Blueberry-Lemon Buttermilk Scones

Brrr...it's chilly outside!
Winter has barely settled in here in Oregon, but I'm already cold.
I know. I know.
It's not really that cold here.
And that's very true...it's not that cold here, but it's cold enough for me.
Sure, I'll take this dry, cold spell over the sideways rain any day,
but it is making me wish for Summer.
Since I can't have summer for awhile,
I'm sure glad that I preserve some little bits of summer to get me through these cold days.

Aren't these pretty?!

Even straight from the freezer,

these are a beautiful reminder of summer.

They deserve a new gorgeous spot, 

as the highlight of delicious scones.

Blueberry-Lemon Buttermilk Scones
Adapted from AlexandraCooks and Tartine
Yield=20-24 Scones

Ingredients:
4 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbl. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp. lemon zest
3 Tbls. fresh lemon juice
1 cup + 1 Tbl. cold unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 cups blueberries

Topping:
turbinado sugar for sprinkling (regular granulated sugar is okay too.)

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Zest and juice one lemon.  Set aside for later.

3.In an electric stand mixer, whisk together flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add sugar, salt and lemon zest and stir to combine.

4. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes and scatter the cubes over the dry ingredients. Cut butter into dry ingredients.

5. Add the buttermilk all at once and mix until it is combined. If the mixture seems dry, add a little bit more buttermilk, though mine was very moist.


6.  Add blueberries into the dough and gently fold in berries.

7. Dust your work surface with flour and turn the dough out onto it. If you’ve made the whole recipe, divide the dough into two or three even portions. Using your hands, pat each portion into a circular disk about 1 1/2 inches thick.  Sprinkle with sugar. Cut each disk into 6 wedges.

8. Transfer the triangles to baking sheet.

9. Bake until the tops of the scones are lightly browned, about 20-25 minutes. (They took 23 minutes to be browned in my oven.)

10. Remove from the oven and serve immediately. 
Or take them to your next breakfast movie-fest morning. ;0)
That's what I'm doing!

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

I have zucchini.

I have chocolate chips.

I have a cold....cough...cough...sniffle...

I need comfort.

I need bread...warm, lovely bread to make myself feel better.

That makes sense, right?

Sometimes baking is the only thing that makes me feel better...and I'll do pretty much anything to make this cough go away!  I promise not to cough on the dough...PROMISE.  I'm really good at coughing into my elbow.  I just wish that my students were better at it...then maybe I wouldn't get these stupid colds.

 

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Slightly Adapted from Paula Deen's Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated zucchini (I used 3 cups of zucchini- it needed to be used)
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon orange zest ( I had lemons, so I zested one.)

Directions:

1. Shred and drain the water out of the zucchini...always an important step.

2. Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Grease (2) 9 by 5-inch loaf pans. Normally I use smaller loaf pans because I have a difficult time getting the middles baked up well. 

3. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, spices and baking soda. So I really need to get a large sifter...I have a little one and it just doesn't handle this kind of sifting.  I end up just fluffing it up in a big bowl, which isn't the best way, but it does the trick.
4. In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add sugar, and continue beating until well blended. Stir in oil, vanilla, zucchini, nuts, chocolate chips, and lemon zest.
5. Stir in sifted ingredients. Mix well.
6. Pour into prepared loaf pans.

7. Bake for 50 minutes, or until the middle is done. Remove loaves from pans and cool on a rack.

Yummy! The flavor of this bread is delicious, though if you're not a big fan of zucchini, then don't increase the zucchini amount.  But for me, well, adding more zucchini makes me feel like it's healthier.  Especially, since this recipe has all of those cute little chocolate chips...I used the mini chips, so the chips are really spread out.

Delicious! :0) And there wasn't even a stick of butter in this recipe!

Now cold, you have to go...though thanks for making me need this bread.

It not only tastes good, my house smells yummy too.

Oh Baby! Lemon Bar Love

Lemon Bars. There are so many recipes out there for these tasty little treats, but from what I've found, many of them come up short.  Either the bars are too thin or not lemony enough whenever I've made them.  So my goal today was to make a bar that was thick enough and just enough lemon to satisfy the picky critics.  I think that this recipe is pretty perfect and simple for anyone to make in a jiffy.

So here is my version of lemon bars...

Don't ya love my bulk containers?!

Yep, I'm a bulk buyer...and I love Bob's Red Mill...but more on that later.

Lemon Bar Love

adapted from Bakerella  http://www.bakerella.com/lemon-bars-and-a-little-helper/

Shortbread Crust:
1 cup butter
1 3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup confectioner’s sugar
zest from one lemon
Topping:
1 1/2 cup plain sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
4 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (This makes a huge difference in taste-make it fresh!)
confectioner's sugar for dusting on the top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Grease and flour a 9 X 13 pan (This is a VERY important step! Unlike Martha Stewart, I won't forget to tell you this!)

To make shortbread crust: 1. In a mixer on low speed, mix together flour, confectioner’s sugar, and lemon zest.

2. Cut in butter using small amounts until combined and crumbly.
3. Press mixture into bottom of the well-greased pan.

4. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly golden. It always smelled lovely...I LOVE SHORTBREAD!

To make topping:   1. While crust is baking, prepare topping.  2. Squeeze 3 large lemons.  I like to do this with my hands and then drain to remove seeds.  I love how my kitchen smells so fresh!

3. In your mixer on a low speed, add sugar, flour, and baking powder and mix it up.

4. Then add slightly beaten eggs and lemon juice.
5. Mix it up well and pour on top of warm baked crust.
6. Bake for 25 minutes.
7. When cool, dust with confectioner’s sugar and refrigerate.
8. Cut into bars and enjoy them cold!

  See that little dangling piece?  Yeah, that one.  That's going straight into my mouth!

"Hmmm....Yummmmmm!" said while powdered sugar flies out of my mouth.

Hehehe  :0)