Last night I was making Ina Garten’s Raspberry Crumble for a school function and thought I would use that recipe as a base for thumbprint cookies. I played around, added a few ingredients and came up with this recipe for these cookies! Half were gone by this morning – a sure sign of a good cookie recipe! Hope you enjoy it!
I had a cocktail party in my studio last night and served these amazing scone ham sandwiches and thought the recipe would be a good one to share because everyone at the party asked for the recipe!
Savory Cheddar, Thyme & Sweet Corn Scones
Astoundingly good, savory and wonderfully chewy!
Makes approximately 30, 2″ scones
Ingredients:
2 c. Self-rising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp. English mustard powder
1/4 tsp. ground Cayenne
Paprika for sprinkling
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. minced fresh thyme + about 30 whole leaves for scone tops
1/4 c. cold unsalted butter
2 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 can of corn
3/4 c. 2% milk plus extra for brushing
juice of 1/2 lemon
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
1. In the bowl of a food processor, mix flour, baking powder, mustard, cayenne, salt and minced thyme leaves. Cut butter into 6 slices and add to flour mixture. Pulse until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. Add most of the cheese and all of the corn and pulse until incorporated. Mix the milk and lemon juice together and with the processor running add to flour mixture through the feed tube. Very quickly, it will form into a thick batter/dough – don’t overwork the dough. Don’t panic! This is a very wet dough!
2. Put dough on floured board, sprinkle with flour on top and knead a few times. Using a medium spring-loaded scoop (like a small ice cream scoop) – or a spoon, drop 1/2 golf ball sized pieces of dough onto prepared baking sheet.
3. Brush each scone with a little bit of milk and lightly press ball down with brush. Sprinkle with a bit of cheese and paprika and add a thyme leaf or two.
4. Bake for 7 – 12 minutes or until scones are risen and golden brown. Cool on rack.
Add shredded ham to dough while kneading or add Herbed Cream Cheese Spread and ham to make little cocktail sandwiches!
Herbed Cream Cheese Spread
1/2 c. cream cheese
1 Tbs. butter
1 tsp. minced fresh thyme
Salt & Pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients and use as spread for scones.
Recipe adapted from: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/749706/cheddar-and-sweetcorn-scones
Cook’s Illustrated is my favorite cooking magazine! I love their scientific approach to cooking and how they explain WHY some things work and some things do not! I also love, love, love their “Quick Tips” section of suggestions sent in by readers! Nine years ago, Cooks Illustrated published The Best Kitchen Quick Tips – 534 tricks, techniques and shortcuts for the curious cook – be still my heart! Filled with “Duh! I can’t believe I never thought of that!” and “Oh my gosh! That is a fantastic idea – I would have never thought of that!” tricks….at least that is what I think every time I pick it up to read a few pages!
“Friday’s gift” to you is a small collection of my favorite tips (below the photo)and this link to where you can buy this most amazing book!
Illustrations from Cooks Illustrated Best Kitchen Quick Tips
My favorite tips and tricks:
1. You know how cooking spray gets all over the place when you are spraying a pan? Open you dishwasher and place the pan on the opened door of the dishwasher and spray it. Any “overspray” will get washed away the next time you run the dishwasher! Duh!
2. Line your brownie pan with two rectangles of parchment paper (make diagonal cuts on the corners to allow the paper to fold in on itself when you pour in the batter). Bake and lift out the brownies — you do not even have to wash the pan! Yay!
Did you know you can get pre-cut stacks of parchment paper? They are fantastic! Available on Amazon.
3. Twist a potato onto a corkscrew and use the corkscrew as a “handle” while you are peeling the potato = no cut fingers!
4. To remove hard boiled eggs from boiling water, use a pasta spoon – one of those things with the little fingers and holes for water to drain. One would think I would have figured this out after cracking many an egg trying to remove them with a too shallow spoon or tongs!
One last tip – this one is my own. Add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne chile powder and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon to brownie batter for a wonderfully subtle and delicious mild spicy “heat”.
By Eleanore Macnish
I thought it would be fun to post a little “gift” every Friday…..a recipe, a fun website, a cool craft tutorial, etc. Something fun to get the weekend started!
Today’s “gift” is this recipe for David Eyre’s Pancake Recipe from 1966 (with some changes/additions I have made).
Variations and names abound – Dutch Baby, German Pancake, or David Eyre’s Pancake – call it what you will, just be sure to try it! It looks tricky but is the easiest thing in the world – I make it for my daughter before school, if that gives you any idea about the ease of making this dish! It takes about 5 minutes to make and 20 minutes to bake – and works every time! Be sure to scroll down for single serving ingredient measurements, other ways to serve it, and links to the original recipe!
Serves 2 to 41/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup + 1 Tablespoon whole milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Pinch of nutmeg
2-4 tablespoons of unsalted butter (***I only use 2 Tbs butter)
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Juice of half a lemon
(Single serving measurements are not exactly half of the full serving, but oddly enough they work. Also, be sure to use a smaller skillet.)
Scant 1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Bake 15 minutes
Brunch, lunch or dinner
After the pancake has been baked, add anything you would add to an omelet (shredded ham, mushrooms, spinach, etc) and a bit of shredded cheese to half of the pancake. With a spatula, fold over the other half and let it sit for a few minutes to allow the cheese to melt – or put it back in the still warm oven for a couple of minutes. Cut into wedges and serve with a simply dressed spinach salad. Served this way, a pancake made in a 12″ skillet will serve three people. 
David Eyer’s Pancake from Food52
David Eyer’s Daughter’s Note – be sure to read this; it is so touching and provides a wonderful context for this recipe! You will think of it each time you make this!
By Eleanore Macnish
lifetart 