Scones, Breads, Sweets & Spreads
Brown Sugar-Peanut Butter Shortbread
(Makes 8 large cookies)
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 10 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/3 C light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup peanut butter, (I prefer crunchy)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Sift together flour and salt; set aside.
- Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until very light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add peanut butter and mix until well blended. Fold in flour mixture by hand until it’s just absorbed (over mixing will cause the dough to toughen).
- Transfer dough to a lightly buttered 9-inch round cake pan. Lightly flour your hands and press dough into the prepared pan. Prick the top using a fork or wooden skewer. Score top lightly to create 8 even wedges.
- Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until lightly browned around edges. Cool on rack 5 minutes. Slice in wedges while still warm; leave shortbread in pan on a rack to cool completely. When cool, transfer to a serving plate. (Will keep in an airtight container for 2 weeks).
Cream Filled Chocolate Cups
(Makes about 3 dozen cups)
Prepare chocolate cups ahead of time by melting semi-sweet or white chocolate and painting it into cup molds. Place the molds into the freezer for about 5 minutes, pop out the cups and make more. You will need to make about 3 dozen cups. Prepare cream filling no more than 1 hour before you intend to serve these.
In a food processor or with a hand mixer whip:
- 3 cups whipping cream
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup instant nonfat dry milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
INSTRUCTIONS
Put cream into a pastry bag and pipe into chocolate cups. Top with various berries and edible flowers. Sprinkle with sugar glitter to add a little extra sparkle.
Swedish Kringle’
Mix together:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons water (as you would a pie crust) and pat into a large oval on a cookie sheet
Bring to boil:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
Add:
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Remove from heat and add:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour all at once. Mix until you have the consistency of mashed potatoes. Cool slightly.
Add:
- 3 large extra-large eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each egg.
Spread egg mixture on (pie crust-like) oval base, to edges. Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-60 minutes (until golden brown)
When cool, frost with:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 – 2 Tablespoons butter, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon or almond extract**
- hot water
- Garnish with sliced almonds
**(I use warm Grand Marnier instead of the extract and water)
Apricot Crescents
(Makes4 dozen)
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons sugar, divided
- 1/2 cup apricot preserves
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- 1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
- Cut butter into flour until mixture resembles course crumbs.
- Beat egg yolk with sour cream; add to crumb mixture and blend well.
- Divide into fourths and press into round disks between layers of plastic wrap. Chill several hours or overnight.
- Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar on a flat surface and roll each portion of dough into a 10-inch circle. Turn dough circles over so sugar side is up.
- Combine preserves, coconut and pecans; spread over circles.
- Cut each circle into 12 pie-shaped wedges and roll into a crescent shape, beginning at the wide end.
- Sprinkle each rolled crescent with remaining sugar.
- Place on inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 to 17 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Immediately remove from oven and place on wire racks to cool.
Candied Orange-Apricot Bread
This is best if made a day ahead
INGREDIENTS
- 3 medium oranges
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup sugar, divided
- 1 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
- 3 Tablespoons minced crystallized ginger
- 2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 Tablespoon orange liqueur such as Cointreau, Grand Marnier or Triple Sec (optional0
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 extra-large eggs
- powdered sugar for dusting
INSTRUCTIONS
- Using a vegetable peeler, remove bright orange outer zest from oranges. Thinly slice zest into slivers. (You should have about 1/2 cup zest). Combine zest and 1/2 cup water in small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Add 3/4 cup sugar and stir to dissolve. Add apricots and ginger and continue simmering, stirring occasionally, 8-10 minutes longer. (The fruit will be candied and sticky, with almost no liquid left). Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch by 5-inch by 3-inch loaf pan.
- Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Combine milk with liqueur, if desired; set aside.
- Beat butter and remaining 1/4 cup sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs one a a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the cooled orange-apricot mixture. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. stir after each addition until just combined, and then scrap batter into prepared pan.
- Bake 1 hour or until a knife or wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan and return to rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar before slicing.
Easy Orange Rolls
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 Tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
- zest of 2 oranges
- 3 12-ounce tubes of biscuits
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a small saucepan, combine butter and sugar. Heat until sugar dissolves. Blend in frozen orange juice and orange zest.
- Open each tube of biscuits and separate. Dip individual biscuits in orange mixture and layer in a lightly oiled Bundt pan; repeat with all biscuits. Pour any remaining orange mixture over biscuits.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
Lemon-Cream Cheese Scones
(Makes 8 large or 16 small scones)
INGREDIENTS
- 1/3 cup firm butter
- 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 package (3 ounce) cream cheese, softened
- 1 egg
- fresh lemon juice
- sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut butter into; flour, 1/4 cup sugar, the lemon zest, baking powder and salt with pastry blender in a large bowl until mixture resembles fine crumbs. (I do this with a food processor) . Gradually blend milk into cream cheese in small bowl and add to flour mixture. Mix lightly until dough leaves side of bowl and forms a ball. (Be careful not to over mix).
- Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; gently roll in flour to coat. Knead lightly 10 times. Pat or roll into a 9-inch circle on ungreased cookie sheet. (I split dough in half and make two small circles) . Brush with lemon juice. Sprinkle with sugar. Cut into 8 wedges, but do not separate. (I use a rotary pizza cutter to do this, just be sure to score but not cut all the way through) .
- Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until golden brow,
- Immediately remove from cookie sheet; carefully separate wedges. Serve warm
Pecan and Cream-Cheese Scones
(Makes about 10 scones)
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 Tablespoons cream cheese
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup medium pecans, chopped
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 Tablespoons cold water
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut the butter and cream cheese into the dry ingredients until crumbly.
- Beat together the milk and egg. Pour into the dry ingredients, stirring until well blended. Add the chopped pecans and combine well with the dough.
- Using an ice-cream scoop, scoop out the scones and place on baking sheet.
- Beat the egg yolk with the cold water. Using a pastry brush, brush the glaze on each scone.
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden. Serve hot or cold with butter or clotted cream and jam.
Mock Devonshire Cream
(Makes 1 1/3 cups)
INGREDIENTS
- 1 – 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup sour crea,
- 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sour cream and sugar and beat well. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Lime Curd
(Makes 3 cups)
This makes enough to fill two 9-inch tart shells, three 3-by-14-inch rectangle, or up to four dozen 3-inch tartlets. It can be kept, refrigerated, for up to four days.
INGREDIENTS
- 8 large egg yolks, plus 2 large whole eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice, strained
- 1 cup (2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon -size pieces
- 2 Tablespoons freshly grated lime zest (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Whisk together egg yolks and whole eggs in a nonreactive saucepan. Add the sugar and lime juice; whisk to combine.
- Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden s spoon, until the mixture thickens to almost pudding like consistency, about 30 . minutes. Remove from heat; transfer to a heat-proof bowl. Stir in the butter, one piece a t a time, until fully incorporated. Stir in lime zest if desired.
- If not using immediately, cover surface directly with plastic wrap to keep a skin from forming, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Apple Butter
(Makes 7 cups)
INGREDIENTS
- 2 quarts sweet apple cider
- 4 pounds apples, (Granny Smith), quartered, cored and peeled
- 2 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
INSTRUCTIONS
- Reduce the cider to 1 quart in a large saucepan over high heat, about 30 minutes. While the cider is reducing, process the apples with the medium 93 or 4 mm) slicing disc of a food processor. Add the apples to the reduced cider to cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until the apples are tender, about 30 minutes.
- Puree the mixture in 2 batches for about 15 seconds. Return mixture to pan, bring to boil. Add sugar and spices and place in preheated 250 degree F oven. Cook uncovered, stirring every 30 minutes to prevent a skin from forming. Cook until very thick, about 5 hours. Pour into hot jars with 1/4-inch headspace. Place in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Reove jars and place on kitchen towels to cool completely.
Huckleberry Jam
(Makes 9 cups)
I wouldn’t be true to my home state if I didn’t include at least one huckleberry recipe.
INGREDIENTS
- 4 1/2 cups crushed huckleberries, approximately 7 cups ripe berries
- 7 cups sugar
- 1 bottle liquid pectin
INSTRUCTIONS
- Measure huckleberries and sugar into a very large saucepan; mix well.
- Place over high heat and bring to a full rolling boiling. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, at once stir in liquid pectin.
- Alternately, skim and stir for 5 minutes to prevent floating fruit. Ladle into hot sterilized glass jars and seal.
Spicy Peach Jam
(Makes 5 pints)
INGREDIENTS
- 4 cups crushed peaches
- 7 1/2 cups sugar (5 1/2 – 6 if using Greenbluff, WA peaches)
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2-1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup Tang (orange beverage powder)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Mix sugar, allspice, cinnamon and Tang and set aside.
- Crush peaches and add lemon juice and sugar mixture.
- Bring to a full boil and boil 1 full minute.
- Remove from heat ad stir in 1 bottle of pectin, stir for 5 minutes. Skim.
- Fill hot jars and fix hot lids.
