pancakes check out this amazing list of pancake recipes.

What pancakes do you make for your family and friends?  I’d love to hear.

Banana Pancakes

by Cheri Liefeld March 2, 2011

This recipe is based on my Nana Wells recipe she served when I was growing up.

Ingredients

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon melted butter

1 sliced Banana

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl whisk flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.  Add eggs, vanilla, milk and melted butter and mix until well blended.

Heat a heavy non stick skillet over medium high heat.  Melt 1 tablespoon butter and  pour approximately 1/4 cup per pancake.  Place the banana slices on the pancake and cook until air bubbles form.  Turn over and cook until slightly brown.

Variation:  Add one teaspoon rum to the batter.  Follow above direction but sprinkle the batter with coconut and pecans, if you’d like.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 5 mins Total time: 15 mins

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Thai Chicken pizza ready to bake

This month I hosted and decided to make an old favorite, Thai Chicken Pizza.  I didn’t have much time to pull dinner together and I improvised using what vegetables I had in the refrigerator. It was based on the recipe from California Pizza Kitchen.  Instead of carrots, I threw on peppers but it is always good with the carrots and sprouts.

I served it with a green salad and my Pomegranate Balsamic Dressing.  For dessert one of the girls brought Greek Yogurt with fresh berries.  Yum, yum!

Tips:

I love homemade peanut sauce and this one comes together quickly.  You could make over the weekend and store in the refrigerator for up to a week. There are plenty of good ones of the shelf that will make this a 15 minute meal.

I also love homemade pizza dough but it is not always practical after work, so I used the dough from Fresh and Easy.

Thai Chicken Pizza

adapted from Caifornia Pizza Kitchen
Makes 1 pizza’s

Spicy peanut sauce

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
3 teaspoons minced ginger (or more if you wish)
3 minced garlic cloves
1 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon vietnamese chili sauce (or dried chili flakes)
2 tablespoons water

Stir ingredients together in a small pan over medium heat.  Bring the sauce to a boil; boil gently for one minute.  Set aside.

Chicken

1 tablespoon olive oil
10 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4 inch cubes

Heat the olive oil in a skillet and stir fry the chicken.  Drain on a paper towel.  Place in a bowl and mix in 1/4 – 1/3 cup peanut sauce to coat all the pieces.

For the pizza
1 pizza dough, use your own recipe or store bought
cornmeal or flour, for handling
1 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
4 scallions, slivered diagonally
1/2 cup red and yellow peppers, slivered
1 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts
1tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Roll out your pizza dough into a large 9-10″ circle.  Brush the sides with olive oil. Place on a pizza stone or baking sheet.  (I place parchment paper under the dough if I am using a baking sheet)

Place 1/3 to 1/2 cup of peanut sauce in the middle and brush over the dough leaving a 1-inch edge.  Sprinkle 3/4 cup of cheese over  dough.  Add the chicken, green onions and peppers around evenly.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese over the topping and sprinkle with the peanuts.

Place in the over and bake until the crust is crops and golden and the cheese is bubbly.  About 9 to 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle fresh cilantro on top.

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Next week is Thanksgiving.  I feel the year is rushing quickly towards the end.  I want to slow it down and enjoy the holidays, starting with Thanksgiving.  These Chipotle Cheddar Scones are slightly spicy, cheesy and perfectly flaky.  One of my favorite turkeys to make is a Ancho Chile and Honey Turkey.

My faithful standby and my sister in law Joy’s favorite turkey is the Perfect Turkey by Martha Stewart.  It is a sure thing.

What is your favorite turkey?  I’d love to hear.  Maureen was the winner of the cookbooks.  Look for another giveaway Monday.

Chipotle Cheddar Scones

2 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1 cup white cheddar cheese, grated
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and frozen
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon chipotle puree

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and cheese in a large mixing bowl.
Add the butter and using a pastry cutter blend the butter into the flour and cheese mixture until the dough forms pea size balls of dough.

Make a well in the center of the bowl and add the buttermilk until just combined.  The mixture will be a bit dry.

Wash and dry your hands and dust them with flour.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead af ew times to gather it into a ball.  Roll the dough into a circle a little more than 1/2 thick.  Cut out the circles and place on a lined baking sheet.  Gather the scraps and pat down to cut out remaining dough.

Brush the tops with melted butter.  Sprinkle with a pinch ground pepper.

Bake for 25 minutes, until lightly browned.

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This weekend I invited my friend Nell over for a breakfast tea.  Nell has been a mentor in my life over the last seven years.  I met her at a point in my life I was in transition.  She spoke words of wisdom and encouragement into my life.

We share a love of tea and dishes.  We both believe you can’t own too many sets of dishes.  A girl needs options doesn’t she?

After a busy week I needed quick inspiration for a new scone to serve and opened my Foster’s Market Cookbook.  What a delightful cookbook.  I want to go to Foster’s Market someday but in the meantime I have enjoyed trying many of her recipes.

This Apple Scone is going to be a new fall treat.  It is moist and bursting with apples.  Using buttermilk instead of cream makes the scones lighter and lower in fat. The top is sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and bakes up nice and brown.  If you want to try another version you will find many options here.

Note:  I divided the dough in to and made half apple and half plain scones.

Enter the Cookbook Giveaway – don’t forget to enter!

Apple Scones

Fosters Market Cookbook

Makes 1 dozen scones

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 pound (3 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
Egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 2 tablespoons milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Lightly grease 2 baking sheets and set aside.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.Add the butter and cut into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal. (Or use a food processor fitted with the metal blade to cut the butter into the flour mixture by pulsing 10 to 12 times. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl to continue making the dough.) Do not overwork the dough.

Add 1 1/4 cups of the buttermilk and mix until just combined and the dough begins to stick together. Add the remaining buttermilk one tablespoon at a time if the dough is too dry.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll or pat into two 6-inch rounds, about 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut each round in half, then cut each half into 3 triangles (pie-shaped wedges) and place on the baking sheets. Brush the tops with the egg wash.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Cinnamon-Apple Scones
Add 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon and 2 cups peeled and chopped Granny Smith or other tart apples to the flour-butter mixture before adding the buttermilk. After brushing the scones with egg wash, sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar (1/2 cup sugar mixed with 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon).

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