Favorite scones

Cream Scones

2 c (9oz) flour

1 Tbs baking powder

4 Tbs sugar

½ tsp salt

4 Tbs cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes

3/4 c. heavy cream

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla

2 Tbs sugar for sprinkling on top

 

Place dry ingredients in bowl of food processor and pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse until combines. Add cream, egg and vanilla; mixing just until combined. Knead briefly. Form into 2 disks and cut into a total of 16 scones. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes.

Bagels - of the Everything type variety

Herb and Onion Bagels                                                                    A foundation recipe

1½ c. warm water

1 Tbs sugar

2 tsp salt

1 envelope yeast

4½ c flour

1/4 c. olive oil

2 tsp dried, minced onion

pinch of garlic powder

(1 tsp dried, minced garlic)

10 c. water

Combine warm water, sugar, kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Set aside for 5 minutes or until the mixture foams. 

Add the flour and olive oil and mix on low speed with the dough hook attachment until well comibined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls aways from the side of the bowl, 4-5 minutes. Add in the dried, minced onion, garlic and any herbs. Knead for 30 second to 1 minutes longer or until herbs are incorporated.

Remove the dough from the bowl and oil it lightly with olive oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size. Once dough has risen, turn dough out onto floured work surface. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces.

Roll each dough piece into a 10" long rope, rolling the dough with your hands outward until rope has formed. After dough has been rolled into a rope, squish down one end of the rope an dform into a bagel shape, pusshing the squished end into the side of the bagel. Place formed bagels on a greased, rimmed baking sheet. Cover lightly with a kitchen towel and allow to rise for 15-20 minutes, untl bagles are puffy and slightly risen.

After the bagels have risen, heat the oven to 425°. Line 2 half sheet pans with parchment paper; set aside. Bring the 10 c. water to a boil. Three at a time, place the bagels in the boiling water for 30-45 seconds per side. Remove from water using a large flat spatula and return to baking sheet. Brush the top of bagels with a little more olive oil and sprinkle with Everything Bagel seasoning. Bake until dark golden brown in color, 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

*Do first rise overnight, bringing to room temperature at least 30 minutes before finishing the bagels.

Sunday Roast

InstantPot Pot Roast

3 lbs beef chuck roast

Salt to taste

Fresh ground pepper

Garlic powder

Onion powder

4 tbs olive oil, divided

1 c. beef broth with additional beef bouillon added

1 c. red wine

1 pkt dry onion soup mix

1 white or yellow onion, quartered

1 pound baby potatoes

1 c. baby carrots

1 parsnip, peeled and cut into large chunks

6 cloves of garlic, peeled, left whole

Sprinkle roast with salt and set aside. Add 2 Tbs olive oil to InstantPot and set to saute. When oil becomes hot and shimmery, add roast and sear for 4-5 minutes on each side. Sprinkle with additional seasonings. Add broth and wine to InstantPot. 

Add vegetables, 2 Tbs olive oil and onion soup mix to gallon sized ziploc bag and shake until vegetables become evenly coated with the mix. Put veggies into the InstantPot and distribute evenly around roast. Place lid on InstantPot with steam valve closed. Switch to manual and set for 60-80 minutes on high. (70 is about right). Do a natural release for at least 10 minutes and then quick release. 

Whole Wheat Molasses Rolls

Whole Wheat Molasses Rolls

1 c. warm water

4 tsp yeast

1 tsp sugar

2 c. flour

1/4 c. packed light brown sugar

1/4 c. molasses

3 Tbs honey

2 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder

2 Tbs butter, softened

1 large egg

2 tsp salt

 2-1/4 c. whole wheat flour, divided

 1 egg white, lightly beaten

1 Tbs old-fashioned oats

2 tsp sunflower seeds

Place the water, yeast and 1 tsp sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Let stand 10 minutes or until foamy.

Add the all-purpose flour and turn mixer to medium speed. Add light brown sugar, molasses, honey, cocoa powder, butter, egg and salt an dbeat for 2 minutes. Switch the the dough hook. Add 1 c. whole wheat flour and beat for 2 minutes. Add remaining 1-1/4 c. whole wheat flour and beat until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and kneead 4-5 times. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place, about 1-1/2 hours. Make into rolls and let rise again. Bake at 350° for 20-22 minutes.

Almonds - in Muffins and Cakes

One-bowl Blueberry Almond Muffins

Streusel:

2 tbs. unsalted butter

1/4 c. flour

1/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. slivered almonds

pinch of salt

Muffins:

1 large egg

½ c. sugar

1/4 c. oil

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp almond extract

½ tsp. white vinegar

½ tsp. bakind soda

1/4 tsp salt

½ c. sour cream

1 c. flour

1 c. blueberries

Preheat oven to 350° (180C). Spray a 12 count muffin pan with nonstick spray, or line with cupcake wrappers. 

To make the topping, melt butter in a small microwave-safe bowl. Add the flour, sugar, almonds and salt and stir with a fork to combine untio a crubly streusel. Set aside.

Combine the egg, sugar, and oil in a large mixing bowl. Whisk vigorously for 30-45 second, until the mixture is thick and slightly frothy. Add extracts, vinegar, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine. Add sour cream. Whisking to combine, then gently stir in the flour. The batter will be thick and lightly lump. Gently stir in the blueberries. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups and prinkle the topping evenly over the tops. Bake for 18-22 minutes until the top are golden brown and a toothpick inserted int he the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool for about10 minutes in the pan, then removed to a wire rack to cool completely.

Buttery Almond Pound Cake

For the Cake:

½ c. butter, softened, plus more for the pan
1-1/4 c. flour, plus more for the pan
1-1/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1½ tsp almond extract
1/4 c. milk
½ tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt

For the Glaze: 

1 Tbs. butter, melted

1 c. powdered sugar

1½ Tbs milk

½ tsp almond extract 

½ c. sliced almonds, (opt)

Preheat oven to 325°. Arrange oven rack to the center of the oven. Thoroughly grease and lightly flour a 6 c. loaf pan with butter.

To make the cake, combine the butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until fluffy crumbs form. Add the eggs and almond extract and beat until smooth. Add the milk and beat on low speed to combine. Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Beat until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until golden on top, and light brown on the edges. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Then place the cooling rack on top of the cake, hold the sides firmly, and invert the pan over the rack. The cake should drop smoothly out of the pan. Let cake cool completely before slicing. If you'd like to make the glaze, melt the butter in a small glass bowl in the microwave. Add the powdered sugar, milk and almond extract. Whisk together until smooth. The glaze should pour off the spoon in a white stream. Add 1 tsp more milk to think it, or 1-2 Tbs more powdered sugar to thicken it. Pour over cake, sprinkle with almonds.

Vegetarian Weeknight Dinner

Eggplant Stuffed with Onions, Peppers, Cheese and Nuts

4 small Italian eggplants (1½ -2 pounds total)

2 Tbs+ ½ tsp kosher salt, or more as needed

1/4 c olive oil, plus more for brushing

3 small yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced

3 medium red peppers, stemmed, seeded and cut into 1/4" strips

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 c. walnuts (chopped

1 c. feta cheese crumbles

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or more as desired

1 large beefsteak tomato, cored and cut into 8 slices

1 c. store-bought marinara or other plain tomato sauce

Parmesan or Romano cheese shreds for top

Slice eggplants in half lengthwise, keeping the stem. Score the flesh lightly with a knife and generously season the eggplants with 2 Tbs salt. Let them drain in a colander set over a bowl for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Rinse with cold water and pat dry with a clean dish towel.

Preheat the oven to 400° with a rack in the middle. Place eggplants, cut-side up on a baking sheet. Brush liberally with oil on both sides. Bake until eggplants are golden, about 20 minutes.

In a deep skillet over medium heat, warm the 1/4 c. oil until shimmering. Add the onions and the remaining ½ tsp kosher salt and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, 8-10 minutes. Add the red peppers and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cook for 1 minutes, then removed from the heat. Stir in walnuts, cheese, cumin and red pepper flakes. Taste; add more salt of flakes as needed. Choose a baking dish that will hold the eggplants snugly. Brush the pan with oil and line with tomato slices. Place the eggplants on the tomatoes, skin-side down.Using a spoon, press into the eggplants' softened flesh to create indentations for the stuffing. Fill each eggplant half with the onion-pepper mixture and top with 1-2 Tbs of the tomato sauce. Push any extra stuffing into the gaps between the eggplants, and pour an remaining sauce around them. Bake until bubbling and browned on top, 30-40 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes. May be eaten warm or at room temperature.