Tag: #kingarthurflour
“Bacon Up” Some Savory Scones

“Bacon Up” Some Savory Scones

By | | Comments 0 Comment

It is not surprising that I love scones.  Scones are the British version of biscuits and as you all know, I am obsessed with biscuits.  I will go in search of two things on my travels, BISCUITS and PIE. Yep, I have been known to detour far and wide for either.  I may not go out of my way for a scone (who am I kidding, yes I will), but if I happen on a bakery and they have scones, that’s what will be sitting next to my cup of joe.  At home, my favorite scone recipe is from Dorie Greenspan.  Tender, crumbly, buttery, a touch of sweetness-downright delicious.  Make it with currants for a classic cream scone, or change it up and add orange zest and dried cranberries or my personal favorite, lemon and wild blueberries.

But this post takes a walk on the savory side.  Recommended by my friend Mary, baker extraordinaire-Bacon, Cheddar, Chive Scones from King Arthur Flour are seriously addicting.  That first bite fills your mouth with buttery crumbs, chunks of golden cheese, flecks of green chives, and then…wait for it..sweet, salty, crispy, bits of BACON.  Hello?  Are you smacking your lips right now?  You should be.

bacon cheddar chive scone

These are quick and easy to make and you can freeze the unbaked scones, take them out in the morning, throw them in the oven and voila, 30 minutes later, you are enjoying freshly baked warm scones.

After cutting the butter into the flour mixture, add your flavor bombs.

Add cream and fold, smoosh the dough together and form a disc approximately 1 inch thick, cut into wedges.  Do not overmix, but the dough should come together when pinched.  Add cream in tablespoon increments if necessary.

Confession.  The first time I made these was on a whim.  I opened the door to my fridge, hmmm, no chives, scallions will have to do.  What? No heavy cream, you’re kidding… well, I do have half & half, why not?  The trifecta of substitutions, I had a medley of cheese, Monterey Jack, Cheddar, and Mozzarella no cheddar.

Last minute bakers cannot be choosy.

The scones turned out fine. Light, great bacon flavor, definitely a keeper and I saved all those calories using half-half. Not bad!

The next time I was prepared-heavy cream, pastry flour, chives, sharp cheddar cheese…you betcha’.  This scone was a bit denser and moister, I could taste the sharp cheddar and overall the scone seemed richer.

Both scones were delicious.  So I leave it to you.  For a richer scone use heavy cream, for a lighter scone use half & half but definitely use sharp cheddar cheese for flavor.  I might even add some chopped jalapeno next time to spice it up a bit.  Woohoo!

**Alert** If you are a purist do not read the next paragraph.  The recipe calls for approximately a cup of chopped bacon.  That’s a lot of bacon.  You COULD oven-bake or pan-fry (all that splatter, ugh) the half pound of bacon and crumble it into bits, OR you could go to Costco and buy ready to use REAL bacon bits.  We are not talking imitation Bacobits but real bacon.  Snap, So EASY.

 

 

 

Print Pin

Bacon-Cheddar-Chive Scones

Course Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine American, British
Keyword scone
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or Pastry Flour Blend either works fine
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 4 tablespoons cold butter
  • 1 cup very coarsely grated or diced cheddar cheese grated works well
  • 1/3 cup snipped fresh chives or finely diced scallion tops the green part
  • 1/2 pound bacon cooked, cooled, and crumbled (about 1 cup)* see text above
  • 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream or whipping cream or enough to make the dough cohesive

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the middle to upper third. Lightly grease a baking sheet, or line it with parchment.
  • Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Work the butter into the flour until the mixture is unevenly crumbly, with some of the butter remaining in larger pieces.
  • Mix in the cheese, chives, and bacon until evenly distributed.
  • Add 3/4 cup of the cream, stirring to combine. Try squeezing the dough together; if it's crumbly and won't hang together, or if there are crumbs remaining in the bottom of the bowl, add cream until the dough comes together. Transfer the shaggy dough to a well-floured work surface.
  • Pat the dough into a smooth 7" disk about 3/4" thick. Transfer the disk to the prepared baking sheet. Use a knife or bench knife to cut the disk into 8 wedges, spreading the wedges apart a bit on the pan.
  • Brush the scones with a bit of cream; this will help their crust brown.
  • Bake the scones in the middle or upper third of the oven for 22 to 24 minutes, until they're golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and cool right on the pan.If they brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil.   Serve warm, or at room temperature.
  • Refrigerate any leftover scones, well wrapped, for several days; reheat before serving. Freeze for longer storage.

Notes

Want to make scones now, freeze and bake later?
Make scones up to the point they're on the baking sheet, cut and ready to bake; don't brush them with cream. Freeze, then remove from the sheet, and wrap airtight in a plastic bag. When you're ready to bake, remove however many you want to bake from the freezer, place on a baking sheet, brush with cream, and bake in a preheated 425°F oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown.
Make mini-scones: Divide the dough in half, and roll each half into a 5" round. Cut each round into 8 wedges. Bake in a preheated 425°F oven till golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes; or for about 25 minutes if frozen.
Squash-O-Rama (Zucchini Bread)

Squash-O-Rama (Zucchini Bread)

By | | Comments 0 Comment

We returned home from our road trip to Minneapolis to the first zucchini of the season. Yay! Of course by the end of the season I’m not sure I will still be cheering but for now, it is a welcome sight. Grilled and roasted tops the list in our house, BUT you can only roast or grill so many zucchinis.  At the height of the season, we need to expand our repertoire on what the heck to do with all that squash.

1001 Ways to Use Your Squash, just kidding but I do have a couple that will keep you from pulling your hair out and screaming “Noooooo!” at the sight of another green courgette.

Zoodles! Replace a portion of noodles in your favorite pasta dishes with julienned zucchini. This cuts down all those dreaded carb calories and adds flavor and texture to summertime pasta dishes, a WIN-WIN if you ask me. Julienned zucchini ribbons don’t require much cooking,  I toss zoodles in with just-drained pasta.  The heat from the noodles is enough to cook the zucchini. Try this Tomato, Bacon and Arugula Pasta/Zoodle dish, quick, easy and delicious.

From Ottolenghi’s Jerusalem cookbook, a recipe for Turkey Zucchini Burgers can put a dent in any bounty of squash.  Make em’ big and use them for burgers, make em’ small for a perfect happy hour appetizer.

simple zucchini bread

Zucchini bread!!!  When everyone is really tired of eating all that squash, this is the sneaky way to use up your store without your family knowing they are eating MORE zucchini.

There are thousands of zucchini bread recipes out there, not quite rock star banana bread numbers but enough to make your head spin.  I’m going to make it easy for you…King Arthur Flour Zucchini Bread is moist, flavorful and damn delicious.  Lightly spiced with cinnamon, sweetened with brown sugar, and finished with walnuts and golden raisins it’s a winner. Its so easy the title is Simple Zucchini Bread.  You can substitute or add just about anything but the kitchen sink. I didn’t have raisins so I used KA’s Jammy Bits (little fruit flavor bombs), or you could use any dry fruit, like cranberries or apples.  Don’t like walnuts? Use pecans or almonds. Instead of a loaf of bread, make muffins, just remember to decrease the baking time to approximately 20-25 minutes. Whatever you do, keep this recipe in mind the next time you are looking at a bushel of squash and wondering what to do with it.

simple zucchini bread

Print Pin

Simple Zucchini Bread

A delicious, easy quick bread
Course Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword zucchin bread
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons boiled cider apple juice, orange juice, milk, water, or the liquid of your choice
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon optional
  • 1 3/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 cups grated or shredded zucchini somewhere between firmly and lightly packed
  • 3/4 cup chopped walnuts toasted until golden
  • 3/4 cup raisins or currants golden raisins preferred
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar for sprinkling on top optional

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, beat together the brown sugar, boiled cider or other liquid, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
  • Whisk the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon into the flour, then add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients in the bowl, stirring or beating gently until smooth.
  • Stir in the zucchini, walnuts, and raisins or currants.
  • Scoop the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it if necessary. Sprinkle with brown sugar, if desired.
  • Bake the bread for 55 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The top (just under the crust) may seem a bit sticky; but so long as the toothpick doesn't reveal wet batter, it's done.
  • Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it in the pan for 10 minutes. Turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool completely. For best results, don't slice until it's cool.
  • Store the bread at cool room temperature, well wrapped, for several days; freeze for longer storage.

Notes

  • Shredded zucchini varies a lot in weight, depending on the season, the freshness of the vegetable, the fineness of the shred, and how firmly you pack it into the cup. Measure your zucchini by volume in this recipe, not weight; don't fret if your weight doesn't match the weight in the recipe.
  • To toast chopped walnuts, spread them in a single layer in a baking pan, and toast in a preheated 350°F oven for about 6 minutes, or until they're golden brown and smell "toasty.

 
(Blueberry Hand Pies) Girls Just Wanna Have Pie

(Blueberry Hand Pies) Girls Just Wanna Have Pie

By | | Comments 2 comments

I am a pie kind of gal.  It is common knowledge, I will search for pie at every opportunity-family vacations, weekend jaunts, regattas, anytime, anywhere. Yes, some serious hunting for a slice of some “damn fine pie”.  A family trip years ago in a rental car did not deter me (our Suburban died in Salt Lake City on our way to Yellowstone for a bike trip) from stopping in Logan, Utah just to eat huckleberry pie…we had to drive through Utah to get to Yellowstone anyways, why not? Then there are my crewmates who have come to realize I don’t row to row, I row to eat pie.  Luckily they like pie too.  A 4-hour detour to Underhill Vermont for pie NBD, right?

Hand Me a Pie

I have been eyeing a recipe for blueberry hand pies from King Arthur Flour for awhile and just hadn’t gotten off my duff to try it.  A little nudge was all I needed, which happened when a post on Ipso Fatto (on my FAV blog list) for that very recipe arrived in my inbox. Coupled with blueberries that have been so good lately….made it a no-brainer to finally try it.   I’m glad I did, these hand pies are SUPER DELICIOUS!  The crust is flaky and buttery with a touch of tartness from the sour cream. The filling is simple and straight forward, blueberries with a bit of lemon like Fred and Ginger, the perfect duo.

Cold Cash, I mean Dough

The dough is fairly easy to work with so I would recommend this for pie crust novices.  Use a food processor to combine the dry ingredients and the butter.  Use quick pulses to break up the butter into the flour.  When the butter is about pea size stop and proceed by hand.  Out comes my wooden bowl, in goes the butter-flour mixture.  Add the sour cream to this and using your hand or a wooden spoon, stir to incorporate the sour cream.  You will end up with a shaggy mess that does not stick together (see above photo with blueberries).  Pour this mixture onto a flat surface and using a dough scraper or hand “smoosh” the dough together until it comes together.  Form into a disc and chill.

The Pi Golden Rule (I just made that up) if the dough gets soft or sticky and difficult to work with, throw it in the fridge to CHILL.  This will save you lots of tears and frustration.  Roll dough out between parchment and transfer it to a baking sheet so it can chill again before cutting.

The extra step for this dough is folding it like an envelope and rolling it out a couple of times.  Much like the puff pastry process, this creates layers of butter in the dough and makes the crust FLAKY.  SO YUMMY.  The recipe calls for an egg wash and coarse sugar sprinkled on the pies.  Me, meh, sugar on my pie crust is not my thing so I skipped it, up to you.  Dust the pies with powdered sugar to add some sweetness.  I adore lemon and blueberry together so I kicked it up a notch by adding a teaspoon of lemon zest to the filling.  La la la….love it!

So the name of the game is don’t overwork your dough, chill it if gets too soft, work quickly.  Ta-dah! Blueberry hand pies that will blow your family and friends away.

Print

Let Them Eat Pie

Ingredients

PASTRY

  • 2 cups 81/2 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup 16 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup cold sour cream

FILLING

  • 2 cups blueberries fresh or frozen
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch or 1 tablespoon Instant ClearJel*
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt a large pinch
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • *For frozen berries use 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch or 1 1/2 tablespoons ClearJel.

TOPPING

  • 1 large egg beaten
  • 2 tablespoons white sparkling sugar for garnish

Instructions

  • The directions can be found here on the King Arthur Flour site.
  • Optional changes include:
  • 1/2 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest to the blueberry filling
  • Omit sparkling sugar and egg wash, dust with powdered sugar before serving.
  • I'm sure this would work with any seasonal fruit including strawberries and lime, or peaches with hint of almond extract...go for it!