Cranberry Almond Scones

This recipe is adapted from the Williams-Sonoma Baking Book's recipe for Almond-Currant Scones.

4 cups flour
3TBSP granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1 cup cold butter
2 eggs
1 cup skim milk
2 TBSP fat free vanilla coffee creamer
almonds and cranberries

  The original recipe also called for currents and buttermilk - not coffee creamer (but what the heck - you use what you got!)  It actually added a nice flavor to the scone...I would do it again. Also the recipe called for the zest of the rind of an orange which I would have used had I had any oranges....they are in season right now so they don't last too long around these parts....
    Add all the dry ingredients together.  Then cut in the butter....I cut it in cubes and then wear rubber gloves while I mix it...it's old fashioned but I don't have the proper equipment to complete such a task.....after all I am not in the masterchef kitchen....although sometimes I pretend I am and when I just throw something together the day before I need to go grocery shopping and you look in the fridge and think how in the heck is this going to happen....and then I think of Tim Gunn and I make it work!   I consider this to be my own version of a mystery box challenge!

  Back to the scones:
   Whisk all of the wet ingredients and then stir into the dry ingredients....add in the almonds and cranberries right away - otherwise the dough will be worked too much and become stiff.....I added what was left in the pantry...I am guess about 3/4 cup of each....if I had more I would have added about 1 cup each....just to have them burst with goodness!  I hand rolled the dough out in 2 squares then cut out triangles..I ended up with 16 all together....sprinkled the top with a little sugar and then baked in a 375 degree oven for a little over 20 minutes....actually I set the time for 20 minutes and then realized they were not quite done....so I got the roast pork ready for the oven....by the time that was done the scones were ready!

 Enjoy!

Apple Pie Muffins....

Being the mad scientist that I am in the kitchen I am always up for something new and interesting.....after making the best banana muffins ever I decided that it was time to experiment with the recipe....at the end of the school year I made apple pies for my AcDec'ers.....the filling was good, but I went overboard with the pastry.....I ended up having extra filling and didn't know what to do with it so I just threw it in a ziploc bag and in the freezer it went....until today!
  I ended up allowing it to thaw and drained off the excess moisture....then I mashed the apple slices up with a potato masher....this was not the easiest thing to do as the masher kept getting filled with too much apple so I had to cut it out....then repeat, and repeat....until I got the consistency I wanted!

  I basically used the same recipe as the banana muffins...except that I used 1/2 the amount of butter and only 1 cup of sugar as appose to 1 1/4 cup.....I just plain ran out.....and figured that with apple pie filling for flavoring that there was at least 1/4 cup of sugar mixed in there....


Apple Pie Muffins
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
1  cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
apples for apple pie filling

   Apples for apple pie filling - you can really use any type of apple....I prefer granny smith.....perfect taste, perfect texture....unless of course I am participating in an apple pie baking contest......it's Gravenstein all the way!  All I do is wash, peel, and slice the apples....then add in some lemon juice (do they don't turn brown) and some cinnamon and sugar....

  Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Enjoy!
  
   These particular muffins shall be shared with at the Casa Grande Anglers Inc board meeting tonight....I am going to see what there budget is for next year and whether or not they are still interested in funding opportunities for Casa Grande Wildlife students....I wouldn't be Donna Reed if I didn't bring something from the oven!  Wish me luck!

Lemon Poppyseed Tarte

  I am not sure if I was more excited about using this new nine inch square baking pan, or a little uneasy about the lemon curd filling, or enthralled with the idea that I was about to use my rolling pin!  What is most important is the fact that I felt inspired.....it has been some time since I have posted and to tell you the truth cooked anything of any real substance......for purposes here "substance" shall be defined as something that is blog worthy.....if it's good enough to want to talk about it more....this is what should be happening everyday in my kitchen, everyday in every kitchen....to some extent at least.....I have to admit that I am not all about being a slave to your stove....that should really only happen when you are planning on a significant contribution to a bake sale....but we should want to want to enjoy preparing the fuel that propels us through life.....

  Not so easy I know, as life, gosh darnit, seems to always get in the way and can easily make us feel as though we are left with no time to do what we want to do, let alone plan out and execute an entree, 2 sides, and one heck of a decadent dessert.....everyday.

    Moderation is the key.


OK, now to the dessert....reading my rants and raves are worth it if the end result is tasting this masterpiece.

POPPY SEED PASTRY:

   This of course is not a recipe that I am responsible for....this comes from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.....if you are anybody who knows anybody who likes to cook then you have seen this before....if you are kitchen savvy chances are it is on a bookshelf somewhere....

  For the pictured piece I doubled the recipe....actually made 2 batches of it....then combined...this is always dangerous with crust.....next time I will most likely use my my great grandmothers crust recipe....it calls for lard not butter.....it is much better! 


LEMON CURD:

 

  Clearly this is from the same Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.....it was so freaking good.....I have to admit that next time I will use this and make individual tarts.....I doubled this recipe as well (all at once)......for the nine inch pan.....I ended up using 5 lemons, thanks to my wonderful neighbors.....they have the best lemons and I am hoping that sharing this dessert with them will encourage them to hand more of their fruit harvest this way!

Enjoy!