Dried Cherry Scones with Almond Glaze & March's Give-Away-Apron

Good thing I like roller coasters; Wednesday, our weather was sunny and 75-degrees and on Thursday, the temperatures dropped to 47-degrees and then, below freezing at night time...and rainy! So Thursday was a good baking day, although, by afternoon, I was feeling the dreariness and a nap felt better than sitting at the computer to post the recipe and apron:-D

As I promised, this apron will definitely bring a little cheeriness to everyone amidst the snow and/or freezing temperatures...and I do believe that Spring will not skip its turn.

Make a comment on any of my posts this month and you could win this darling apron of tiny cherries with a splash of the green to honor St. Patrick's Day as well; I am Irish, after all.

Dried Cherry Scones
2 1/2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour (plain flour)
2 T firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 T baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces or grated
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup half & half
1 large egg (an addition large egg + 1 tsp. water will be used to brush on the top of the scones.)
1/2 cup dried cherries, softened in hot water, then, drained and chopped

Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar (icing sugar)
1/8 tsp. almond flavoring
1 T light Karo syrup
2-3 T very warm water

Preheat oven to 400F-degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Place cherries in a small bowl and cover with hot water.  Allow to soak about 25 to 30 minutes.  Drain and coarsely chopped.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, mix all the dry ingredients together. Add the butter, one piece at a time or the grated butter all at once and mix again.  Add the chopped dried cherries.

In a 2-cup glass measure, add the half & half and large egg, lightly whisk together, then add the 1/2 cup of honey and whisk again.  Add the liquid measure to the dry while the mixer is on low.  Mix only until the dough comes together.

Place dough on a lightly floured board and knead slightly.  Pat dough into a circle, approximately 7" by 1" thick.  Today, I merely cut the scones into "pie wedges," but you can use your favorite cutter.

Place the scones on the parchment lined baking sheet and brush the tops with 1 large egg + 1 tsp. water.

Bake in the preheated oven for 14 to 17 minutes.  I actually lowered the oven temperature to 375F-degrees after 10 minutes.  The scones should be a lovely golden brown.

Allow to cool about 10 minutes, then glaze with the Almond Glaze.  Serve while still warm, but for extras--cool completely, then, wrapped in wax paper and place in a freezer plastic bag.  To reheat, microwave for 20 seconds; they're perfect!

The roller coaster continues with temperatures in the 60s for the weekend.  I'm waiting to get outside and work in the garden...how about you? Enjoy!
 

Dried Cherry~White Chocolate Chip Plate Cake

I love simple...but delicious desserts.  Many a time, my mother would whip up a quick dessert like a simple, plain cake, chocolate, rice or bread pudding just so we had a special treat after dinner.  This cake fits the bill.

I came across this simple cake in Paul Hollywood's book, British Baking and decided, with the rush of the season and all I have on my plate, this would be a great snacking cake for after dinner or a late afternoon break.  I was an American history minor in college, which is why I collect so many cookbooks; I love learning about the traditions of food and the cultures that brought them to the New World.  This is definitely very similar to the quick cakes my mom would make and I wonder if her grandmothers handed the recipes down to her.  By the way, this recipes comes from Wales.

I bake, using a scale, so reading this recipe in grams and millilitres wasn't difficult, but I have given all my American friends the conversion to cups for ease. 

Dried Cherry~White Chocolate Chip Plate Cake
7 1/2 T  (110g) unsalted butter, cut in small cubes
1/2 cup (110g) granulated (castor) sugar
1 1/2 +3T (225g) all-purpose (plain) flour
2 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 large eggs
3/4 cup (100g) dried cherries
1/2 cup (100g) white chocolate chips
1/2 cup (100ml) milk

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees (180C).  Spray a metal or ceramic pie plate with a cooking spray.
In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, add the flour, baking powder and salt and while the mixer is running, add the cubed butter.  Continue to mix until it looks like coarse sand.

Add the sugar, eggs, and vanilla, then while the mixer is running, slowly pour in the milk.  The batter should be somewhat thick.

Stir in the dried cherries and white chocolate chips, then, spoon into the prepared pie plate, smoothing the top.  Finally, sprinkle some Sparking White Sugar on top or use Demerara sugar.  Bake 35-45 minutes or until the center (using a tester) comes out cleanly. 

The cake was delicious and just the perfect dessert after a busy day.  Enjoy! 
 

Dried Cherry~Hazelnut Scones...and a Review

As the weather is turning cooler and I've had to admit, autumn is indeed around the corner, my baking centers around the comfort foods of my past--scones.  My basic recipe has been handed down from my great-grandmother, whom I was told, after she baked scones, my great-grandfather would break them up in a bowl, pour fresh milk over them, and sprinkle with a little sugar.  Quite unusual, but what I surmised was that maybe her scones were a little dry or maybe she didn't add other ingredients to make him want to eat them slathered with homemade jam as I prefer them:-D

Two of my favorite "extras" are dried cherries and hazelnuts and I was anxious to make up a batch after I received my order from King Arthur Flour for a new flour they've added to their line--Self-rising.

I've used self-rising flour before and along with Bisquick, I can see the practically of not having to add leavening (and shortening for Bisquick) when making up a recipe.  Self-rising flour was invented by Henry Jones and patented in 1845.  A leavening agent (baking powder) and salt are evenly distributed into a high gluten flour that will give consistent rise in baked goods. The usual ratio is one teaspoon of baking powder and about 1/8 teaspoon of salt per one cup of flour. What I really wanted to test was how it baked because for me, that's what outweighs less steps and ingredients added.  Well, I'm very pleased with the results and this will be a welcome addition to my pantry!

Dried Cherry~Hazelnut Scones
4 cups King Arthur Self-Rising Flour
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
2 T granulated sugar
1/3 cup of Hazelnut Flour

12 T cold unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups half-&-half
1 large egg
1 cup dried cherries
Turbinado sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 425F-degrees (218C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Pour boiling water over the cherries to soften; after 15 minutes, drain thoroughly.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, mix the dry ingredients.  Grate the cold butter on a box grater using the coarse side.

Add the butter to the dry ingredients and mix.  The dough should have small pea-size pieces of butter throughout.

Add the dried cherries and mix just until combined.  Whisk the egg and half-& half together--you will not use all the liquid in the dough, make sure you have at least a couple of tablespoons for brushing on the tops.  While the mixer is running on low, slowly add the cream/egg mixture.  Add just enough until the dough comes together. 

Stop the machine and sprinkle a dough board, lightly with flour.  Turn the dough out onto the board and knead carefully to form a smooth disk.  

Roll the dough to approximately 3/4 to 1-inch thick.  You could cut the round disk into "pie-shaped" or as I chose, cut out 3 1/2-inch rounds.

The trick with getting scones (and biscuits) to rise to their fullest--don't Twist the cutter, but rather push down and pull up! Place scones on the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Brush the tops with the reserved cream/egg mixture and if desired, sprinkle the tops with the raw Tubinado Sugar.

Bake in the preheated oven about 15-17 minutes, until golden brown and risen.  I had mine with a spoonful of homemade Peach jam that I made on Monday.  The texture was soft and the scones were a great way to start the morning. Enjoy!






 

Oh! Cherry, Not All Alone Bars

One of my favorite songs, is "Oh, Sherry" by Journey...yes, I'm a Journey fan and Steve Perry's vocals for this 80s rock band was the inspiration for these cherry (instead of Sherry), white chocolate, and pistachio bars I baked today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysTjJaYX0WA

I discovered it's also the 100th Anniversary of the gift of the cherry trees (Sakuras), from Japan to our Nation, and in celebration of this beautiful gesture I wanted to honor this occasion with my recipe.  The unseasonably warm weather in Washington, D.C. brought out the blossoms early, but nonetheless, spectacular.  I've been lucky enough to have lived in the Maryland/D.C. area and visit Tokyo to witness this moment when Spring has indeed arrived.  Just driving down the Basin, you are in awe of these pink beauties standing in a rows as if they are debutante's at their coming-out ball.  All over Japan, they celebrate this time by having family picnics under the trees, called Hanami--literally means "viewing flowers," which is the primary reason for this event, but a variety of Japanese performing arts are also part of this tradition.

Oh! Cherry, Not All Alone Bars

2 cups + 1 T (4 sticks + 1T) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
3 1/3 + 2 T light (or golden) brown sugar, packed
2 T molasses
2 Vanilla beans, split and scraped or 1 T Vanilla extract
4 large eggs
4 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1 1/4 cups dried cherries, soaked in 3/4 cup hot water with a Pomegranate/Cherry Green Tea bag
2 cups white chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups chopped pistachio

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  

Melt butter and  use approximately 1T to brush the 12"x17" baking pan with, then line bottom with parchment and brush with more butter.

Bring 3/4 cup of water to a boil (I did mine in the microwave for 1 minute).  Add the tea bag (if using), then the dried cherries.  Let steep about 30 to 40 minutes.  Drain, reserving liquid and coarsely chop the cherries.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, measure the brown sugar, vanilla (beans or extract) and molasses.  Beat on medium to blend.  Add the slightly cooled butter while the mixer is on low to slowly incorporate.  When it looks like most of the butter has been absorbed by the sugar, raise the speed to medium and beat well.  Test the  bottom of the bowl, underneath, for temperature before adding the eggs (you wouldn't want scrambled eggs in your mixture:-)  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Scrape down the bowl and beat again.

Add the dry ingredients--flour, baking powder and salt and mix on med/low to incorporate--don't over mix.  Remove from the stand and with a spatula, make sure all the flour mixture is indeed incorporated.  Stir in the chopped, dried cherries, 1 cup of the white chocolate chips, and 3/4 cup of the pistachios.  
Spoon mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly.

Sprinkle top with the remaining 1 cup white chocolate chips and 3/4 cup of pistachios.

Bake for 10 minutes, then lower oven temperature to 325F-degrees and rotate pan.  Bake an additional 16 to 18 minutes, until golden brown.

Optional Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2-3 T reserved cherry/tea liquid
1 T light Karo syrup

Mix all the ingredients together and drizzle over the bars, if desired. 

Sharing the beauty of nature is truly a wonderful gift--Happy Anniversary Cherry Trees. Enjoy!
   

Holiday Pistachio~Dried Cherry Biscotti

One of the things I remember most about baking for the holidays with my mother was the early preparation she did to eliminate the mad-rush to get everything done for Christmas.  Some cookies were started as early as the second week following Thanksgiving and certainly, her fruitcakes would be made before December even crept in.  So, now that I'm home again, my thoughts turn to those memories as I begin my holiday baking.

Biscotti is a perfect cookie to consider for baking ahead.  This cookie, or as they were originally known as, biscotti di Prato, for the Italian city of origin, has become one of the most popular treats found in coffee shops. This twice-baked biscuit not only freezes well (up to 6 weeks) but can easily be stored for up to 3 weeks in an airtight container in a cool, dry environment.  Furthermore, they travel well, which for me when I'm shipping cookies to family, is an important factor. 

Today, I chose dried cherries and pistachios with a touch of lemon zest, but the combinations are endless when it comes to creating a favorite.

Although the original biscotti contained no yeast, fat (butter or oil) or milk, I typically bake an American version that does have butter or oil in combination with eggs.  Some of the popular additions to the dough are nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, or pistachios), dried fruit (cherries, cranberries, blueberries, currants), bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate bits or chunks, and of course cocoa, substituted for some of the flour.  The first biscotti I ever had was flavored lightly with anise and orange zest, which is still a favorite for me to bake.

Holiday Pistachio~Dried Cherry Biscotti

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut in small 1/2-inch cubes to soften
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1 cup pistachios, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup dried cherries, softened and coarsely chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Soak the dried cherries in boiling water for 15 to 30 minutes.  Drain and coarsely chop.  Coarsely chop the pistachios and set both aside.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping the sides bowl in between.  Add the vanilla and salt.  Whisk the flour and baking powder together in a separate bowl, then, add to the creamed mixture, beating on low just until blended.  Stir in the pistachios and cherries.

 
Form the dough into a 16-inch x 3-inch log.  Wet hands to smooth the dough.  Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes until golden.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 to 20 minutes.  Lower oven temperature to 325F-degrees.

Transfer the baked log, using the parchment paper under it, to a cutting board.  

Using a sharp, serrated knife, cut the log diagonally into 3/4-inch thick slices.  Arrange the biscotti on the same baking sheet, covered with a new sheet of parchment, and bake for an additional 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

Additionally, you can melt 12-ounces of white chocolate over a double-boiler to dip half of the cooled biscotti into.  Shake off the excess chocolate and place on a baking sheet until the chocolate sets.  You can refrigerate the biscotti for about 35 minutes to speed up the process.  

As panic sets in, as the holiday draws near, having a little help of baking ahead certainly calms me.  It will be one less last minute thing to be done before our grandson arrives for a visit.  Let the baking begin--Enjoy!