Madagascar Cocoa Scones

My friend Mel is a foodie and Francophile from way back.  He is also a huge supporter of our Boulevard Market.  He supports not just as a customer, but gives ideas, notes from foods he's tried and loves, shares tasty treats he's come across and experiences/knowledge.  We met at Jardin de Luxembourg while we all visited Paris and shared a lovely lunch near the Sorbonne.  Mel is no longer our customer, he is our friend.

Several months ago, Mel brought me a bag of cocoa powder that was apparently lurking around his cabinets.  It was a special type from Madagascar.  More reddish than brown in color, an earthy deep chocolate aroma drifted up as I opened the bag.

I wanted to make chocolate scones.  I didn't want Nutella on them, or chocolate drizzle, just PLAIN, rich, deep chocolate flavor in a crusty, moist, bready wedge.  Bingo!  I used a recipe from the cookbook "Baked Explorations" that I picked up several months ago, with a few minor adjustments because I was out of heavy cream. (strange but true)  I did press half the batch with Nestle Butterscotch morsels for the rest of the family and to avoid eating the entire batch myself!

CHOCOLATE SCONES
2 cups flour
1/3 cup of sugar
1/4 cup dark cocoa powder (Valrhona would work nicely too)
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons butter, cold
1 egg
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

TOPPINGS
Nutella (warm in microwave 15 seconds)
Butterscotch chips
Egg wash and raw sugar
Chopped nuts

(I used sour cream and milk in replacement of 1/2 cup heavy cream...worked great, but if you've got the cream, use it!)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.  Combine egg, sour cream, milk and vanilla in a separate bowl and stir until completely combined.

Using a pastry cutter, cut butter into mixture until mixture resembles crumbs.  Add liquids and use a fork to bring mixture together, but be careful not to over mix.  Pat into an 8 inch circle and cut into wedges.  

Brush each wedge with a bit of beaten egg and a sprinkle of raw sugar, or press butterscotch chips into, or leave plain and drizzle with nutella after baking.  Place on a butter baking sheet and bake 18-20 minutes.

 

The morning after making these scones was like a winter wonderland!  I had to grab a photo with the trees covered in a heavy blanket of snow.  It was beautiful! 


       

Enjoying the remains of the summer

Does September really signal autumn?  September is one of Michigan's nicest weather months and I am going to enjoy every minute of it!  We had a rude awakening on Sunday to wake up to temperatures in the low 60's and overcast skies..."ugh, I'm not ready"! 
I know I'm whining. 
It's not attractive.
I can't stop because it's so miserable outside!

So I decided to bake something apple-y to embrace the nasty day (and make myself feel better about getting nearly nothing accomplished!) and FEEL autumn.  I made these scones from the Midwest Living magazine.

APPLE SCONES  (Midwest Living October 2011)
2 3/4 cups flour 
 1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon apple pie spice (I used English "Mixed Spice")
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, cold
1 cup finely chopped tart apple (I used Paula Reds)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup whipping cream

TOPPING
15 slices of unpeeled apples
1 tablespoon raw sugar
1 tablespoon whipping cream


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Blend all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Cut butter into dry ingredients until mixture resembles crumbs.  Mix together eggs and whipping cream and add all at once.  Stir mixture using a fork, just until blended.  Be cautious not to over mix as this will make scones tough.  Scoop dough into 9 rounds or wedges and place on parchment lined baking sheet.  Brush each top with a bit of whipping cream, a sprinkle of raw sugar and a slice of apple.  Bake 15-17 minutes until golden brown.  

These are not scones in my book, they are mini cakes with baking powder, but they are pretty tasty.

I made these recently for Juli and family while they visited and included some fresh butter whipped with an incredible Cinnamon Cider Syrup (1/4 cup butter, 1 T cider syrup) and a small pot of homemade apple cider jelly.  Apple extravaganza!!!  I will post about the apple cider jelly soon!  

Here is a fun photo of Pierre in the sweet little fleece vest from Juli!  He absolutely LOVES it and has been wearing it during this little cold spell! 

My favorite Scones...

No photos, no stories,just the best sang scone recipe ever created.  A giant "thank you" to Fine Cooking" magazine for always creating recipes that will live in your memory for years to come.  I have been ruined for every other scone in the USA.  I promised gals from the PRESERVE IT! class I would post this for them!  Feel free to substitute whatever fruits or extracts suit your tastes. Enjoy!



2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dried fruit
6 Tablespoons butter, cold
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons extract of choice

1 large egg
1 Tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon raw sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix dry ingredients (not fruit) and cut butter into until mixture resembles large crumbs.  Stir in fruit.  In a separate bowl, mix eggs, cream and extract together.  With fork tines, gently mix wet ingredients into dry.  Mix until all is combined, but do not overmix or your scones will be tough. 
On a flour surface, pat into a rough circle about 1 inch thick and cut into 8 pieces.  Place on a lined baking sheet.
Beat egg and milk together until foamy and brush on tops of scones.  Sprinkle with a bit of raw sugar.

Bake 18-22 minutes until deep golden brown. 

Happy Halloween!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

It's been a chill Halloween day for us. John and I no longer have small children (and the cat holds a grudge if dressed up!) so we live vicariously through our trick or treaters and spent the day doing fall clean up! I am still on "pumpkin/squash status" meaning most everything baked or cooked in our house contains one or both! I have to leave very early tomorrow (at least in my book) and thought I would treat my driver to some breakfast! Since I need every moment to erase sleep creases and puffy eyes, it had to be something I could prepare in advance, be eaten out of hand and complement copious amounts of COFFEE!


PUMPKIN SCONES

2 cups flour
7 Tablespoons Sugar
3/4 teaspoons Freshly Ground Cinnamon
3/4 teaspoons Freshly Ground Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoons Ground Ginger
1/2 teaspoons Ground Cloves
1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree
6 Tablespoons Butter
4 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
1 Large Egg

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl combine dry ingredients and spices. Cut in butter until mixture resembles large crumbs.

In a small mixing bowl, beat egg, cream and pumpkin until smooth. Add all at once to dry ingredients and using a fork, incorporate wet into dry. Try not to over mix, as this adds to a tougher dough.

Flatten into an 8-10" round and cut into 8 equal triangles. Sprinkle each with raw sugar. Place on a parchment lined pan and bake 12 minutes until golden. Watch carefully to make sure dough is completely cooked.

I have successfully added dried cranberries to these and they turn out great! I like my scones a bit less sweet but if you like you can also make a simple glaze of 10X sugar and milk...maybe add some additional spices to your glaze!

Happy Halloween!