Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

These are not ordinary scones.  First of all the flavor; lots of lemon flavor from grated lemon zest and a subtle undertone of finely chopped rosemary.  The texture is both crumbly and crisp.  Secondly the method of preparation; the dough is rolled into a long log, stored in the refrigerator and sliced and baked when you are ready.  This is perfect to have on hand for fresh scones for breakfast without the prep and clean-up.

The recipe came from a source new to me.  There is a small 40 seat restaurant in Freedom, Maine named {the} Lost Kitchen run by an intrepid strong woman named Erin French.  She had previously run a Secret Supper Club from her apartment.  These “pop-up” dining places have become popular.  Witness the seasonal pop-up that Mimi Thorisson established in her rural home in France.  Erin’s Pop-up restaurant and cooking garnered such enthusiasm that she eventually opened a restaurant in Belfast, Maine.  But after two years and much soul searching, plus a divorce, she eventually lost the restaurant.  Erin worked her way back, first by outfitting an Airstream trailer for cooking (bought in my neighborhood of Bat Cave by the way), and then by finding an old mill that she turned into a restaurant in her hometown of Freedom, Maine.

I would love to eat there some day.  The restaurant is opened from May 1st until New Years Eve.  Reservations open on April 1st of each year.  This year on April 1st the phone rang so often that 10,000 people called for reservations. Needless to say, the staff was overwhelmed and the waiting list is long for a 40 seat establishment.  You can hear Erin’s story in this  James Beard Award Winning Video.

 

All I can say about Erin’s recipe for scones is that I will be making them again and using her idea of forming a log from the dough so that I can bake them in my own time.  The flavor of these scones is amazing, but be sure to use lots of lemon zest.  I tried to hide them so I could keep them to myself, but David was not to be outdone. Even though bread is not in his diet, he managed to eat several.  They are delicious. Just imagine how many combinations you can come up with. I am planning another batch. Erin French is my new hero.  If I were younger I would want to be her.  I wish her the best. You will not be sorry to own this beautiful cookbook.  Buy it on Amazon.

SUGARED ROSEMARY-LEMON SCONES ( Erin French from Food & Wine Magazine )

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon ( Use a large lemon or two small ones)
• 1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 3/4 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

1. In a food processor, pulse the flour with the 1/3 cup of sugar, the rosemary, baking powder, salt and lemon zest. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with some pea-size pieces of butter still visible. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the 3/4 cup of cream until a shaggy dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knead just until it comes together. Gently roll the dough into a 14-inch log, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm.

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees; and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the log into 8 rounds and transfer to the baking sheet. I sliced them into 10 rounds.  Brush the scones with cream and sprinkle generously with sugar. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until the scones are golden. Let cool slightly before serving.

Printable Recipe

While our friends were visiting, I made a batch of scones.  Scones have all of the qualities of good biscuits but with the sweetness and flavor amped up.  Orange and cranberry flavors are just right.  This is an Ina Garten recipe, so what else do you need to know?  They are so darn good. Plus they are so easy to make because they are blended in the Kitchen Aid Mixer.  Just add the flour, flavorings, butter and turn on the paddle attachment.  I actually made these scones ahead of time and reheated them for breakfast.  It couldn’t have been easier.

Flakey, impressive and just the right kind of breakfast accompanied by fruit.  I have been known to make decadent breakfasts for this group of friends, but we are all getting older, trying to eat better and much more aware of our health.  The guys went on to eat crazy lunches at bike week venues, but we girls had a lovely lunch in St. Augustine, one of my favorite locales.

St. Augustine has such a unique vibe.  It is a small city with the historic fame of being one of the first settlements in the United States.  The historic district is charming and the shops and restaurants are quaint.  After lunch we walked around the cobbled streets and I was drawn to this small outdoor eatery.  Love the ladies dining in straw hats.  It was a beautiful Spring day.  What more could you want?

Please try Ina’s Cranberry Orange Scones.  You will be as happy as we were.  My friend Barbara is making them for her Easter Brunch.

CRANBERRY ORANGE SCONES

4 cups plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons grated orange zest (2 oranges)
3/4 pound (3 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup (1/2 pint) cold heavy cream
1 cup dried cranberries
1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water, for egg wash
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
4 teaspoons freshly squeezed orange juice

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix 4 cups of flour, 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, the baking powder, salt and orange zest. Add the cold butter and mix at the lowest speed until the butter is the size of peas. Combine the eggs and heavy cream and, with the mixer on low speed, slowly add to the flour and butter mixture. Mix until just blended. The dough will look lumpy! Combine the dried cranberries and 1/4 cup of flour, add to the dough and mix on low speed until blended.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and knead it into a ball. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough just under 1 inch thick. You should see small bits of butter in the dough. Keep moving the dough on the floured board so it doesn’t stick. Flour a 3-inch round plain or fluted cutter and cut circles of dough. Place the scones on the prepared sheet pan. Collect the scraps neatly, roll them out and cut more circles.

Brush the tops of the scones with the egg wash, sprinkle with granulated sugar and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the insides are fully baked. The scones will be firm to the touch. Allow the scones to cool for 15 minutes, then whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and orange juice and drizzle over the scones.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

The countdown has started for the 4th of July celebration.  We have geared up for a visit by the whole family.  What fun.  I have been cooking up lots of treats for everyone.  The freezer has been my friend.  I made these BLT scones this week.  We sampled one and the rest went into the freezer.  David declared it delicious.  I loved the bacon bits and basil, but thought the sun dried tomatoes a little too much.  The whole idea of the scones is the combination of bacon, tomato and basil (taking the place of lettuce).  Really good, but I will reduce the tomato component next time.

Breakfast scones are always a part of our breakfasts when the family gets together.  My DIL Kristen has become the scone master in the family.  She introduced me to the Triple Cinnamon Scones and makes a mean savory scone with Chorizo sausage.  The recipe for this BLT scone came from a blog called 3 Many Cooks.  It is written my Pam Anderson, cookbook author, and her two daughters.

Enjoy your 4th of July weekend.  We have many reasons to celebrate.

BLT SCONES ( 3 Many Cooks )

 

 

I love the King Arthur Flour Company.  Not only do they have some of the best flour available, but they also have some of the best baking ingredients and tools to turn out some of the best baked good you will ever taste.  While visiting our family over Easter, Kristen served us these Triple Cinnamon Scones.  I fell in love with them.  They are the best scones I have ever eaten.  She got the recipe and several of the ingredients from King Arthur.

I immediately placed an order online for their cinnamon chips and their baker’s cinnamon filling mix; because, you see, these cinnamon scones are indeed a triple blast of cinnamon.  The cinnamon chips, the cinnamon filling and the cinnamon glaze make them sooo delicious – no dry scones here.

You can just see the layers of flavor.  Because of that there are a few steps involved in their preparation, but it is totally worth it.  The recipe has some great tips to make successful scones.   One tip is to put the prepared scones in the freezer for 30 minutes before baking.  Another suggestion I have, is to use a very sharp knife to cut the scone shapes.  That way they will not become lopsided while baking.  Make a clean cut without pulling at the batter.  Also, I made only about half of the glaze and just drizzled the tops of the scones instead of slathering the whole thing in glaze.

 

A platter of warm scones is the perfect breakfast for a crowd.  I plan on making them (and perfecting my skills) all summer while we have visitors.  I may even make them in advance and freeze a few batches.  My next scone recipe will be an Orange scone using the Candied Orange Peel that I got from King Arthur.

By the way, the pretty plate and cup and saucer were a gift from a special blogging friend, Mary, from A Breath of Fresh Air.  Thank you Mary.  The pretty luncheon napkin is one from a set that belonged to my Mother.  She used them for special luncheons with friends when I was just a child.  I treasure them.

TRIPLE CINNAMON SCONES

scones

• 3/4 cup half and half or evaporated milk
• 1 cup cinnamon Flav-R-Bites or cinnamon chips
• 2 3/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cut into pats
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

filling

• 3/4 cup Baker’s Cinnamon Filling*
• 3 tablespoons water
• *Or substitute 5 tablespoons butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon for the Baker’s Cinnamon Filling mix and water.

glaze

• 3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 7 tablespoons water

1) Combine the Cinnamon Flav-R-Bites with the half and half or milk in a small bowl. Let the mixture rest for about 20 minutes.

2) While the cinnamon mixture is resting, get started putting together the rest of the ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

3) Work in the butter just until the mixture is unevenly crumbly; it’s OK for some larger chunks of butter to remain unincorporated.

4) Add the eggs and vanilla to the cinnamon-milk mixture, stirring to combine.

5) Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until all is moistened and holds together.

6) Scrape the dough onto a well-floured work surface. Pat/roll it into a rough 9″ square, a scant 3/4″ thick. Make sure the surface underneath the dough is very well floured. If necessary, use a giant spatula (or the biggest spatula you have) to lift the square, and sprinkle more flour underneath.

7) Spread the filling over the dough. Fold one edge into the center and over the filling, as though you were folding a letter. Fold the remaining edge over the center to complete the three-fold. You’ll now have a rectangle that’s stretched to about 4″ x 12″. Gently pat/roll it to lengthen it into a 3″ x 18″ rectangle; it’ll be between 3/4″ and 1″ thick.

8) Cut the rectangle into six 3″ squares. Transfer the squares to a lightly greased (or parchment-lined) baking sheet. Now you have a choice. For large scones, cut each square in half diagonally to make a triangle; you’ll have 12 scones. For medium scones, cut each square in half diagonally again, making four triangular scones from each square. Gently separate the scones (if you like scones with crunchy edges), leaving about 1″ between them. For softer scones, separate the scones just enough to break contact between them.

9) You may also choose to make scone strips, or tiny squares. Cut each 3″ square into three 1″ x 3″ rectangles, for a total of 18 scone strips. Gently separate the strips, leaving about 1/2″ between them. Or cut each 3″ square into nine 1″ squares, to make 54 bite-sized mini scones.

10) For best texture and highest rise, place the pan of scones in the freezer for 30 minutes, uncovered. While the scones are chilling, preheat the oven to 425°F.

11) Bake the scones for 16 to 20 minutes, or until they’re golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven, and allow the scones to cool right on the pan.

11) Make the glaze by stirring together the sugar, cinnamon, and water. If the sugar seems particularly lumpy, sift it first, for an extra-smooth glaze.

12) Now you’re going to coat each scone with glaze. You can dip each one individually, which is quite time-consuming. Or line a baking sheet (with sides) with parchment, and pour about half the glaze atop the parchment. Set the scones atop the glaze, swirling them around a bit to coat their bottoms. Then drizzle the remaining glaze over the top. Use a pastry brush to brush the glaze over each scone, to coat it entirely. The glaze is very thin, so this is easily done.

13) Transfer the scones to a rack set over parchment, to catch any drips. As you pick each scone up, run its sides over the glaze in the bottom of the pan, both to use up some of the extra glaze, and to make sure all sides are coated. Allow the glaze to set before serving the scones.

Yield: one dozen triangles, 5″ x 3″; 2 dozen triangles, 2 1/2″ x 3″; 18 strips, 4″ x 1 1/2″; or 54 mini (1 1/2″) squares.

Printable recipe

There is nothing better than a basket of warm homemade scones for Mother’s Day.  That is exactly what I treated myself to today.  I am spending Mother’s Day on my own because David is on a motorcycle trip to Texas and the kids are away doing other things.  Sometimes it is OK to be alone on a holiday.  As far as I’m concerned, Mother’s Day is every day of the year.   I get all of the love I need from my family on a regular basis all year.  So I chose to celebrate this day as a day of rest, indulgence (the scones) and remembrance of my Mother.

My Mother  was everything that I always hope to be;  Good, talented, funny, forgiving and kind.     Her influence on her devoted children, grandchildren and  great-grandchildren was stupendous.  She was a talented artist and a naturally good cook.  Two of her granddaughters inherited her cooking and artistic genes.  At least one of her great-granddaughters (My Rachel) is a talented artist.  The art part passed me by, but you can’t say I don’t love to cook.

When we were in Nantucket, Mary Anne made the most delicious Currant Scones one morning for breakfast.  She said they were from a Martha Stewart recipe in her Baking Essentials book.  I never did find that specific recipe, but this one came from the Martha Stewart Cookbook.  There were no dried currants in my supermarket so I substituted dried cranberries and plumped them with orange juice. The recipe was easy.  Why haven’t I made scones before?

What I love about Mary Anne’s scones is that they are mealy and flaky like pie crust.  There are no eggs in them and that may be the difference from other scones that I have tried.  I love that flaky consistency.

I lounged in bed this morning with my coffee and scones, read my mystery du jour, encouraged the dog to wait until 10:00 AM for her walk and just chilled.  What could be better?

Tonight I am having my favorite grilled hamburger and a salad.  Easy and delicious.  Simple pleasures for a solitary, contemplative and peaceful weekend.

 

CRANBERRY ORANGE SCONES

I halved the recipe
4 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup dried currants, soaked overnight in 3 tablespoons brandy (I used dried cranberries soaked in Orange Juice)
1 to 1 1/4 cups heavy cream

1 egg beaten with 1/4 cup light cream

Sift the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.  Using a pastry lender or two kitchen knives, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  (This can also be done in a food processor, using half the flour mixture, and adding the processed mixture to the remaining flour before adding the currants and cream.)  Stir in the drained currants.

Mixing lightly with your fingers, add just enough heavy cream to hold the mixture togeher.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill approximately 30 minutes or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Roll out the dough 1/2-inch thick, and, using a biscuit cutter, cut the dough into various shapes.  I rolled the dough into a circle 1/2-inch thick and cut the dough into 8 wedges (For half of the recipe.  If you use the whole recipe you would make two circles).  Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, brush the tops lightly with egg wash, and bake until golden brown and puffed, 13 to 15 minutes.  Let cool on a wire rack.

Printable recipe