Author

Ali

Tropical Granola with Apricots and Ginger

written by Ali

I made tropical granola today, because it rained all day today, and I’ve been having dreams of traveling to the tropics. Instead, I have two full weeks of travel on my schedule – with one trip to the Midwest and one to the South and both because I’m presenting at conferences in my field. I’ve been absent from the blog because of this (follow me on Instagram to see photos of my travels and, more importantly, my food on my travels). I’ll be posting a foodie travel update in a couple of weeks to share and review some of the restaurants I’ve been to and the food I’ve eaten.

In the meantime, I have a few days between trips and decided to make some granola, which makes a great travel snack. I used a combination of almonds, coconut, dried apricots, and chocolate covered ginger to spice things up. It’s also a quick recipe to make – thirty-five minutes from start to finish.

Tropical Granola
Serves 10

4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup whole almonds
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
1/4 cup chopped candied ginger (chocolate covered ginger is optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine the oats, almonds, coconut flakes, olive oil, honey, and maple syrup in a medium sized bowl. Make sure the oats are fully covered with the oil, honey, and syrup. Pour the oat mixture onto a parchment covered baking sheet and spread so that it covers the sheet. Bake for 10 minutes and stir. Bake another 10 minutes and stir again. Bake for a final 10 minutes and then set the granola aside to cool. Add the apricots and ginger when the granola is cool to the touch. Store in an airtight container.

October 10, 2016 0 comment

Baked Goods Breakfast Farmer's Market Holiday Recipes

Pumpkin Pie Spice Biscotti

written by Ali

I’m so delighted that fall is here! I couldn’t resist baking a batch of pumpkin pie spice biscotti this weekend, just to celebrate the start of October. These cookies make the entire house smell like the holidays – the pumpkin pie spice is so fragrant. I’m pretty generous with ginger in my spice blend and it comes through in a nice subtle way in these cookies.

I’ve been thinking some about the pumpkin pie spice craze – I’ll admit that as soon as it started raining, I was in line at Starbucks for my first Pumpkin Pie Spice Latte for the year, which really, honestly, tastes nothing like pumpkin or spice. I’ve since been sampling similar lattes at other coffee shops and have found a few favorites to get me through the season. I’ve also thought a lot about pumpkin pie spice – I don’t know when it became de rigueur to DIY pumpkin pie spice. I remember buying the premixed spice and having it around as a staple in the spice pantry. It’s so simple to mix up the spices yourself though, so I’m happy about this particular cooking trend.

And since this post is all about starting fall off with pumpkin, I recently read an interesting article that most canned pumpkin isn’t actually pumpkin at all, but is generally a blend of other winter squashes, like butternut squash because other winter squashes are less stringy than pumpkin and make a smoother puree. This was a bit of a revelation for me: I’ve been making my own pumpkin puree for years now and every time I open up a roasted pie pumpkin, I’ve thought – this thing looks more like an orange spaghetti squash than pumpkin puree, so what am I doing wrong? Then I put the thought aside, mash it up some, and throw it in the freezer to be used in things like these pumpkin pie spice biscotti or pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. The stringiness isn’t noticeable when it’s cooked into a baked good or even when it’s blended into a smoothie, so I’ll keep on making my pumpkin puree with pumpkin.

The bottom line here is that pumpkin and spice is a winning combination. Enjoy these pumpkin pie spice biscotti with a cup of coffee (or a pumpkin spice latte) or a cup of tea and sit back and watch the leaves fall.

Pumpkin Pie Spice Biscotti
Makes 2 dozen

½ cup pumpkin puree (recipe for DIY pumpkin puree here)
1 egg
4 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (see below to make your own)
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
To dip or drizzle:
1/3 cup white chocolate chips
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the butter and sugar in a medium sized bowl. Add the pumpkin puree and egg and mix. In a smaller bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine until all the dry ingredients are mixed in.

Turn the dough out onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Divide it into two sections and form each into a loaf. Flatten each loaf out a bit on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Remove the biscotti loafs from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Use a serrated edged knife to slice the loafs into ½ slices – you’ll be able to get about 12 cookies from each loaf. Place the biscotti back on the baking sheet in a single layer. As they will not rise anymore at this point, they don’t need space between them, so you can fit all the biscotti on one baking sheet.

Bake the sliced biscotti at 325 for 25 minutes or until they are brown and crispy looking. I usually flip them over about half way through to ensure even baking on both sides.

When the biscotti are baked, open the oven door and let the cookies cool in the oven for 15 minutes for a very crisp biscotti. Pull them out of the oven and finish cooling on a cooling rack.

When the biscotti are cooled, melt the chocolate chips (in two separate saucepans) and use them to drizzle to decorate. You can also dip the cookies in chocolate and nuts or just in chocolate. Let the cookies air dry and then store in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie Spice
3 tablespoons cinnamon
2 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
2 ½ teaspoons ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons allspice
1 ½ teaspoons ground cloves

Mix all the spices together in an airtight container.

October 4, 2016 0 comment

Farmer's Market Quick and Easy

DIY Pumpkin Puree the Easy Way

written by Ali

My first experience with DIY pumpkin puree was probably inspired by Martha Stewart. As a teenager, I used to watch Martha Stewart’s TV show with my mom when I was on summer break and then again during the winter holiday. I think this may have been when I started getting interested in where my food actually came from. The thought of using pumpkin for something other than carving it into a Jack-O-Lantern was really appealing, but I didn’t have a clue where to find a pie pumpkin. The only pumpkins in the grocery store were the carving kind.

Fast forward to my early twenties: I was still intrigued by all things food related. I had decided to be a vegetarian and wanted to find farm fresh vegetables. I started going to the Cherry Creek Farmer’s Market on a semi-regular basis, where I first found edamame (they come in pods on a stick – this was absolutely marvelous and exotic to me), various varieties of kale and chard, freshly made pasta, and, once fall rolled around, pie pumpkins. I dutifully dusted off my Martha Stewart Cookbook, wrestled the pumpkin open, pulled out the seeds, and roasted it. Note that this was the mid-nineties and my access to cooking related resources was actual cookbooks (I had a huge collection, including one book that had all sorts of pumpkin recipes in it – it was something of a revelation that pumpkin had uses other than Thanksgiving pie).

I kept on roasting pie pumpkins and other winter squash, like butternut squash, by dutifully cutting them open, pulling out the seeds and roasting. I had other encounters with winter squash, including discovering the ubiquitous local pumpkin when I lived in the Marshall Islands. Local pumpkin was really Kabocha squash, which I didn’t realize until I’d moved back to the US and joined a CSA. Local pumpkin, or Kabocha squash makes the most heavenly curry, but I digress.

All of this is to say that one day, in the not too distant past, after I had wrestled a pie pumpkin open to roast, I was browsing Pinterest and came across a recipe that has, frankly, changed my life. Ok – not changed my life so much, but definitely made an emergency room visit from trying to cut a very tough winter squash in half much less likely. Here’s the secret – when you need to roast a pumpkin or another winter squash to make a puree, just bake it like you would a baked potato.

That’s it – just put the squash in whole. I’ve done this for years without incident, but if you are worried about the risk of pumpkin explosion in the oven, you can make a few stabs at the squash like you would a potato. Bake it at 350 degrees until it’s easy to pierce with a knife. Let it cool (it’s steamy and hot, so risky to open it too soon and not get a steam burn). Cut it open, scoop out the seeds, scoop out the flesh and either puree it in a blender or mash it up with your hands or a potato masher.

I usually roast two pie pumpkins a season. I freeze it in quart freezer bags in 1 cup serving sizes. I can generally get around 6 cups of pumpkin from two small pie pumpkins.

If you are looking for a way to use up your pumpkin puree, check back in tomorrow when I will post a Pumpkin Pie Spice Biscotti that will rock your fall. Enjoy!

October 4, 2016 0 comment

Main Dishes Quick and Easy

Chicken Cordon Bleu for Two

written by Ali

My husband and I are a cooking couple – we both enjoy spending time in the kitchen and working on a new recipe, like this recipe for chicken cordon bleu for two. Cordon bleu is a fun recipe – it’s a combination of meat stuffed with more meat and cheese. Since I’m pretty avidly anti-ham (it’s just a weird meat to me – too prone to weird meaty bits sneaking in), we opted to make a variation with prosciutto and Swiss cheese.

This is a perfect serving size for two people, thus the chicken cordon bleu for two recipe title. It’s a very sexy dish for date night – with melty cheese, salty prosciutto and a crisp Panko topping. We served it with a roasted garlic sauce (because I love, love, love roasted garlic) and some tiny roasted cauliflower heads and some sautéed kale. And then we curled up and serial watched Deep Space Nine – it’s just how exciting we are.

The key to keeping the Swiss cheese from an excessive melt out is to carefully cut a slit from the thick part of the chicken breast into the middle. I’ve included a picture – and no, those are not my hands. Clay took on the bulk of the prep for this dish.

Chicken Cordon Bleu for Two
Serves 2

2 chicken breasts
4 pieces of prosciutto
4 slices of Swiss cheese
1 egg
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
1 head roasted garlic, garlic cloves squeezed out and mashed (optional)
3 tablespoons parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Drizzle the olive oil in the bottom of a baking pan.

Cut the Swiss cheese slices into 2 inch long strips. Put the strips together into two stacks and wrap with two slices of prosciutto each. Set aside.

Combine the Panko bread crumbs, garlic powder, salt, and Italian seasonings in a shallow bowl. Set aside. Break the egg in a shallow bowl and whisk until it is fluffy. Set aside.

Cut a slit into the middle of the chicken breasts (start in the thickest part and gently move the knife back and forth until there is enough space for the cheese and prosciutto). Once there is a large enough slit, push the prosciutto wrapped cheese into the slit. Dredge the stuffed chicken breasts in the egg and then in the Panko bread crumb mixture and place each in the baking oiled pan. Drizzle any egg that is left over the chicken breasts and then sprinkle any of the leftover Panko bread crumb mixture over the chicken.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the chicken reaches a meat thermometer temperature of 165 degrees.

In the last 10 minutes of the chicken baking, start the sauce. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Whisk in the roasted garlic (if using) and then incorporate the flour a bit at a time. Cook the flour/butter mixture for a minute. Add the milk and continue to whisk until the sauce thickens. Once the sauce is thickened, take the saucepan off the heat and add the parmesan cheese, whisking to incorporate.

Plate the stuffed chicken breasts and divide the sauce over the top. Enjoy!

I’m pleased to have this recipe on the Saucy Saturdays Blog Hop linky party. Please take a minute and check out the links to the hosts’ websites – these are some of my favorite blogs and Instagram feeds!

La Petit Chef
Mid-life Croissant
Take Two Tapas
The Flavor Blender

October 2, 2016 0 comment

Beverages

Kiwi Berry Gin and Tonic

written by Ali

Several weeks ago, I noticed that the local markets were selling kiwi berries, which just look like miniaturized kiwi fruit. Usually, I’m quick to try a new fruit, but I’d purchased some gooseberries early in the season and then let them linger in the fridge until they were unusable. I was hesitant to jump on the kiwi berry bandwagon until I knew what I could actually do with them.

But if you linger too long…I finally bought one little pint of fruit and fell instantly in love. It turns out that kiwi berries can be eaten as is – skin and all. They really are just little kiwis, with a slightly sweeter taste. They were so lovely, I went back to the store the next day to get more (because they also looked very photogenic, but I ate/used all of them before I got a good photo for the blog) and they were all gone. I searched around town and couldn’t find any more.

Fortunately, I’d split about half the berries and infused them in some gin, which means I do get to enjoy the kiwi berry season for a little longer than they are available. If you can’t find kiwi berries in your market, you can definitely use regular kiwis for this recipe. The kiwi infuses a slightly sweet tart tone to the gin.

If you live in a mild climate, you can grow your own kiwi berries. I think I see a garden project coming on for next year. In the meantime, I’m going to sit back and enjoy a kiwi berry infused gin and tonic.

The front picture is the kiwi berry infused gin. The back picture is fig infused brandy – I’m sure you’ll be seeing a cocktail inspired by this in October. I love this photo, as it seems a bit mad-scientist-about-to-go-awry.

Kiwi Berry Gin and Tonic
Serves 1

2 ounces kiwi berry infused gin (recipe below)
1/2 lime
tonic water
1 kiwi to garnish (or a few kiwi berries)

Pour the lime juice and infused gin over ice cubes in a cocktail glass. Add the tonic water and stir. Garnish with kiwi slices or kiwi berries. Enjoy!

Kiwi Berry Infused Gin
5 to 7 kiwi berries, sliced in half (or 1 kiwi, peeled and sliced)
Gin to cover the berries or kiwi slices

In a pint jar or similar container with a lid, cover the kiwi berries or kiwi with gin. Refrigerate for at least a week. When the flavor is to your liking, strain the fruit out using cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer. Refrigerate and enjoy!

September 30, 2016 2 comments

Breakfast Main Dishes

Egg and Sausage Poutine

written by Ali

Egg and sausage poutine is a glorious comfort food. I could easily eat it for breakfast (preferably with a Bloody Mary), but am just as happy to make this for dinner, particularly on a cool, rainy autumn night, served with a crisp Chardonnay and eaten watching a comedy.

My husband, Clay, is the person who brought poutine into our world. I am pretty sure he found a recipe for it on a video on Facebook. My initial reaction was one of skepticism – sure, it was a food that included French fries and cheese, but gravy? After some trial and error though, this has gone into my rotation of go-to comfort foods for days I’m feeling especially stressed out or unhappy. It’s a tie for me which is better – poutine or pasta carbonara.

Some food trivia: poutine is a dish that originated in Quebec and is very popular in Canada and some of the states that border Canada. In its simplest form, it is fries, curds, and gravy, but you can definitely add other things to it, including bacon (my favorite), ham, etc. I suppose if you felt really guilty about eating it, you could add a veggie component – I can imagine (though have yet to try) that some shaved and crisped Brussel sprouts could be really lovely with this.

Egg and Sausage Poutine
Serves 4

Brown gravy (recipe below)
1 bag frozen French fries
1 package link breakfast sausages
4 eggs
1 package cheese curds

Brown Gravy
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup beef broth

Bake the fries according to the package directions. As the fries bake, cook the breakfast sausages until they are browned. While fries and sausage cook, make the gravy. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and gradually whisk in the flour to make a roux. Cook the roux for a minute, continuing to whisk. Pour in the beef broth and continue to whisk. Cook for about five minutes or until the gravy comes to your preferred thickness. Remove the gravy from the heat and set aside.

Set aside the sausage. Fry the eggs – I prefer a slightly runny yolk with this recipe, but you can also cook the eggs until the yolk is set if you prefer. Once all components are cooked, plate the poutine by setting down a base of French fries on each plate. Divide the curds over each plate of fries. Drizzle some of the gravy over the top. Place the sausages and egg on top and top with more gravy. Enjoy!

September 29, 2016 0 comment

Baked Goods Lunch Recipes Uncategorized

Kale, Walnut, and Prosciutto Flatbread

written by Ali

I’ve been toying with the idea of making flatbread for lunch for a while now, so when I saw a big bunch of Lacinato Kale at the market this weekend, I decided it pair it with walnuts and prosciutto to make kale walnut, and prosciutto flatbread. This is a riff on a pasta dish I used to make all the time that included kale, walnuts and feta cheese. If you wanted to do a vegetarian version of this flatbread, I think feta would make a lovely substitution for the prosciutto.

At the same time that I start to miss tomato season, fall in the PNW responds with an abundant of fall veggies, including kale. I enjoy the texture of Lacinato Kale (and particularly love the fact that it’s more common name is Dinosaur Kale – I envision large primordial kale plants being munched on by some veggie loving dinosaur). Walnuts and kale are such natural partners, especially when the walnuts are lightly toasted.

You could use a pre-made flatbread for this, or use my quick no-rise focaccia recipe. The top of the focaccia was very uneven, so I flipped it over and used the bottom for the top of the flatbread. I’ve been eating this for lunch this week, along with the last of the figs of the season with some Greek yogurt. It’s been a good lunch for cooler days, particularly after I’ve taken a little break to walk around the neighborhood where I work and watch the leaves fall.

Kale, Walnut and Prosciutto Flatbread
Serves 4

No Rise Focaccia
2 cups warm water
2 teaspoons yeast (or one package)
2 teaspoons salt
4 cups flour

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

Prepare two cake pans by either cutting out parchment paper to fit the bottom and up a bit on the sides or thoroughly oiling them. Combine all the ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl and mix. Flour your hands (the dough is very sticky) and split the dough into two pieces. Pat each piece into a cake plan until the dough covers the bottom of the pan. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the top is golden and the bread sounds hollow when gently tapped. Set aside on a cooling rack to cool.

Kale, Walnut and Prosciutto Flatbread
2 no-rise focaccias or 2 store-bought flatbreads
1 bunch Lacinato kale, de stemmed and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup chopped walnuts
8 pieces of prosciutto
½ cup parmesan cheese

Set your oven to broil. Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the kale and salt. Sauté until the kale is wilted. Divide the kale between the two flatbreads, spreading it evenly over the surface of each. Layer the prosciutto on top and sprinkle with the walnuts. Top with parmesan cheese. Broil for five minutes or until the cheese is gently browned and melted. Enjoy!

September 28, 2016 0 comment

Freezer Meals Main Dishes

Sausage and Spinach Mac and Cheese

written by Ali

The past weekend was the weekend for comfort food, including this sausage and spinach mac and cheese. As the weather turns gloomy and we realize that the three hour move north really will make a difference in terms of the number of cloudy days and rain, I’m starting to dig around more in Pinterest and my own recipe archives to find foods that evoke warmth and coziness. Mac and cheese is definitely one of these – it’s super indulgent and satisfying.

I much prefer making my own cheese sauce rather than eating mac and cheese made out of the contents of a box. Making cheese sauce can be intimidating, as to get it to the proper thickness, you start with a roux. A roux definitely borders the line between easy cooking into a more Martha Stewart or Nigella Lawson world, but I promise you, it’s not nearly as complicated as it might seem. The key is low heat and paying attention to the butter and flour in the first stage and then keeping a close eye on the milk or cream in the second stage. Keep it on low, use a whisk to keep stirring, and just keep stirring and it will turn out just fine.

I recommend some sort of chicken sausage for this recipe – I used an Olympia Provisions sausage (OP is quite popular in this part of the PNW). Spinach is a good go-to green to include, though this would work well with chard or kale, as well.

Sausage and Spinach Mac and Cheese
Serves 4

Cheese Sauce
1 head roasted garlic (optional)
3 tablespoons butter
1 ½ tablespoons flour
1 cup half and half or milk
2 cups cheese (gruyere works well, as does cheddar)

Filling
4 precooked sausages, chopped into ½ inch pieces
1 bunch spinach
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ package rotini pasta or similar

Breadcrumb Topping
½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil

Bring a pot of water to a boil and boil the pasta according to the directions on the package.

While the pasta is cooking, wash and chop the spinach. Sauté the spinach on medium heat in 1 teaspoon olive oil until it is wilted. Remove from the heat and drain in a colander to remove excess moisture. Set aside.

Make the cheese sauce. Add the butter and roasted garlic (if using) to a small sauce pan. Melt the butter over low heat and mash the garlic as the butter melts. Once the butter is melted, add the flour a little bit at a time and whisk it into the butter as you add. When all the flour is incorporated, cook on low for a minute, continuously whisking. Add the milk or half and half and continue to stir for about 5-7 minutes or until the sauce begins to thicken. Once thickened, remove from heat and add the cheese, stirring to incorporate.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Assemble the pasta, sausage, and spinach in an oven-proof pan. An 11 x 13 Pyrex pan works well for this. Spoon the cheese sauce over the pasta mixture and gently fold in. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for the breadcrumb topping and then spread the topping over the mac and cheese. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the topping is golden brown. Enjoy!

September 24, 2016 0 comment

Beverages

Mostly Classic Manhattan

written by Ali

Last week, I was happily sitting outside in the sun and sipping away at a melon mojito; this week, I’m cozied up under a blanket with dog snuggled tight against me under an afghan and sipping away at a very classic fall drink – the Manhattan. I’m calling this a mostly classic Manhattan, as I did make a few small tweaks to the common recipe.

First off, as I think I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’ve been slowly rebuilding my liquor cabinet contents since we moved back in March. I had more storage space, for one, in our old house, so had plenty of room to have things like a quarter full bottle of Midori floating around forever. In this house, if it doesn’t have an immediate use or purpose, there just isn’t enough room to keep it around. As a result, most of my half-open bottles of various liquors were donated to friends before we left, which apparently included both my whiskey and bourbon.

And then we moved and in the chaos of the move and setting up in a new place, my brain said – of course you still have whiskey and bourbon; why would you have left these staples behind? If only my moving brain and my current brain could get on the same page, I wouldn’t be left mid-recipe back in July for bourbon ribs having to scurry over to the liquor store to buy bourbon…

I digress, sort of. I did buy bourbon. I did not, however, replace the whiskey, which I, of course realized after I got home from the liquor store to buy the sweet vermouth and bitters for this recipe. So…substitution time. I made my mostly classic Manhattan with a honey bourbon, which is what I had on hand. I actually really liked the soft and subtle honey flavor in this and the orange bitters really complimented it. The orange bitters are not really classic – a true Manhattan would use Angostura bitters, but I have been in a citrus kind of mood, so quite enjoyed the blending of flavors that the bitters added.

This is a great sit-by-the-fire-and-sip drink. Serve it over ice and feel free to garnish as you choose – brandied cherries would be lovely in this, but the candied lemon was great, too. Yay for fall!

Mostly Classic Manhattan
2 ounces whiskey or bourbon
1 ounce sweet vermouth
A few dashes of orange bitters
Candied lemon (recipe below)

Add the whiskey or bourbon, sweet vermouth, and orange bitters to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Serve over ice. Garnish with candied lemon.

Candied Lemon
1 lemon, sliced into 1/8^th inch slices and de-seeded
2 cups water
1 cup sugar

Boil 1 cup of the water and add the lemons. Boil for 1 minute and then drain. This blanching step helps to pull some of the bitterness out of the lemon rind.

Combine the remaining 1 cup of water and the sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add the blanched lemons and cook on a low boil for an hour. Remove the lemon slices and let dry on a parchment lined baking sheet for 24 hours. These keep well in an airtight container.

September 23, 2016 0 comment

Baked Goods Breakfast Farmer's Market

Pear and Chocolate Scones

written by Ali

These pear and chocolate scones came about because I drank a cup of Earl Grey tea the other afternoon and decided that my next cup of tea needed to be accompanied by scones. That, and, through a moment of marital miscommunication at Trader Joe’s last weekend, we ended up with two boxes of butter, two dozen eggs, and two containers of heavy cream, which neither of us realized until we were home and unloading the groceries. Fortunately, scones use heavy cream, eggs, and butter and even more fortunate still, it was a rainy and gloomy weekend, which made it perfect for scone experimentation.

I also bought pears, which are a somewhat ambivalent fruit for me. I like pears and I feel obligated to buy them in the fall. Unfortunately, I often forget that they are lurking in the fridge (though I recently read they shouldn’t be stored in the fridge at all), and end up with pear mush. This time of year, I see all the lovely pear recipes – pear galettes, pear tarts, fancy whole pears in cakes – and think, this will be the year I make something fancy with pears.

I don’t know that these scones exactly fit the bill of fanciness with pear. However, they are a good start in that direction and may inspire me to break out the rough puff pastry next week and cook up some pastry laden pears. In the meantime, these go really well with a cup of coffee, as well as with a cup of tea. They were fairly quick to put together, too, and can last a few days in an airtight container, so make a great morning-at-work snack.

(I didn’t mean to cut these as crazily as I did – I was aiming for mini-scones and went off the rails. My advice – make the cuts like you would for a pizza.)

Pear and Chocolate Scones
Serves 12

2 cups flour
¼ cup sugar
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter
½ cup heavy cream
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pear, chopped into small pieces
½ cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into slices. Add the butter into the dry mixture and either use a pastry cutter or your hands to incorporate the butter until it forms pea size chunks. Add the heavy cream, egg and vanilla and gently incorporate until all the flour/butter mixture is wet and sticks together in a shaggy dough. Add the pear and chocolate chips and gently incorporate.

Turn the dough out onto a parchment lined baking sheet and form into a circle. Cut the dough into twelve pieces that radiate out from the middle of the circle. Gently separate each piece – you want just a bit of space between each scone so that they can rise.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tops of the scones are golden brown. Enjoy!

September 20, 2016 0 comment

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