Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Strawberry Scones


I made this back in the beginning of July for a graduation party. I think some guests were expecting something a little sweeter, since they were on the dessert table, but I thought they were just the right amount of sweetness. My brother absolutely loved them and I saw him sneaking a couple extra. I think this recipe would also be wonderful with blueberries!

Recipe adapted from Family Fun

Ingredients

* 1 cup hulled and finely diced fresh strawberries
* 2 cups (8.5 ounces) flour
* 1/3 cup (2.333 ounces) sugar, plus a little for sprinkling
* 1 tablespoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt

* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* A lemon, for zest
* 6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
* 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon light cream (I used half and half)
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Heat your oven to 425ºF. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, using a few spots of butter or cooking oil to stick it in place. Set the baking sheet aside. I used my mini scone pan.

2. Place the diced strawberries on several sheets of paper towel to absorb their juice. Meanwhile, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Zest half of the lemon into the ingredients, taking care to remove just the outermost skin and not the white part.

3. Cut in the butter with two butter knives or a pastry blender until the flour-coated pieces are the size of peas. Add the strawberries, tossing them gently with a fork to coat them.

4. Make a well in the mixture. Blend the 1/2 cup of light cream and the vanilla extract in a measuring cup and pour them into the well. Using as few strokes as possible, gently stir the dough until it forms a ball. Let the dough sit for 1 minute.

5. Clean and flour your hands and dust your work surface with flour. Place the dough on the floured surface and knead it gently three or four times. Transfer it to the large baking sheet and pat it into an 8-inch circle. Using a lightly oiled pizza cutter or a serrated knife, cut the dough into 8 wedges, as you would a pizza. Use a small spatula or pie server to carefully separate the pieces, leaving at least an inch between them. Since I used a scone pan, but just put it in the wells.

6. Brush the tops of the scones with the remaining tablespoon of light cream, then sprinkle the surfaces with sugar. Bake the scones until the outsides are crusty and starting to brown, about 18 minutes. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then slide the parchment and the scones onto a wire rack to cool for another 20 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Monday, July 26, 2010

The Last Olympian

The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #5)The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A great ending to an enjoyable series.

View all my reviews >>

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Black Bean Corn Salsa

Wonder where my recipes have been? Well, I've been just a tiny bit busy with intern year and family life. I made this dip for a July 4th party and it was a hit! I didn't get a chance to take a picture though. I ended up doubling the recipe below and I'm glad I did, just because there were 30-40 people at the party.

Recipe from CDKitchen

Serves/Makes: 5 cups

Ingredients:
1 (15 oz.) can black beans ( rinsed and drained)
1 cup frozen corn kernels (thawed)
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons lime juice
8 small green onions - chopped ( use some of the stem also)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
** Optional **
1 small green chili chopped or have used crushed red pepper - go lightly

Directions:
Mix all the above well. Refrigerate over night to let flavors blend.

Hot Stuff

Hot StuffHot Stuff by Janet Evanovich

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I'm learning I really like Janet Evanovich. Hot Stuff was a nice quick read. The love story at the end got a little melodramatic, but it was still nice. Evanovich does a great job weaving comic relief into a fun mystery.

View all my reviews >>

Friday, July 23, 2010

Fix It Friday - 63


Here's the original, already a pretty darn good picture!

And here's my edit. I added a lens flare to the top right corner and used Nelly Nero's Poisoned Peach action. This a little more dramatic than editing I'd do with my own photos, but it was fun to be a little bold today.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

The Gathering

The GatheringThe Gathering by Anne Enright

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


I could not get into this book at all. I listened to about 30% of it and finally gave up. I'm not a prude, but I really don't like reading, yet alone listening to, a narrator describe her dead grandfather's erection and graphically imagine her grandparents getting on.

My sole reason for picking up the book was because it was set in Ireland. Ireland or not, too much vulgarity for me.

View all my reviews >>

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Moloka'i

Moloka'iMoloka'i by Alan Brennert

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I think I'd say historical fiction is my favorite genre of literature and what a treat this one was! I find that a lot of the historical fiction novels I pick up deal with hierarchies in Europe or the American Civil War. It was so nice to read about the not-so-distant past of Hawaii. Before reading this novel, I never knew there was a leper colony in Hawaii.

Brennert did a wonderful job illustrating the life of a single leper, while incorporating small bits of what her fellow peers encountered. I found myself "googling" characters and was thrilled to see how accurate Brennert's descriptions were to actual individuals and events.

I'm too lazy to write more, but if you want to learn more about Hawaii and read a great story about love, devotion, and overcoming life's obstacles, go pick up this book!

View all my reviews >>
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...