Peaches & Cream Scones

Peaches are a Southern staple; pies, cobblers, jam, and today, Scones.  I look forward to when I see the farm stands announcing that peaches are in, which happened a few weeks ago.  I've already done 14 jars of jam, but will certainly make more.

Today, I decided to make some scones for a breakfast treat, but really any time of the day a scone tastes delicious.  I knew that fresh fruit isn't always the first choice when making scones; it makes the dough too wet, so I decided to use dried peaches which I found at Nuts.com.

To soften the peaches, I warmed the Half-&-Half and poured it over the diced peaches to soften just slightly.  After exercising for 35 minutes, they were perfect to start the dough. In the KitchenAid mixer, the scones come together quickly and in less than 25 minutes, we had warm scones to start the day.

Peaches & Cream Scones
1 cup dried diced peaches
1/2 cup Half-&-Half, warmed until bubbles appear around the edges

Pour the cream over the diced peaches and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400F-degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2 1/2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
2 T firmly packed light brown sugar
2 T granulated sugar
1 T baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" pieces
1/3 cup honey
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
dried Peach/cream mixture

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, mix the dry ingredients together.  Add the 1/2" pieces of butter, while the mixer is running, a few at a time.  When the mixture resembles coarse sand, add the honey, egg, and extracts.  Mix on low just until the dough comes together.  Use your hands to knead a bit and place on a lightly flour board.

Roll dough to 1" thick.  Cut into 8 pie-shaped pieces and place on the parchment-lined baking sheet.

 Mix 1 large egg + 1 tsp. Half-&-Half and brush on the tops of the scones.  I also take a toothpick and poke a few holes in the surface of the scone to achieve an even bake.

Bake for 14-17 minutes or until golden brown.

Optional Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 T Light Karo syrup
1- 1/2 T very warm water

Drizzle glaze over the warm scones and serve with butter and Peach Jam.  Enjoy!

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!
 

Banana Egg Nog Scones

I swear, one day I'm going to write a cookbook--"A Hundred Ways to Bake with Bananas!" Yes, I had some aged bananas again staring at me in my kitchen this morning, thanks to hubby:-D  Since I am feeling in the holiday spirit; Christmas music playing on the radio, malls decked out, and the advertisements on television have begun, I used some Egg Nog I found in the supermarket to add a twist to these scones.  The weather has turned cool and a warm scone is the perfect breakfast treat.

We're settling in nicely in our surroundings, loving the warmth and friendliness of the people, and paying tribute to my Irish roots with these scones, but adding a new Southern take, makes me happy. I found last year, when I baked Cranberry~Egg Nog Scones, that the cream (rather than half & half) really does give a tender crumb to this biscuit-like treat, so I changed that recipe a bit to incorporate a banana and found a new creation to add to my pile of banana recipes:-D

Banana Egg Nog Scones
4 1/4 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1/3 + 1 T granulated sugar
2 T baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, grated
1 large egg~in a 2-cup glass measure, add Egg Nog to give 1 3/4 cups of liquid
1 banana, mashed
(optional~add 1/2 cup dried cranberries or chopped nuts)

Egg Wash:
1 egg
2 T Egg Nog

Sparkling Suga

Egg Nog Glaze:
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 T Light Karo Syrup
2-3 T Egg Nog

Preheat oven to 375F-degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix the first four dry ingredients together.  Add the grated butter and use a pastry cutter to incorporate into the dry ingredients.  

Add the banana and the egg/egg nog mixture and mix just until the dough comes together.  

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead, gently, until smooth.  

Roll dough to a 1-inch thickness and use your favorite cutter, dipped in flour, to cut out scones.  (You can also roll it into a rectangle and cut into squares with a knife.)  Place on the parchment-lined baking sheet.

 Mix the egg wash and use a pastry brush to apply to the tops of the scones.  Sprinkle with sparkling sugar, if desired.

Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and firm to touch.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly, before spreading on the glaze. I have to tell you a warm scone with butter and jam is the most perfect way to start your day. Enjoy!
 
 

French Toast Scones

In addition to going through all the junk treasures I've accumulated over the last twelve years, cleaning out the refrigerators/freezers is part of my chores today too.  You might remember I made a recipe in March, Maple Sugar Bars, using Grade B maple syrup, that were very, very good. I still had the bottle in the refrigerator, but not enough to make them again...but maybe something else.

I'm not really a breakfast-kind-of-person, but I do love scones and that was my focus today to create.  I thought, "why not bake a scone that would remind someone of eating French Toast?"  Why not, indeed!

When I do make French Toast, I like to use, almost stale, cinnamon swirl raisin bread, Challah, or brioche dipped into a rich egg/cream mixture, speckled with additional ground cinnamon.  We always had French Toast at my mom's when the bread was getting stale and especially homemade bread that didn't have any preservatives in it!  These scones remind me of those days, only I can pick them up without the fear of syrup dripping down on me:-D

French Toast Scones
4 1/3 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
2 T baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, grated

In a 2-cup liquid measure add:
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1/4 cup heavy cream
Maple syrup (enough to come up to the 1-cup line)
Milk (enough to bring the liquid measure up to 1 3/4 cups)

Filling:
2 T softened unsalted butter
1/4 cup firmly packed, light brown sugar
1 T ground cinnamon

Maple Frosting:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 T softened butter
1/4 cup Grade B maple syrup

Preheat oven to 375F-degrees.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, mix the dry ingredients.  Add the butter and mix, just until incorporated.

While the mixer is running, slowly add the 1 3/4 cups of liquid.  Stop the mixer when the dough comes together (don't over mix!)

Turn the shaggy dough out onto a lightly floured bread board and knead just until smooth.  Roll dough out to a 12" x 16" rectangle.

 Spread the dough with the 2 tablespoons of softened butter.  

Sprinkle the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture over the butter and roll up the dough, beginning with the edge further from you.  Slice the roll in half, then into quarters, then thirds to get 12 scones.

Press the scones down slightly and brush with an egg wash (1 large egg + 1T milk) 

Bake in the preheated over for 18 minutes.  Remove and allow to cool while you mix up the Maple Frosting. 

The frosting should be thick enough to hold its shape.

Spread the still warm scones with about 1 tablespoon of frosting.  

Golden layers of cinnamon, with a maple syrup taste!

Eat while warm and then on to a day's work...for me it's packing. Enjoy!
 

Chocolate Swirl~Cherry Scones

Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day was what we would call the day before Ash Wednesday and Lent began; it comes from the past tense of the English verb, shrive, which means to obtain absolution for one's sins.  My mother always made pancakes for the evening meal, which we thought was pretty cool to have breakfast for dinner.  (I'm making Red Velvet pancakes for dinner, which not only honors my mother's tradition, but to inspire for Valentine's Day too! recipe up tomorrow)

Mardi Gras is the French word for Fat Tuesday referring to the last day of enjoying rich, fatty foods before one begins the fasting during the Lenten season.  So, I decided to do it in a big way with these scones.  I discovered a new product on the King Arthur catalogue website called Chocolate "Schmear" and knew it would add the "richness" I was looking for in today's treat and adding cherries was...well, as they say, "the cherry on top!"

I used Candied Cherries, but dried or Maraschino would be great too! 

Chocolate Swirl~Cherry Scones
4 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
2 T baking powder
1/3 + 1 T granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and grated
1 3/4 cup heavy cream
1 large egg
1 cup chopped cherries (your choice)
1 jar of Chocolate "Schmear" 

Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 T light Karo syrup
2 T heavy cream

Valentine Cupid Sprinkles (optional)

Preheat oven to 375F-degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, mix the dry ingredients.  Grate the cold butter and add to the flour mixture, mixing on Speed # 2 until it resembles coarse sand.  Add the egg to the heavy cream and whisk to combine.  While the mixer is running on low, slowly add the cream mixture and the cherries.  When the dough comes together, stop the mixer and turn out onto a floured board.  Knead just until the dough forms a ball.

 Lightly flour the board once again, and on top of the dough.  Roll out to about 1/2-inch thickness and spread the Chocolate "Schmear" over the dough, leaving about 1/2" perimeter of the dough.

Roll the dough from the back to the front, lengthwise and seal the seam.  Divide the "log" in half, half again and then, each of those quarters into thirds for 12 pieces.  Flatten slightly and place on the backing sheet.  
Brush the tops with some additional heavy cream and bake for 15 minutes, then rotate pans and continue baking another 7 to 9 minutes until golden brown. 

Allow to cool about 10 minutes.  Make glaze and drizzle over the scones.  Sprinkle with the Valentine Cupid Sprinkles, if desired.

The perfect treat to begin Mardi Gras--Laissez les bons temps rouler!" Enjoy!
 

Cranberry~Eggnog Scones

Yesterday, when I was in the grocery store, my eye caught a glimpse of...oh, no--not yet, Egg Nog!

I have come to expect the retail stores pushing the holidays earlier and earlier, but now our grocery store too; what is this world coming too:-))  Egg nog was always a part of my mother's Christmas Eve celebration with family, but it was my dad who was in charge of "doctoring up" this holiday punch.

Egg nog is simply a frothy drink made from milk or cream, sugar, eggs, and spices (usually nutmeg).  It's very popular at the holidays in the United States and Canada and admittedly, has snuck into the Thanksgiving feast, as well.  Some believe it developed from a medieval English drink called posset, which is a beverage made with hot milk.  Also, the word nog is thought to come from middle English, meaning a small carved, wooden mug used to hold alcohol.  The version we enjoy today, though, probably came from the early colonists to America, who mixed up a drink with rum and called it "egg & grog"...later shortened to egg nog.

My dad's addition to the cream and egg mixture was brandy, rum, and bourbon; it made for a very "happy" drink reserved for adults only.  I remember my first Christmas Eve, after getting married, trying a punch glass of his concoction and after one sip, I was definitely loopy!!  So, I reserve egg nog for baking and leave the drinking to the grown ups:-D

Cranberry~Egg Nog Scones
4 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1/3 + 1 T granulated sugar
2 T baking powder
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter
1 large egg, lightly beaten + egg nog to measure 1 3/4 cups liquid
1 cup dried cranberries

egg wash:
1 large egg
1 T egg nog

glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 T light Karo syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 T hot water
freshly ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375F-degrees.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, measure all the dry ingredients and the cranberries and mix to combine.  It's important to use cold butter, so either grate it or as I did today, used a cheese slicer.

Set cheese slicer on 1/8-inch setting and slice across the butter.

 Incorporate the butter into the dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse sand.  (Don't worry if you see some small pieces of butter).  While the mixer is running on low, add the egg/egg nog mixture slowly.

After the dough comes together, stop the machine and transfer to a floured bread board.  Lightly knead dough, then use a rolling pin to roll dough to 1-inch thickness.  

You can free-hand cut the scones or use your favorite biscuit cutter (dipped in flour).  I decided to do an oval today; such a pretty shape. Make sure you just press down and pull up with the cutter--don't twist!  It's the secret to allowing the scones (or biscuits) to raise properly.

Place the scones on the baking sheet, re-rolling the scrapes--I ended up with 12 scones.

Brush tops with the egg wash and if desired, you can sprinkle the tops with coarse sanding sugar.  I wanted to glaze mine, so I didn't use sugar.

Bake about 15 to 17 minutes, rotating the pan half-way through the baking time to ensure even browning.

Allow to cool about 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to glaze.

Finally, grate some fresh nutmeg on top and serve warm with a cuppa tea, coffee, cocoa.

The flavor and richness of the scones was perfect on this rainy, chilly day; a great way to start the morning or have with your afternoon tea.  They may even make an appearance on Thanksgiving morn to have a quick bite before the baking marathon begins:-D Enjoy!