Coconut Mango Macadamia Scones →

My ancestors in the British Isles would consider this recipe to be blasphemy. I apologize, but someone had to do it. These tropical scones are a treat with your morning coffee or afternoon snack and you don’t need jam. It’s all in there. Enjoy!

Coconut Mango Macadamia Scones
Yield about 8 scones
Ingredients:

• ¼ cup Coco Lopez

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface

• ½ cup (1 stick) chilled, very cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces (See *Note below)

• 1 large egg, beaten to blend

• ¾ cup heavy cream (Note: if you choose to brush the scones with cream before baking, increase the cream to 1 cup, reserving ¼ cup for brushing.)

• ½ cup diced mango

• ½ cup chopped macadamia nuts

• ¼ cup flaked coconut

• 1 tablespoon orange zest

• 2 tablespoons orange juice for glaze (freshly squeezed preferably)

• Demerara or raw sugar (for sprinkling; optional) 

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375° F.

1. Whisk baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 3 cups flour in a large bowl to combine.
2. Add butter and toss to coat. Using your fingers or a pastry blender or a food processor on pulse to work the butter into the flour until you have a very coarse mixture with pea-size pieces of butter. If using a food processor, scrape the flour mixture into a large bowl.
3. Make a well in the center; add egg, cream, Coco Lopez, mango, nuts, coconut, and zest and mix with a fork, incorporating dry ingredients a little at a time, until a shaggy dough forms (it’s okay if it looks a little dry; don’t overwork).
4. Lightly knead the dough in the bowl until it just comes together.
5. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a 1"-thick round. Cut into 8 wedges and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
6. Brush dough lightly with reserved cream and sprinkle with demerara sugar. (optional, if you don’t use the glaze recipe below)
 7. Bake scones until golden brown, 25–30 minutes.

 Remove scones from the oven and allow them to cool for 10-15 minutes before drizzling with the glaze. (optional) 

For the Orange Glaze:
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
1 teaspoon butter
You can make the orange glaze in a double boiler, or for a simpler alternative, you can zap it in the microwave.

For the double-boiler method:
Mix the orange juice with the confectioners sugar in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water until dissolved. Whisk in the butter and lemon zest until the glaze is smooth.

For the microwave:
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Whisk in the juice, confectioners sugar, and lemon zest. Whisk the glaze to smooth out any lumps; if necessary microwave for an additional 30 seconds and whisk again to smooth out the glaze;  then drizzle the glaze over the top of the scones. Let it set a few minutes before serving. 

*Note: using a box grater to grate the cold butter provides a more even distribution of butter in your dough.

 Adapted from: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/bas-best-cream-scones

Pate Brisée Pie Crust →

Buttery, light, and flaky, this is my favorite pie crust for fruit pies or savory meat pies. For novices to making pie crust, it might take a couple of tries before you perfect your method, but the result is more than worth it! I highly recommend this video tutorial as a place to begin your journey to perfecting your own pie crust: https://www.joyofbaking.com/PieCrust.html

Pate Brisée Pie Crust
2- 9 inch crusts

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups (320 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt (if using salted butter reduce salt to ½ tsp.)

• less than ½ cup (120 milliliters) ice water + 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

• 1 cup (225 grams) very cold unsalted butter (2 sticks); cut into ½ inch cubes and freeze for a few minutes

Preparation:

1. In a medium bowl or food processor, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt; set aside.

2. In a measuring cup or a small bowl, combine the cold water and vinegar; set aside.

3. If using a food processor, evenly distribute the cubes of chilled butter over the flour and pulse 15-20 times to incorporate the butter with the flour. If not using a food processor, gently toss the chilled butter in the flour mixture until coated, then use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour. (You should have pieces of butter that range from sandy patches to pea-size chunks, with some larger bits as well.)

4. Drizzle in about a quarter cup of the ice water mixture and stir lightly with a fork, or pulse in the food processor until the flour is evenly moistened and the dough starts to come together. If the dough seems dry, add a little more ice water, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time. The dough will still look a bit shaggy at this point. If you grab a small piece of dough and press it slightly with your hand, it should mostly hold together. (Note: the Joy of Baking video is very helpful here.)

5. Dump the dough out onto an unfloured work surface and gather it together into a tight mound. Using the heel of your hand, smear the dough a little at a time, pushing it away from you and working your way down the mass of dough to create flat layers of flour and butter. Gather the dough back together with a bench scraper, layering the clumps of dough on top of one another.

6. Repeat the process once or twice more; the dough should still have some big pieces of butter visible. Do not overwork the dough or it will be tough.

7. Cut the dough in half. Shape each piece into a disk and flatten each to about a 5 inch round. Wrap the disks in plastic and put them in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or overnight, to rest.

8. Remove the dough from the fridge about 20 minutes before rolling out.

9. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to a scant 1/8 inch thickness, rotating the disk as you roll the dough to achieve a uniform thickness throughout.

10. The dough can be stored for 3 days in the refrigerator or up to 1 month in the freezer. If making the dough in advance to freeze: Roll out the dough on a piece of parchment paper, then carefully roll it up in the parchment. Write the date on the parchment and pop it into the freezer to firm up, about 30 minutes. Then wrap the crust securely in plastic wrap. Defrost the dough in the refrigerator overnight or thaw it on the kitchen counter for about 30 minutes before using.

*Note: If you are a novice pie crust maker, I highly recommend viewing the two videos below before you make your pie crust.

https://www.joyofbaking.com/PieCrust.html
https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/how-to/article/never-mess-up-pie-crust

Also for method see: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-perfectly-flaky-pie-crust-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-191896
https://www.seriouseats.com/2015/03/science-of-pie-7-myths-that-need-to-go-away.html

Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze →

Every year Nancye picks local blueberries and freezes them so we have an ample supply for pies, pancakes, muffins, scones, sauces, or whatever else we decide to use blueberries in. Frozen they are not as good as fresh picked on your cereal, or salads, or just for snacking, but they work perfectly for cooking and retain their fresh flavor through the winter. Spread fresh blueberries in a single layer on a sheet pan and freeze in your freezer. Once frozen, transfer the berries to plastic bags and store in the freezer. This recipe uses frozen berries. If you use fresh picked berries preheat the oven to 400 F. and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Yield about 8 scones
Ingredients:

• ¼ cup granulated sugar

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface

• ½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces

• 1 large egg, beaten to blend

• 1 cup heavy cream (plus ¼ cup if you choose to brush the scones before the oven)

• 1 cup blueberries

• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375°.

1. Whisk granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 3 cups flour in a large bowl to combine.

2. Add butter and toss to coat. Using your fingers or a pastry blender or a food processor on pulse to work the butter into the flour until you have a very coarse mixture with pea-size pieces of butter. If using a food processor, scrape the flour mixture into a large bowl.

3. Make a well in the center; add egg, cream, and mix lightly.

4. Add the blueberries, and zest and gently mix to incorporate the blueberries into the dough. (it’s okay if it looks a little dry; don’t overwork).

5. Lightly knead the dough in the bowl into a round ball.

6. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat into a 1-1 1/2”-thick round. Cut into 8 wedges and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

7. Brush dough lightly with reserved cream and sprinkle with demerara sugar. (optional, if you don’t use the glaze recipe below)

8. Bake scones until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

9. Remove scones from the oven and allow them to cool for 10-15 minutes before drizzling with the glaze. (optional) The scones are moist enough with the glaze that you don’t need butter or jam, but if that’s your preference, go for it!

Lemon Glaze:

1. 3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice

2. 1 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

3. 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

4. 1 lemon, zest finely grated

You can make the lemon glaze in a double boiler, or for a simpler alternative, you can zap it in the microwave.

For the double-boiler method:
Mix the lemon juice with the confectioners sugar in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water until dissolved. Whisk in the butter and lemon zest until the glaze is smooth.

For the micro-wave:In a micro-wave safe bowl, melt the butter. Whisk in the juice, confectioners sugar and lemon zest. Whisk the glaze to smooth out any lumps; if necessary micro-wave for an additional 30 seconds and whisk again to smooth out the glaze; then drizzle the glaze over the top of the scones. Let it set a few minutes before serving.

Adapted from: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/bas-best-cream-scones

Super Easy No Knead Rosemary Parmesan Focaccia →

Who doesn’t love the smell and flavor of freshly baked crunchy, chewy warm bread? This focaccia recipe adapted from Bon Appetit (#bonappetitmag) is so easy, it’s almost embarrassing! I’ve tried several more traditional focaccia recipes and the labor involved did not produce better focaccia than this very, very easy ( dare I say fun?) magical process. Using an 18x13” sheet pan yields bread about 1 ½ inches thick. Using a smaller baking pan will produce thicker bread that can be sliced in half to use for sandwiches. The thinner version can be used for snacking or cut into 2” squares and topped with your choice of savory toppings for appetizers (think tomato salsa with basil, or browned, sauteed mushrooms with a pinch of thyme and an optional splash of brandy). If you want the full, rich flavor of this bread serve it warm. Leftover bread can be reheated in a 300-degree oven or toaster oven for 5 minutes. It keeps well in the freezer for several weeks.

10-12 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups lukewarm water (90-110 F.)

• 1 ¼-oz. envelope active dry yeast (about 2¼ tsp.) or an equal amount of instant yeast

• 2 tsp. honey

• 5 cups (625 g) all-purpose flour

• 5 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 Tbsp. Morton kosher salt

• 6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for hands

• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for the pan

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan

• Flaky sea salt (optional)

• 2–4 garlic cloves (optional)

Preparation:

1. Whisk 1¼-oz. envelope active dry yeast (about 2¼ tsp.), 2 tsp. honey, and 2½ cups lukewarm water in a medium bowl and let sit for 5 minutes (it should foam or at least get creamy; if it doesn’t your yeast is dead and you should start again—check the expiration date!). (If using instant yeast, skip this step and add the warm water and honey in Step 2)

2. Add 5 cups (625 g) all-purpose flour, 5 teaspoons Diamond Crystal or 1 tablespoon Morton kosher salt, (add instant yeast if using), and mix with a rubber spatula until a shaggy dough forms and no dry streaks remain. If using Instant Yeast, add the warm water and honey now.

3. Pour 4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil into a big bowl that will fit in your refrigerator. This puppy is going to rise! Transfer dough to bowl and turn to coat in oil. Cover with a silicone lid or plastic wrap and chill until dough is doubled in size (it should look very bubbly and alive), for at least 8 hours and up to 1 day. I let it rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 3–4 hours.

4. Generously butter a 13x9" baking pan, for thicker focaccia that’s perfect for sandwiches, or an 18x13" rimmed baking sheet, for focaccia that's thinner, crispier, and great for snacking. I used an 18x13” sheet pan. The butter may seem unnecessary, but it’ll ensure that your focaccia doesn’t stick. (remember: Julia Child would say, “butter makes it better!”

5. Keeping the dough in the bowl and using a fork in each hand, gather up the edges of the dough farthest from you and lift up and over into the center of the bowl. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat the process. Do this 2 more times; you want to deflate dough while you form it into a rough ball. (Credit this technique to Alexandra Stafford @alexandracooks, who uses it to shape her no-knead bread.) Transfer dough to a prepared pan. Pour any oil left in the bowl over the dough and turn the dough over.

6. Let the dough rise, uncovered, in a dry, warm spot (like near a radiator or on top of the fridge or a preheating oven) until doubled in size, at least 1½ hours and up to 4 hours.

7. Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 450°. To see if the dough is ready, poke it with your finger. It should spring back slowly, leaving a small visible indentation. If it springs back quickly, the dough isn’t ready. (If at this point the dough is ready to bake but you aren’t, you can chill it for up to 1 hour.)

8. Lightly oil your hands. If using a rimmed baking sheet, gently stretch out the dough to fill the pan. (you probably won't need to do this if using a baking pan). Dimple the focaccia all over with your fingers, like you’re aggressively playing the piano, creating deep depressions in the dough (poke your fingers all the way to the bottom of the pan).

9. Sprinkle the dough evenly all over with the rosemary and parmesan or whatever toppings you have on hand. The dough is a blank culinary-canvas for you to paint. Bake the focaccia until it is puffed and golden brown all over, 20–30 minutes.

10. *Optional: If you want garlicky bread, hold off on this last step until you're ready to serve the focaccia: Melt 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Peel and grate in 2–4 garlic cloves with a Microplane (use 2 cloves if you’re garlic-shy or up to 4 if you love it). Return to medium heat and cook, stirring often, until garlic is just lightly toasted 30–45 seconds. (Or, if you prefer raw garlic to toasted garlic, you can grate the garlic into the hot butter, off heat, then brush right away.) Brush the garlic-butter all over the focaccia and slice into squares or rectangles.

Adapted from: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/easy-no-knead-focaccia

Savory Buttermilk Biscuits with Thyme and Black Pepper →

These are great with soups and stews. You can reheat them by placing them in a preheated oven or toaster-oven at 300 degrees for 5 minutes.

Yield: about 10-12 biscuits

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme (optional)

• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper (optional)

• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled in the freezer and cut into thin slices

• 3/4 cup cold buttermilk (see *Note below)

• 2 tablespoons buttermilk for brushing (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

1. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

2. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, thyme, and black pepper together in a large bowl.

3. Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 5 minutes. You can also use the “pulse” feature of a food processor, but don’t over-process the mixture. You want it to look like coarse crumbs.

4. Make a well in the center of the butter and flour mixture. Pour in 3/4 cup buttermilk; stir until just combined. Don’t overwork the dough or the biscuits will be tough.

5. Turn dough onto a floured work surface and pat together into a rectangle.

6. Fold the rectangle in thirds. Turn the dough a half turn, gather any crumbs, and flatten it back into a rectangle. Repeat twice more, folding and patting dough down a total of three times.

7. Pat-down dough on a floured surface to about 1/2+ inch thick. (thicker=higher biscuits and longer bake time)

8. Cut out 12 biscuits using a 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter.

9. Transfer the biscuits to the prepared baking sheet.

10. *Optional: Press an indent into the top of each biscuit with your thumb.

11. *Optional: Brush the tops of the biscuits with 2 tablespoons of buttermilk.

12. Bake in the preheated oven until browned, about 15-20 minutes.

*Note: you can buy buttermilk in the Dairy Section of your market, or you can make your own buttermilk by mixing 4 1/2 tsp. white vinegar with milk to make one cup of buttermilk.

*Note: omit the thyme and black pepper if you want more traditionally flavored biscuits, or brush the biscuits with buttermilk before baking and sprinkle with Everything Sesame seasoning.