Friday, March 29, 2013

Cinnamon Chip Scones

Cinnamon Scones are one of my favorite coffee store treats. When I found Hershey's Cinnamon Chips at the grocery store, I figured I should try them. I've made Cinnamon Scones before, but with cinnamon and sugar.


Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 5 tablespoons salted butter, cold
  • 1 cup Hershey's Cinnamon Chips
  • 1 cup whipping cream


Directions

  • Preheat oven to 450. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
  • Cut the butter into 1/4" cubes. Toss into the flour.
  • Using a Pastry Blender, cut butter into the flour mixture until it resembles crumbs.
  • Stir in the cinnamon chips.
  • Stir in the whipping cream with a heavy silicone spatula just until the dough looks like a crumbly ball. It does not need to hold together.
  • Carefully turn the dough out onto a lightly floured countertop, pastry mat, or clean surface (I have an oversized wooden cutting board that I never use for cutting, only for dough).  Try not to make a mess. crumbly dough tends to crumble all over the place.
  • Press the dough together with your fingers to form a flattened disk, about 1" high and 8" wide (dinner plate size).
  • Using a knife or Pastry Scraper, cut the disk into 8 wedges (like cutting a cake).
  • Transfer the wedges to the lined cookie sheet (the pastry scraper does double duty here--triple duty if you use it to scrape dough bits off your pastry board during the cleanup stage).
  • Bake 12-15 minute until golden brown.



Sunday, March 17, 2013

Beer Cheese Bread

This is a very tasty non-yeast bread that goes beautifully with a hearty winter stew or chili.

Ingredients
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 12-ounce beer*

*I used a Killian's Irish Red for this loaf, but it is also tasty made with Guiness.  Also, feel free to adjust the recipe to 2 beers.  If you do that, use one in the bread, as stated below, and enjoy the other while the bread bakes.

Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 375
  2. Grease a loaf pan
  3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk all of the dry ingredients (flour, leaveners, spices) together. 
  4. Add the cheese and stir to coat it evenly in the flour mixture.
  5. Pour in the beer. 
  6. Stir with a heavy rubber spatula just until combined. Spread the batter into the loaf pan.
  7. Bake 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  8. Cool on wire rack about 10 minutes then remove from the loaf pan. Continue cooling or serve warm.

Top o the Mornin'


What, green coffee cake isn't Irish? Doh.