Mango Salsa
Summer! …Summer is here, right? It better be because it’s pretty hot out there. It could be just as hot here as it is in Florida but I wouldn’t complain. I’d be able to find solace in the fact that the heat will only last …Read More….
Tag: fruits
Modern Blueberry Tarts
Oh, plans. I’m not very good with planning. See, the original plan was to celebrate the 4th season of Game of Thrones by posting a recipe from the official food blog, Inn at the Crossroads, every week during the season’s duration. I even went as …Read More….
Apple Pie Scones
I really didn’t want to be that guy who does nothing but constantly remind you how fast time is going, but seriously, we’re almost done with October and it’s absolutely insane. I mean, it’s great, don’t get me wrong. Being able to open your windows and have a crisp autumn breeze run through your house is an pleasure I look forward to through all of summer. Leaves falling, the colors, the smells, The Nightmare Before Christmas playing at least once a day.. it’s one of my favorite times of year right now.
So while I was thinking about something to make that would compliment this time, I wanted to go away from pumpkin. I wanted something different but still something that said fall.
Queue the apple pie!
Love me apple pie. Some of my favorite fall flavors held together with a nice flaky crust. There’s no way you could go wrong with that.
But… As much as I hyped myself up for apple pie, I wasn’t feeling plate and forky. So what to do?
Apple pie cookies? Nah..
Apple pie brownies? Hmm… eh, the wife doesn’t trust me with brownies anymore.
Apple pie on a stick?! I don’t thi… well, maybe if.. no, no, too much work.
Wait! Yes!
Apple Pie Scones!
I love scones almost as much as apple pie! That Cinnamon Chip Scone from Panera? Best pastry they have! I used to go there just for that. The sandwiches were a bonus.
In fact, last time I made scones they were Panera’s Cinnamon Chip as well as a Chocolate Chip. I made them for a road trip to Florida and I was eating them like I was a Hobbit on a journey and they were Lembas Bread. Needless to say it was one of my favorite road trips.
Apple Pie Scones (adapted from King Arthur Flour)
2 ¾ cups ~ All-Purpose Flour
1/3 cup ~ Sugar
¾ teaspoon ~ Salt
1 tablespoon ~ Baking Powder
¾ teaspoon ~ Cinnamon
½ teaspoon ~ Pumpkin Pie Spice
¼ teaspoon ~ Nutmeg, freshly grated
10 tablespoons ~ Butter, cold
1 each ~ Apple, medium size, small dice
1 cup ~ Cinnamon Chips
2 each ~ Eggs
1 teaspoon ~ Vanilla Extract
½ cup ~ Apple SauceStreusel
¾ cup ~ Brown Sugar
¾ cup ~ Flour
1 ½ teaspoons ~ Cinnamon
¼ cup ~ Butter, cold
Notes:
- It’s up to you whether or not you want the skin on the apple. I left it on and it was totally fine.
- I cannot stress how important it is to have freshly grated nutmeg as opposed to the already grated stuff. The holidays are fast approaching, get with it.
- I freaking love cinnamon chips. I remember not being able to find those stinking things and then finally coming across them in Wal-Mart. They’ve had them for the last 2 years so you should be able to find them there too.
- When you finally get your scones on the pan you’re going to pop them in the freezer. This step is big because it’s going to allow the gluten to rest and in the end it’s going to help your scones rise higher and be more tender.
- First off, get the streusel out of the way. Just toss the sugar, flour and cinnamon together and cut in the butter till it looks like streusel. Quickly put it in the cooler. Not because it’ll go bad, but because you may want to eat it all.
- In a nice size bowl mix together the four, sugar, baking powder and spices. Then cut in cold butter with a fork until it looks something like coarse breadcrumbs. You want the butter evenly distributed so if you could squeeze a clump of flour together and it keeps a shape then you’re good to go.
- Next, get your apple cut up. Don’t worry about perfectly diced cubes, just make sure they’re all uniformly small.
- To the flour, add the apples and cinnamon chips. Give a little toss.
- Get a small bowl and mix together the eggs, vanilla and applesauce. When done, add the wet ingredients to the dry until it’s moistened and holds together.
- When everything was incorporated, the dough was still pretty sticky. So I just floured a clean counter top and worked it with some more flour until it was right. Once it wasn’t sticky anymore I stopped.
- Divide the dough in half and shape them into discs at about ¾ inch thick. Then brush the tops with milk and get a nice good layer of streusel on top of that. I didn’t go all the way to the edge but you can if you want.
- Cut the rounds into 6 even wedges and put them on a cooking spray coated pan. I arranged them in the same round disc shape but you have to make sure they’re at least ½ inch apart.
- Now, from here they go straight in your… freezer. For at least 30 minutes. We’ve already discussed this in the notes. As soon as you put them in go ahead and preheat your oven to 425°.
- Alright, oven is hot, scones are rested. Go ahead and pop them in for 18 to 22 minutes. I took them out at around 18 but I should have left them in a little longer. I was excited. Sue me.
And there they go, Apple Pie Scones! I know it’s cheesy but it really is just like having a slice of apple pie but without the mess. These are perfect if you have company over for anything during the fall. Of course, that’ll mean you have to share so it’s up to you.
Here’s to fall!
Chocolate Chip Orange Cookies
Pink – Here Comes The Weekend There are plenty of good things that come out of taking what feels like years to customize your blog the way you want it. One of those things is having a nice chunk of content to blog about when …Read More….
A Naked Banana Lacks Appeal
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana. ~Groucho Marx I don’t mind eating healthy. I enjoy fruits and veggies prepared in numerous ways. But I must say …Read More….
Police? I’d Like to Report a Stroberry..
Strawberries are the angels of the earth, innocent and sweet with green leafy wings reaching heavenward.
Guess what? Summer is creeping up quick! I’ve made it clear that I have a newfound love for spring, but summer and I have a long, weathered past. While I loved it growing up, living in Florida for close to 10 years kind of burned up any affection I had towards the season.
I never realized until now how much Florida is like Westeros, where the seasons have no specific time of beginning or ending, so there is no explanation needed for a year long summer. Florida would make the Starks go from the most honorable to the most dishonest family of the Seven Kingdoms.
No sir, you’re wrong. Winter is definitely not coming.
But we’re not there yet! We still have a few more weeks till we say bye to spring and watch the days grow longer.
Matter of fact, what I have today is perfect for the transition from spring to summer. You know, those crazy hot days that pop up out of nowhere, leaving you feeling dry with nothing really hitting the spot. Well, this is going to hit that spot and give it a brain freeze in the process.
Only thing is you’re going to have to let me talk about strawberries and how awesome they are. Is that ok? Can I get into my spring zone again and get all excited about fresh flavors without any judging or name calling? C’mon, they’re strawberries! Who doesn’t appreciate strawberries??
Their sweetness, their aroma, their bright red color, it’s no wonder why they’re one of the most sensual fruits; they’re appealing in almost every sense. But as popular as they are, strawberries are misleading, lying to your face. How so? Botanically speaking, a strawberry isn’t even a berry! The nerve, right?! I hope you’re ready to pick up the science I’m about to drop…
By definition, a strawberry is not a berry, but an aggregate accessory fruit.
A berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary. A strawberry is produced from several ovaries, which makes it an Aggregate fruit. That part is easy, now to get deeper… You know the “seeds” on the outside of the strawberry? Those are not seeds. They’re ovaries!
You see, a fruit is the ripened ovaries (together with seeds) of one or more flowers. If you look close enough at a “seed” of a strawberry, you’ll see the actual seed inside of it, which in turn makes the “seeds” as we know them actually fruit! Those fruits are called Achene.
But if the achene’s are the fruit, what does that make the strawberry? A liar, that’s what! Oh, and an Accessory fruit, a fruit in which the flesh is not derived from the ovary, but from accessory tissue.
See, now when someone complains about strawberry seeds stuck in their teeth, you get to be the smartass person and explain to them how those are fruits not seeds and how the strawberry is a big fat liar. This is also great information to have when starting conversations at parties. Do it! The world must know!!
Once you’ve finished picking up the pieces of your mind that I’ve just blown, check it out:
Strawberry Sorbet3 cups ~ Fresh or Frozen Strawberries
1/3 cup ~ Sugar
1/3 cup ~ Water
2 tablespoons ~ Lemon, Lime or Orange Juice
You may want to taste your strawberries to see how sweet they are. If they’re sweet enough for you, you may want to cut back on the sugar, but if they’re more on the tart side you may want to add a bit more. This is all on your preference.
As for the process, words cannot describe how insanely easy this is to do:
- First thing’s first, combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Once sugar dissolves, set aside to cool down a bit.
What you’re making here is a Simple Syrup.
A simple syrup is equal parts sugar and water, boiled until the sugar dissolves basically allowing you to add sugar in a liquid form. Pretty handy when you want to sweeten something up without the gritty texture of sugar, which is why it’s used a lot in making drinks. It’s also great for brushing on a cake to keep it moist.
- Next, wash and half your strawberries and put them in the food processor. Process until smooth and add the simple syrup with the juice. Process again to incorporate.
At this point, if you’re fortunate enough to own a fancy shmancy ice cream machine, you can pour the puree in there and make the sorbet following whatever instructions came with your technologically advanced machinery. But if you’re like us commoners who have to buy our own ice cream…
- Pour the puree into a shallow, freezable container; I used a glass pie dish, so whatever’s clever. Cover and freeze for 3 or 4 hours.
From here you have a tasty strawberry ice. You can scrape it off and eat it just fine. I haven’t tested it, but I’m sure this would be awesome as a popsicle. If you have popsicle molds, skip the shallow container and just pour the puree in there. Boom, instant happiness.
But if you’re looking for a fluffier, more sorbet like product:
- Take the ice out and let it partially thaw at room temperature. Then scoop it into the food processor again and pulse until it’s not chunky in order to break up the ice that just formed. Put it back in the container and freeze it again.
The air you incorporate into the already once frozen sorbet will stick around and keep it airy (fluffier) when it’s refrozen.
Whether or not you want to go through the agonizing trouble of having to clean the food processor again, if you taste your sorbet and feel like it’s too sweet or not sweet enough, simply let it completely thaw at room temperature, and either add water or more simple syrup and then freeze again. Repeatedly thawing it out and refreezing won’t damage anything, so do it to your hearts content.
If you’re not keen to strawberries, substitute them for oranges, lemons, limes, watermelon, whatever. Would it work? I don’t know! But there is absolutely no reason why it shouldn’t. It’s a simple process and a simple product, so go ahead and experiment and let me know how it turns out.
And that’s that. You can now look forward to a summer filled with easy, healthy and refreshing sorbets!
Enjoy.
Orange You Excited About This Cake?
California is a fine place to live – if you happen to be an Orange. ~ Fred Allen I don’t know what it is, but ever since we moved to North Carolina, I’ve had a much deeper …Read More….