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Mix up a batch of scones for your next breakfast
07.10.09
Tired of the same old thing for breakfast? Why not whip up a batch of light and flaky scones?
Scones are a quick bread, much like biscuits, made of flour, sugar, baking powder and or baking soda, butter and a dairy product, such as milk, half-and-half, light cream, heavy cream, buttermilk or yogurt. Using one part liquid to three parts flour produces a soft, sticky dough.
Mixing the ingredients in the correct order and manner determines the success of scones. Blend dry ingredients by sifting or using a whisk. Cut the butter into the flour until it looks like coarse crumbs (I like to use my fingertips for this process). The butter must be very cold, so when worked into the flour it creates flour-coated crumbs, similar to making pie dough. This procedure creates a tender, flaky scone. At this point, add fruit, nuts, dried fruit, chips, etc. Mix the wet ingredients together and stir into the dough, mixing just until combined. I usually add the liquid, stir slightly and wait about 1 minute for the flour to absorb the liquid before stirring again Only mix the dough until it comes together ? very important. If you overmix, your scones will be hard and doughy.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board or counter and knead about 4 times. Shape as desired and bake in a hot oven (usually 400 degrees or more ? and it is important to preheat the oven) so the dough sets quickly thereby producing a light scone with a light-to-golden-brown floury top and bottom with white sides. The texture of the interior of the scone should be light and soft, and white in color. This is a great basic scone recipe. You can use it and add fruit, dried fruit, nuts, flavored chips or other citrus zest to change the flavor.
3 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
1 cup butter, plus 2 tablespoons, divided use
1 cup buttermilk
Zest of 1 lemon
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar into a large bowl. Cut butter into dry ingredients until mixture is crumbly. Add buttermilk and mix just until flour is incorporated. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead 3-4 times. Divide dough in half. Pat each half into a 7-inch circle. Cut each circle into 6 wedges. Move to a nonstick baking sheet or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or nonstick aluminum foil.
Whenever I made lemon curd, I always ended up with little bits of cooked egg white in the final product. So, I decided rather than cooking the ingredients as most recipes direct, I would combine the ingredients much like I was making a cake, then cook the mixture. It works perfectly creating a smooth lemon curd with no cooked egg bits.
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
In a mixing bowl cream butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix in until smooth. Add lemon juice. Mixture may curdle at this point, but don?t panic.
Place mixture in a stainless steel bowl over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 160 degrees).
Remove from heat and add lemon zest. Put into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to keep a film from forming on the top. Refrigerate. Mixture will thicken more as it cools. 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
8-10 tablespoons milk
1 cup milk chocolate chips, divided use
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, brown sugar, baking power and salt. Add butter to the dry ingredients and blend until dough resembles coarse wet sand.
Add in vanilla extract and approximately 8 tablespoons of the milk; mix with a fork just until the dough comes together. Use additional milk if the dough is too dry. Stir in 2/3 cup milk chocolate chips.
Turn dough out and knead several times. Pat into an 8-inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges. Move to a baking sheet and bake 15-19 minutes, until scones are set and lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack and cool .
To make chocolate drizzle, melt remaining 1/3 cup chocolate chips in a small, microwave safe bowl and drizzle over the scones with a fork.
Makes 8 scones.
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