Celebrating with Scones
Forgive me!
This is my third post about food in four days, and between that and posts about books, you must think that's about all I get done around here...eat and read!
Believe me, while that does sound like a very pleasant existence, there are other things that happen in my life: teaching Elasa what a sphere is in math, going to Prayer Meeting in single-digit weather & nylons, attempting to iron but getting off the hook when the iron calls in sick, changing Parker's wardrobe after he soaks himself playing in the dishwater left undrained after his older siblings washed the dishes, making a huge batch of granola (oops! Food again!)
I've even been taking small and furtive bites from a brand new and rather large tome of a book on, uhm...dieting!
But more on that another time...
Diets are not for cold evenings in February when the temperature is groveling in the basement on the thermometer.
These evenings beg for comfort foods that go well with a cup of tea (in which case, mashed potatoes don't quite cut it!) and on that list, scones are right there at the tippy top!
And besides, when I walked into my house today after knitting class and a quick stop at the fabric store, the clock was telling me that there wasn't much time left to prepare supper, much less think about it.
I tossed a few ideas around, but when the thought of scones swam to the top, it didn't take much to convince me that they were the perfect food.
Quick, simple, warm, and delicious.
Thankfully I married well and have a husband who is about as excited about scones as I am...even when they happen to be what's for supper on a Thursday night (with a side of eggs and some hot mint tea, of course!)
Along with being a comfort food, scones also seem a bit celebratory to me, and I had something worth celebrating:
I finished my first knitting project today!!!
I had been worried that I wouldn't get my hat done until spring, but I took the time to work on it this morning, and then had the entire two-plus hours of knitting class to work on it while sitting beside my teacher, and I surprised even myself with how quickly it came together!
The fact that I was working with chunky yarn helped the project go faster, but then again, that's why I chose chunky yarn...I wanted to have something to show for my labors sooner rather than later!
Now I've already begun casting on for a matching scarf and we'll see if I get to wear them together before spring!!!
By the looks of things, I just might!
Either way, I am keeping my scone recipe handy:
Cream Scones
2 c. flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. butter
1 c. cream
Mix dry ingredients, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Make a well in the center and add the cream. Mix until the dough clings together and is a bit sticky. Do not overmix. Turn out onto floured surface and shape into 1-8 in. rounds. Cut each round into 6 wedges. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
One little trick of the trade that I will insert here is a tip I picked up and have now incorporated into my life as one of those things that you love every time you do it: when the recipe calls for cold butter or when you are to cut the butter into the dough, I get a stick out of the freezer and grate the amount I need, still frozen, and add it to the dough! It looks a great deal like cheese, and incorporates beautifully into the dough, making it nice & crumbly, with only a few flicks of the spoon. I am certain that this method makes for more flaky, tender scones, which is always something I strive for!
(The following pictures were actually taken a few weeks ago when I was making these cones and thinking about writing a post about them. Parker was my helper on that occasion and judging by the way the scones turned out, he may just have a future wearing a chef's hat!)
This is my third post about food in four days, and between that and posts about books, you must think that's about all I get done around here...eat and read!
Believe me, while that does sound like a very pleasant existence, there are other things that happen in my life: teaching Elasa what a sphere is in math, going to Prayer Meeting in single-digit weather & nylons, attempting to iron but getting off the hook when the iron calls in sick, changing Parker's wardrobe after he soaks himself playing in the dishwater left undrained after his older siblings washed the dishes, making a huge batch of granola (oops! Food again!)
I've even been taking small and furtive bites from a brand new and rather large tome of a book on, uhm...dieting!
But more on that another time...
Diets are not for cold evenings in February when the temperature is groveling in the basement on the thermometer.
These evenings beg for comfort foods that go well with a cup of tea (in which case, mashed potatoes don't quite cut it!) and on that list, scones are right there at the tippy top!
And besides, when I walked into my house today after knitting class and a quick stop at the fabric store, the clock was telling me that there wasn't much time left to prepare supper, much less think about it.
I tossed a few ideas around, but when the thought of scones swam to the top, it didn't take much to convince me that they were the perfect food.
Quick, simple, warm, and delicious.
Thankfully I married well and have a husband who is about as excited about scones as I am...even when they happen to be what's for supper on a Thursday night (with a side of eggs and some hot mint tea, of course!)
Along with being a comfort food, scones also seem a bit celebratory to me, and I had something worth celebrating:
I finished my first knitting project today!!!
I had been worried that I wouldn't get my hat done until spring, but I took the time to work on it this morning, and then had the entire two-plus hours of knitting class to work on it while sitting beside my teacher, and I surprised even myself with how quickly it came together!
The fact that I was working with chunky yarn helped the project go faster, but then again, that's why I chose chunky yarn...I wanted to have something to show for my labors sooner rather than later!
Now I've already begun casting on for a matching scarf and we'll see if I get to wear them together before spring!!!
By the looks of things, I just might!
Either way, I am keeping my scone recipe handy:
Cream Scones
2 c. flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. butter
1 c. cream
Mix dry ingredients, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Make a well in the center and add the cream. Mix until the dough clings together and is a bit sticky. Do not overmix. Turn out onto floured surface and shape into 1-8 in. rounds. Cut each round into 6 wedges. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
One little trick of the trade that I will insert here is a tip I picked up and have now incorporated into my life as one of those things that you love every time you do it: when the recipe calls for cold butter or when you are to cut the butter into the dough, I get a stick out of the freezer and grate the amount I need, still frozen, and add it to the dough! It looks a great deal like cheese, and incorporates beautifully into the dough, making it nice & crumbly, with only a few flicks of the spoon. I am certain that this method makes for more flaky, tender scones, which is always something I strive for!
(The following pictures were actually taken a few weeks ago when I was making these cones and thinking about writing a post about them. Parker was my helper on that occasion and judging by the way the scones turned out, he may just have a future wearing a chef's hat!)
Scones, the quintessential companion to tea.
Newly knitted hats, the perfect reason to celebrate.
Winter, the bane and the blessing that brings it all together.
I was just thinking about scones seconds before checking out your blog tonight. I'm thinking of making some tomorrow... maybe taking them down to the girl's dorm for to go with their Sunday morning coffee party. One of my latest scone joys is to add chopped frozen or fresh cranberries to my orange cranberry scones instead of dried ones. A little bit harder to work with the dough after the cranberries are added, but so worth the extra flavor and pop of color. I'm thinking with longing toward the next time we can sit down over a cup of tea and, just maybe, a nice warm scone!
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