Orange Cranberry Scones

I’ve been on a ‘scones kick’ lately, so I made these this morning.  I used the same recipe as the Lemon Blueberry Scones, with a few minor changes.  These biscuits are light and sweet and drizzled with a fresh orange glaze.  They can be elegant or rustic – you decide.  Next time I think I’ll add some cardamom right into them – stay tuned for the results.  Happy Sunday.

2 C. flour

2 t. baking powder

Scant 1/2 C. sugar

½ t. salt

1 t. orange zest

½ pint of frozen cranberries, thawed

1/2 stick of frozen butter, diced

2 eggs

1/2 C. whole milk, plus more for glazing

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, sugar, zest and salt.  When mixed, add butter and combine with a pastry tool until butter is the size of small peas.  Add one egg at a time and cut into the pastry with a knife and a fork until well combined.  Fold in cranberries.  Pour in about 1/2 C. milk and fold gently until the mixture is slightly wet and sticky.  Add a bit more if it feels too dry.

On a floured surface, roll out dough until it is about 1" thick.  Cut into your desired shapes with a cookie cutter and place on a greased sheet pan.  Brush with more whole milk so that when it bakes it will have a beautiful golden glaze.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the scones are lightly golden (add more milk glaze if necessary).  Serve warm with butter, or cooled with orange glaze.

Leftover Grilled Cheese & Tomato Basil Soup

One of my absolute favorite things is leftover party food.  There's rarely a party I throw without a cheese plate, so when I have leftover party cheese, this is what I make.  It's crunchy and satisfying with a mélange of exotic cheese flavors.

And who doesn’t like tomato soup with their grilled cheese?  Take a few extra minutes to mature this childhood classic - it will be well worth your time.  This is a delicious and modern version of tomato soup that will take you back to the carefree days of crayons and rosy cheeks and imagination.  

2-3 types of cheese

2 slices of Pumpernickel or Marble Rye bread

Parsley

Dijon mustard

Butter the outer sides of two slices of bread.  On the inside, smear a thin layer of mustard.  Place a generous amount of leftover cheese on top of the mustard with a few parsley leaves.  Top the with another slice of bread. 

Warm a non-stick skillet over medium heat and place the sandwich in the skillet.  Cook until the underside of the sandwich is golden brown and crunchy.  Flip the sandwich and allow it to crisp. 

 Tomato Basil Soup

1 onion

3 garlic cloves

1 can tomatoes and juice

3 T. basil, julienned

2 cans tomato soup

2 cans milk

Sour Cream, plus 1 T. milk to thin

In a large saucepan, sauté onion and garlic in 1 T olive oil until soft, but not browned.  Add tomatoes with juice and 2 tablespoons of the basil and stir to combine.  Bring the vegetables to a simmer and add the tomato soup and milk.  Bring to a simmer and then set heat to low.  Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with a swirl of sour cream and julienned basil. 

Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze

My friend Kelly Rowe has taught me many of her baking techniques and this is one of my favorites.  Baking scones always reminds me of mornings in Flagstaff when I would teach French to her daughter Clio.  Each week, Kelly would make some delightful pastry to snack on while Clio and I parlé français.  Thank you, Kelly, for your wisdom, sanity and friendship. This morning, I traded some of them for a basket of fresh produce which I’ll use for meals later this week.  Paired with a cup of coffee and the orange blossoms in the back yard, these scones make my weekend mornings sublime. 

As you all know, I’m rather a nerd when it comes to food.  If you’re like me, you’ll be fascinated to learn that most of the world pronounces these pastries as “skon.”  Here in the U.S., they’re primarily known as “skoan.” Thank you to Kateryna and her exceedingly witted comrade, Priestly, for their tip du jour.

These scones are light and airy and packed with fresh flavor.  The lemon glaze on top adds just the right amount of sweet zeal. 

2 C. flour

2 t. baking powder

½ t. salt

Scant 1/2 C. sugar (less sugar for more traditional scones)

1 t. lemon zest

1/2 stick of frozen butter, diced

1/2 pint blueberries

2 eggs

½ C. whole milk, plus extra for glazing

Lemon glaze (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 350.  In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, sugar, zest and salt.  When combined, add butter and mix with a pastry tool until butter is the size of small peas.  Add one egg at a time and cut into the pastry with a knife and a fork until well combined.  Fold in blueberries.  Pour in about 1/2 C. milk and fold gently until the mixture is slightly wet and sticky.  Add a bit more if it feels too dry.

On a floured surface, roll out dough until it is about 1" thick.  Cut into your desired shapes with a cookie cutter and place on a greased sheet pan.  Brush with more whole milk so that when it bakes it will have a beautiful golden glaze.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the scones are lightly golden.  Serve warm with butter, or cooled with lemon glaze.

Lemon Glaze

1 C. powdered sugar

2-3 T. lemon juice

In a small bowl, stir together powdered sugar and lemon juice, adding more juice as necessary until glaze is thin and glossy.  Drizzle over the cooled scones.