Category Archives: Baking
Royal Scones
I don’t really know what’s going on this month. It’s nuts. Work is busy, though that’s normal, and my extra-curricular calendar is out of control. Next weekend, being Memorial Day, will kick off a summer of weekends at the lake, which could either way – forced relaxation or an increase to the mania. Time will tell.
I feel like I’ve barely been cooking or blogging beyond the weekly French Friday challenges, but here’s a quick one. The recent royal wedding left me with a craving for scones. Scones are probably my favorite quick bread. They’re personal-sized, not too sweet, and perfect with a cup of tea for a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack. I put together these almond-cardamom scones, featuring two of my favorite flavors. The recipe is loosely based on the recipe for Cardamom Shortcakes (as in Strawberry Shortcakes) from In the Sweet Kitchen by Regan Daley.
Almond-Cardamom Scones
Inspired by Regan Daley
Makes 1 dozen
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup almond meal
¼ cup sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp cardamom
½ tsp salt
½ cup (1 stick) butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg, beaten
½ cup half-and-half (plus a little more for brushing tops of scones)
Turbinado sugar for sprinkling on top of scones
¼ cup sliced almonds
Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together flour, almond meal, sugar, baking powder, cardamom, and salt a few time to combine. Add the butter, and pulse until the mixture has the texture of coarse cornmeal.
Transfer the flour mixture to a bowl and make a well in the center. Add the egg and half-and-half. Stir until the dough just comes together. It will be sticky.
Divide the dough in half. On a floured surface with floured hands, pat each half into a circle about ¾-inch thick (about 6 inches in diameter). Cut each circle into 6 wedges. Arrange the scones on the lined baking sheet. Brush the tops of each with half-and-half. Sprinkle with sugar. Top with sliced almonds. Press the almonds lightly to make them stick.
Bake for 15-17 minutes, until tops are golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
French Fridays with Dorie: Spinach and Bacon Quiche
TGIF! Friday morning means one more day of work for the week. Also, it means one more sleep until I go to Maryland for a quick overnight visit to see my sisters and my Dad and other family. And, of course, French Fridays with Dorie, which means it’s time to talk about this week’s recipe for this on-line cooking group.
Every week brings a different feeling of anticipation. It varies between excitement, curiosity, ambivalence, and dread. I was enthusiastic about this week’s choice: Spinach and Bacon Quiche (page 160 from Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table).
I love quiche, particularly spinach quiche. Dorie’s version with bacon was a different twist from the way I usually make it (from Julia Child), and I made some variations on Dorie’s version. I truly enjoy making pastry crust. It’s a baking feat I have mastered. I have to admit that I substituted my own go-to pastry crust recipe (actually Mark Bittman’s) for Dorie’s since it works better for me.
I was a little light on the spinach because the huge box from the store turned out to weight only 7 ounces, not the ten called for. Spinach cooks down so much, so I was worried my shell wouldn’t be filled enough, but it was fine. I also opted to lighten it, using half-and-half instead of cream. Finally, I was out of Parmesan, but found some aged Gouda in the cheese drawer. Aged Gouda is a favorite at our house and I thought it would complement the smoky bacon nicely.
I do love how spinach quiche is more filling than custard. It’s so pretty when filling the shell, and then even prettier once browned in the oven.
My first bite cried out BREAKFAST! It must have been the bacon that triggered that reaction. However, this will be lunch and dinner fare for us. With a side salad, this makes a perfect meal, filling but not too heavy.
After my initial enthusaism, the end result was not disappointing, it was GREAT! This was my favorite FFwD recipe in a while. My usual spinach quiche recipe is topped with Gruyère, and I think that would also work well on top of this bacony version. I can’t wait to make it again.
You can also check out the links for other bloggers who made this quiche at French Fridays with Dorie. I love to read about their variations and make notes of my favorite ideas for “next time”. We don’t post the recipes, but consider getting your own copy of the book, Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table. Maybe you’ll even want to cook along with us on Fridays. You’ll enjoy it, I promise.
Next week, it’s bacon again as part of Bacon, Egg, and Asparagus Salad, another recipe I’m excited about.
A Plateful of Happiness 