Cranberry-lemon scones: encore :)

These scones are so delicious and easy to make, they have become an absolute favorite in my family, and among my friends. :) I keep being asked for the recipe, so I thought I'd repost it. So, here it is, with the latest picture of them:  :)


cranberry-lemon scones

 

ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), frozen
1/2 cup dried cranberries, i.e. craisins
zest of one lemon
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large egg

directions 

preheat oven to 400 F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

mix dry ingredients and frozen butter (cut in pieces) in food processor, process it a few seconds until well blended, add wet ingredients and pulse it until well blended, add lemon zest and cranberries (or any other fruits or chips you like), just pulse it a couple of times to mix, take the batter out, divide it in two balls, pat each one flat on a lightly floured surface forming a 6-7-inch circle about  1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick. sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp. of sugar. use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place scones on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper), about 1 inch apart. bake until golden, about 15 to 18 minutes. cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature. 


alternately, if you do not have a food processor,  follow the directions below:

1. in a medium bowl, mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a box grater; use your fingers (or a pastry blender) to work in butter (mixture should resemble coarse meal), then stir in cranberries and lemon zest.
2. in a small bowl, whisk sour cream and egg until smooth.
3. using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form. use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball. (the dough will be sticky in places, and there may not seem to be enough liquid at first, but as you press, the dough will come together.) 
4. divide dough in two balls, pat each one flat on a lightly floured surface forming a 6-7-inch circle about    1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick. sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp. of sugar. use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place scones on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper), about 1 inch apart. bake until golden, about 15 to 18 minutes. cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature. 

recipe adapted from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/simple-scones/detail.aspx

Shrewsbury biscuits

I live in a town called Shrewsbury. A few years ago I stumbled upon a recipe for "Shrewsbury biscuits" and thought I'd definitely have to give them a try one day. Today was my Garden Club's monthly meeting and the theme was Shrewsbury, England since our mayor came to give us a presentation about his recent visit to our sister town on the old continent. I knew the time had come for me to bake those cookies. :) They were simple to make but seemed to be a hit with everyone at the meeting. My daughter, 8, who helped me bake them was so happy and proud! :)

Shrewsbury biscuits- or cakes- are an English dessert named after Shrewsbury, the county town of Shropshire.  They were first mentioned in a recipe book dated 1658, "The Compleat Cook of 1658". They are also mentioned by the English playwright William Congreve in "The Way of the World" in 1700 as a silile (Witwoud - "Why, brother Wilfull of Salop, you may be as short as a Shrewsbury cake, if you please. But I tell you 'tis not modish to know relations in town"). The recipe was taken to the White House, when First Lady Louisa Catherine Adams made them for her husband, President John Quincy Adams. Shrewsbury biscuits are also among the most popular snacks in India. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrewsbury_cake)

Shrewsbury biscuits are hard, crisp, sweet biscuit flavored with some combination of lemon, rose-water, caraway seeds and raisins, the exact combination depending on who you ask. :) (http://www.wetnelly.com/page010.html)

The recipe I used came from The Good Housekeeping New Step-By-Step Cookbook (British Edition)

Shrewsbury biscuits

½ cup butter, room temperature
5 ounces sugar
2 egg yolks
zest of 1 lemon or 1 orange (I used lemon and they were delicious)
8 ounces all-purpose flour
2 ounces currants (optional in the original recipe, but I put them in)


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

In a large mixer bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the egg yolks and the lemon zest. Slowly add the flour and the currants. Stir until the dough comes together.

Roll half of the dough on a lightly floured surface until ¼ inch thick. Cut the dough into rounds and place on the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Reroll the dough scraps and cut as many cookies as possible. Do not reroll the dough too many times.

Bake the cookie for about 15 minutes until very lightly browned on the edges. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Here are my Shrewsbury biscuits at the Shrewsbury Garden Club meeting tonight:

Recipe courtesy: http://cookiesonfriday.blogspot.com/2011/12/shrewsbury-biscuits-12-days-of-cookies.html

Old-fashioned apple cake

I love this cake! Since I first made it a couple of weeks ago, I've baked it at least half a dozen times for different occasions. Let's put it this way- I find reasons to make it! :)) It is so moist, yet so simple, pure old-fashioned goodness! And perfect for the fall with all these wonderful, sweet, juicy apples that are in season right now! I know the recipe by heart now, since it is so easy to remember- I call it my 1-2-3-4 cake (because it has 1 cup oil, 2 cups sugar, 3 cups flour, 4 eggs plus a few other ingredients) :)))

Old-fashioned apple cake

Preheat oven to 350F.

Indredients:

5-6 medium apples (4 if large) cored and sliced thinly in small pieces (but not peeled)
5 tbsps granulated sugar
1-2 tsps cinnamon

Mix the apples, sugar and cinnamon together in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Drain any juices that the mixture may produce.

In a large bowl, blend together:

1 cup oil
2 cups granulated sugar
3 cups all-purple flour
1/4 cup orange juice
3 tsps baking powder

To this batter, add:
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Blend all ingredients.  Batter will appear thick and heavy, not runny like traditional cake batters, but do not worry- this cake is one of the moistest cakes you will ever taste!

In a well greased angel food pan or bundt pan, pour 1/3 of the batter, add half of the apples, pour another 1/3 of batter over apples, add remaining apples and cover with remaining batter. Bake at 350F for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Note: If using a dark or non-stick pan, start checking for doneness at 1 hour.

After it cools, and you turn it over in an air-tight container, you could dust it with some powdered sugar too, if you want. This part is optional, of course.

Variations:

The first time I made this cake, I followed the directions- and list of ingredients- to the letter. However, since then, I have made it using a combination of apples and pears (delicious!), added chopped walnuts and slivered almonds, threw in raisins and cranberries- you can come up with so many delicious variations! I have also made it without the cinnamon because my mother has an aversion to it and I thought it would be nice to bake a cake that she could have with her coffee too. :)
She really appreciated it! It is truly perfect with a cup of coffee or tea!

Here is a picture of one of my variations: it has apples and pears, cranberries, walnuts and no cinnamon. My family- and everyone else who has tasted it- loves it!

Special thanks to my husband's co-worker, Don Cottrell, for this fabulous recipe!