Synopses & Reviews
Prizewinning Orange Scones with Berries and Cream
With or without the berries and cream, these orange-zested rolled-up scones are classics.
Try them with one of the marmalades in the Spreads chapter.
Scones: 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
1 extra large egg, beaten
1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest
6 to 8 cups fresh berries (such as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and tayberries), washed and dried
3/4 to 1 cup granulated sugar, depending upon the sweetness of the berries
1 to 1 1/2 cups heavy (whipping) cream, whipped and lightly sweetened with 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar
Preheat the oven to 425° F. Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside.
In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Using a pastry blender, 2 knives, or your fingertips, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse cornmeal. In a small bowl, combine the egg and cream and add to the flour mixture. Mix until just blended together.
Turn out the batter onto a lightly floured board and knead for 1 minute. Roll dough into a rectangle approximately 4 inches by 8 inches.
Brush the dough with the melted butter.
Sprinkle with the sugar and orange zest. Roll up, jelly-roll fashion, and seal the long seam by pinching it together lightly with your fingers.
Cut the roll into eight 1-inch-thick slices. Lay slices down sideways on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 12 to 15minutes, or until scones are golden.
Slice the strawberries and place in a large pretty bowl with other whole berries, if available. Sprinkle with sugar and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. To serve, heap spoonfuls of berries over each scone and top with freshly whipped cream. Makes 8 sconesCarrot Muffins with Raisins and Dried Pineapple
Now you can have carrot cake in muffin shapes! Bursting with carrots, pecans, raisins and tart dried pineapple, these are nutritiously good for breakfast or a snack anytime.3 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup canola oil
1 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup (2 ounces) chopped pecans
3/4 cup chopped dried pineapple
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 375° F. Grease three standard-size 6-cup muffin tins and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a wire whisk. Add buttermilk, oil, honey and vanilla and mix together until well blended.
With a wooden spoon, stir in the carrots, raisins, pecans and pineapple.
In a small bowl, mix together the flours, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Gently fold the
dry ingredients into the carrot mixture and mix until just blended.
Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling the cups to the top. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the muffins spring back when lightly pressed with your fingertips. Let cool for 5 minutes in the muffin tins, then transfer to a cooling rack. Makes 18 muffins
Synopsis
Delicious and comforting, scones, muffins, tea cakes, and biscuits make classy accompaniments at brunches, teas, luncheons and suppers. They also stand on their own at breakfast snack time.Scones, Muffins & Tea Cakes: Breakfast Breads and Teatime Spreads is an invitingly designed, photographed and priced collection of more than 54 recipes for quick breads and spreads. Many of the recipes and photographs have been chosen from the acclaimed Country Garden Cookbook series, the recipient of prestigious awards for food photography by Deborah Jones and Kathryn Kleinman. Also included; are newly developed recipes that take advantage~ of modern baking equipment such as mini-muffin and tops-only baking pans. Heidi haughy Cusick, the editor of Picnics, has selected a tantalizing assortment of recipes such as Banana and Butternut Squash Bread, Lemon Scones, and Spicy Green Onion Corn Muffins. Scones, Muffins & Tea Cakes also features entertaining tips and original occasion menus, such as "Sunday Morning on the Veranda" and "A Victorian Christmas Tea," plus over 18 recipes for sweet and savory spreads including Lemon Curd, Cranberry and Nectarine jam, Herb Flower Butter, and traditional Clotted Cream.
This definitive assemblage of recipes is lavishly photographed and illustrated to offer cooks not only luscious baking inspiration, but also dozens of versatile serving ideas as well.