Adventures in the Kitchen» Breads

Cinnamon Butterscotch Scones

cheri — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 18:33:06 +0000

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.

Ambit Energy Illinois

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.

Cooking With Kids: Chocolate Chip Scones

admin — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 03:47:59 +0000

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.

Lemon Raspberry Muffins

cheri — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 15:00:18 +0000

Meyer Lemons are in stores right now and I love to use them in baked goods. They brighten everything. Combine the lemons with raspberries and you will feel like spring is just around the corner.

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.

Lemon Raspberry Muffins

by March 7, 2011

Ingredients

2 cups flour1/2 cup sugar2 teaspoons baking powder1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 cup, melted butter3/4 cup whole milk1 egg1/2 teaspoon vanilla extractzest of lemon1 1/2 cup fresh raspberries1 1/2 tablespoons sanding sugar

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 400° F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or coat with cooking spray.2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, 1/2 cup of the sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and combine. 3. Whisk together the milk, egg, and vanilla in a bowl. Gradually add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined; the batter will be lumpy. Gently fold the berries and lemon zest into the batter.4. Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full. Sprinkle the batter with the sanding sugar. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 30 mins Yield: 1 dozen muffins

Nana’s Banana Pancakes for Pancake Week

cheri — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:04:43 +0000

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

Thai Chicken Pizza

cheri — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 15:08:49 +0000

Thai Chicken pizza ready to bake

Each month a group of my friends have been gathering to talk about social media. Each of us has projects we are working on. One designs clothes, another designs invitations, a few of us blog and one is in real estate. It has turned into a rich evening of sharing with friends. We hold each other accountable to our goals for the next month and can bring issues for input from our group.

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.

Chipotle Cheddar Scones

cheri — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 06:20:27 +0000

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.

Cinnamon Apple Scones

cheri — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 13:43:32 +0000

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).

Date Nut Bread and Hadley’s

cheri — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 02:43:25 +0000

Growing up my family would often go to Palm Springs for a weekend. On the way out there is a place called Hadley’s Date Farm. It has been around since 1931, off Interstate 10. They have a wide variety of dates including Medjool, Deglet Noor and Empress dates.

We would stop on the way home and most of the family would get a date shake and shop for date bread to take home. Most of us meaning everyone but me, because as a little girl I was not fond of dates.

Now I love adding them in my Spring Salad or the Arugula, Date and Parmesan salad I made for a Moroccan themed dinner party. I remember my great grandmother used to make date bread that was dark and dense but sadly we do not have the recipe. I went to my library of cookbooks to search and decided to try The Silver Palate recipe. The Silver Palate cookbook by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins was one of my first cookbooks when I started to entertain. It was the “hot” cookbook on entertaining at the time and their recipes inspired many of the cooks today. The rum gives it a nice mellow flavor that goes well with the sweetness of the dates.

The bread would be great with a little cream cheese and raspberry preserves. It would also make great little tea sandwiches.

Date Nut Bread

from The Silver Palate Cookbook

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 chunks
1 cup pitted dates, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup boiling water
1 egg, beaten
2 cups unbleached, all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons rum

Preheat over to 350F. Grease a 9x5x5 loaf pan.

Place butter in a large mixing bowl, place dates on top, and pour sugars over. Pour boiling water over ingredients in the bowl. Let sit for 7 minutes. Stir well.

When mixture is cool, add the egg and mix well.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Add to date mixture, beating for 30 seconds. Stir in walnuts, vanilla and rum.

Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.

A Bridal Shower Tea and Strawberry Butter

cheri — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 05:36:55 +0000

If you are wondering why it has been so quiet here at Adventures in the Kitchen it is because my computer crashed and died. Not just once, but three times in the last month. It has now checked into the Apple repair, after a brief stay at another tech room and I hope to pick it up this week.

I felt a bit like Carrie in that episode of Sex and the City when her computer dies and she had never backed up. I did back up but two weeks had passed. No ordinary two weeks but the weeks where I cooked up a storm at my brother’s house while they were relaxing in Hawaii.

The day before the first meltdown I helped throw a bridal shower teat for one of my coworkers, Jennifer. I made Orange Rosemary Scones and filled jars of Lemon Curd and Strawberry Butter for a party favor. We had the best time at Marie’s lovely home. We had the opportunity to celebrate Jen. She has married, honeymooned and returned to work. She even did a trash the dress photo shoot with her photographer husband @JWPhotography.

I’ll be back with new recipes this week. I’ve missed hanging out with you and have lots to share. In the meantime here is a recipe for Strawberry Butter that is easy to whip up. The fresh flavor of ripe strawberries mixed with creamy butter is a little spread of heaven on a scone. If strawberries are not in season you can substitute frozen strawberries.

Scones, yogurt, granola and danish. Yum!

Thrive Nightclub

We mixed and matched tea cups and china for a vintage themed tea.

Marie, Jen, Jennifer the bride to be and Angela.

Seo Case Study

I’ll be back with new recipes this week. I’ve missed hanging out and have lots to share. In the meantime here is a recipe for Strawberry Butter that is easy to whip up.

Strawberry Butter
Makes about 1 1/2 cups

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup strawberries, hulled and sliced

Mix butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Add strawberries and beat until incorporated.

Transfer to ramekins or mason jars. Chill until ready to serve. You can roll into a log and freeze up to two months.

Oatmeal Blackberry Scones

cheri — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 05:25:33 +0000

This year we had a brunch theme for our family Easter dinner. Though I ended up home sick I made these Oatmeal Blackberry Scones to send along. I had blackberries at home so I decided add them to the scone recipe. You could use raspberries as an alternative. Frozen or fresh would work well in this recipe.

I have enjoyed all the recipes I have tried from Dorie Greenspan’s cookbook Baking – From My Home to Yours. As a beginning blogger I joined Tuesdays With Dorie and was introduced to so many delicious treats. These Brioche Snail Rolls were the first and most ambitious thing I made from the book.

The Fresh Orange Cream Tart brought back memories of eating 50/50 bars as a little girl.

Adolescent Medicine Heath

The Fluted Polenta and Ricotta Cake reminded me of Italy.

You can follow Dorie on her blog and discover more mouthwatering recipes.

Oatmeal Blackberry Scones
Adapted from Baking ~ from my home to yours by Dorie Greenspan

ingredients ~
1 large egg
1/2 cup cold buttermilk
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons (10 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 pint of blackberries
heavy cream or 1 egg mixed well
sugar

directions ~

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.

Stir the egg and buttermilk together.

Whisk the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg together in a large bowl. Drop in the butter and, using your fingers, toss to coat the pieces of butter with flour. Quickly, working with your fingertips or a pastry blender, cut and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is pebbly. You’ll have pea-size pieces, pieces the size of oatmeal flakes and pieces the size of everything in between ~~ and that’s just right.

Pour the egg and buttermilk mixture over the dry ingredients and stir with a fork just until the dough, which will be wet and sticky, comes together. Don’t overdo it. Gently fold in the berries.

Still in the bowl, gently knead the dough by hand, or turn it with a rubber spatula 8 to 10 times. turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it in half.

Drop scoops (I used an ice cream scooper) of dough on to the baking sheet.

Brush the tops with the cream or egg wash and sprinkle with the sugar.

Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until their tops are golden and firm to the touch. Transfer them to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before serving, or wait for the scones to cool to room temperature.