In the Kitchen: Scones for a Brunch or a Tea

I started making lavender scones this summer after a visit to Sunshine Lavender Farm.

My new tin of Provence Culinary Lavender arrived just in time for holiday baking!

This popular recipe was first featured on my blog a few months ago. Since I'm ready to bake more scones, I decided to publish the recipe again for the holidays.

I adapted a tried-and-true scone recipe to create these lavender scones. The original recipe for cranberry scones came from my best friend, Betsy Livak.

On several of my visits with Betsy (many years ago), she made her scones for me. In fact, those were the first scones that I'd ever tried! I have fond memories of our chats over scones and tea. We've been best friends for almost thirty years. Since Betsy is in California and I'm in North Carolina, we don't get to visit each other very often. When we have a rare opportunity to visit, we pick up right where we left off!

To make these lavender scones, I just substituted lavender and omitted the cranberries. That said, I highly recommend making these scones with cranberries, too. Either way, you will not be disappointed!


Lavender Scones

Makes 1 dozen scones
Preheat oven to 400°F

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (substitute whole wheat if desired)
1/2 cup sugar (I use turbinado sugar or organic cane instead of refined white)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 tablespoons culinary lavender

3/4 teaspoon salt (I use Kosher or sea salt)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon grated orange zest (I use a microplane)

1 cup buttermilk (lowfat is okay)

1. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lavender in a large bowl.


2. Add butter and beat with an electric mixer (or pastry blender) until well blended.


3. Stir in zest *.


4. Pour in buttermilk and mix until blended.


5. Gather dough into a ball and divide in half (I use a knife).


6. On lightly floured surface, roll each half into a circle.


7. Cut into wedges.
   
   I make mine thick so that I get 6 scones (pie shaped wedges) out of each half. I use parchment paper to reduce the amount of flour needed. I also tend to hand shape, rather than roll the circle. I cut the wedges with a sharp knife. I gently tap the 3 sides of the scones on the parchment to make smooth edges.
   
   
8. Place scones on lightly greased cookie sheet.


9. Bake in preheated 400° F oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden.


10. Serve warm or cooled.

*Original recipe: You can omit the lavender and use 3/4 cup dried (or fresh) cranberries.

If using the fruit, add it with the orange zest, just before the buttermilk.

Serving suggestion: Serve with preserves or lemon curd. If you live in the United Kingdom, you have real clotted cream!

Left-overs: Wrap a scone in a slightly damp paper towel and microwave for 15 seconds if you like scones warm. Most scones are served at room temperature.

Reduced recipe: I have made 1/2 recipe and it worked out just fine.


Photos and scones by Freda Cameron. Lavender from Sunshine Lavender Farm. Recipe adapted from Betsy Livak's Cranberry Scone Recipe

In the Kitchen: Savory Gouda Bites

When you need a quick and easy hors d'œuvre for a party, this recipe is really fun to make. Since these savory bites resemble cookies, you'll have to tell your guests that these aren't sweet!

You can make these the day before serving. Using gouda, these savory bites are very light and mild tasting. You can decide whether or not to garnish with whole roasted cashews or other nuts.

One of our favorite places in North Carolina is the Biltmore Estate™ in Asheville. There are several great restaurants at the Estate and I've found them to be quite willing to share recipes, upon request, when dining there. They also hand out recipes during cooking demonstrations in the store beside the winery.

This recipe is adapted from a similar recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks, Bounty of Biltmore Cookbook, that is no longer offered online by the Biltmore Estate™. I purchased my cookbook at the Estate store several years ago.

Savory Gouda Bites

Preheat oven to 375°F
Makes 36

1/2 pound (8 ounces) gouda cheese, shredded (I use the food processor shredding blade)
1/2 cup butter, softened (not melted)

1 1/2 cups of plain flour
1 teaspoon DRY mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Mix the gouda and butter together in a large bowl until well-blended and smooth.


2. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients.


3. Add the dry ingredients, a little a time, to the gouda mixture and continue to mix.


4. Continue to mix until the ingredients bind together into a soft dough. (This may seem like it will never happen, but keep mixing. The appetizers will not be toughened by the mixing)


5. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and place on a lightly greased baking sheet.


6. If not using nuts*, press the ball to flatten slightly.


7. Bake at 375°F for about 18 minutes (slightly brown).


8. Let cool completely on a wire rack.


9. Store in an airtight container.

*Optional Garnish:

36 cashews, roasted, whole, lightly salted

Press one whole nut into the top of each ball of dough before baking.

Photo by Freda Cameron. Recipe adapted from Bounty of Biltmore Cookbook, by Biltmore Estate™

Window Mobile Smartphone

Did you know Windows has a phone out? I had no clue but I guess these days it shouldn't be a surprise that computer programming companies are coming out with them. I mean even Google has a phone now. So what's the new phone?Windows Mobile Smartphone, which you can currently purchase it through the link or one of three companies: VerizonWireless, AT&T or Sprint. The SmartPhone comes with:Version

In the Kitchen: Sour Cream Pound Cake

Sour Cream Pound Cake

This recipe was originally provided by my son's great-grandmother on his father's side of the family. I have been baking this cake for over thirty years. It is always a favorite and turns out beautifully!

I make sure all the ingredients are room temperature before I begin mixing the cake. I now use a very heavy duty Bundt® pan, but a pound cake pan was originally used.

2 sticks unsalted butter (1/2 lb)
3 cups sugar

6 eggs
3 cups sifted plain flour

1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1/4 teaspoon baking soda (stirred into the sour cream)

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
1 teaspoon almond flavoring

Pre-heat oven to 325°

1. Cream butter and sugar together.


2. Add remaining ingredients in order given and mix into a smooth batter.


3. Pour batter into a prepared Bundt® or pound cake pan. (Lightly buttered and floured.)


4. Bake approximately 1 hour in a 325° pre-heated oven. It must bake longer if using a heavy duty Bundt® pan. Test for doneness.


5. Cool for 10 minutes (use a timer) on a cooling rack, then invert cake onto the rack. It should slide out in one piece!

This optional glaze is my own creation that I like to use in the colder months. Fresh strawberries or blueberries with whipped cream or ice cream are perfect with this pound cake in the summer months.

Optional Amaretto Glaze:

1 1/4 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
2 tablespoons Amaretto liqueur
toasted slivered almonds

In a small bowl, mix the sugar and liqueur. If the glaze is too thick, you can thin with a bit of milk (or more liqueur). I like to drizzle the glaze over the cake while it is slightly warm and on the cooling rack. I put paper underneath the cooling rack to catch the glaze to make clean up easier.

Garnish the top of the cake with toasted, slivered almonds.

Photos and cake by Freda Cameron; Family recipe.

December 2008 at the beach in Ocean Shores

I took this picture with the camera above my steering wheel driving down Point Brown Avenue headed South from downtown.

This is the view from my backyard looking at my neighbors across the Frozen Grand Canal. Don't mind the geese poop on my dock....

The gates of Ocean Shores - slushy style I didn't see any body boarders or sunbathers out....

The snow plowers were out making a mountain in front of the IGA.

I have more pictures on http://www.cityofoceanshores.com/ on the News Page. The snow fell lightly all day on Saturday (12/20) but accumulated pretty good. Some areas had over a foot while most of the roads saw 4 to 6 inches. We lost power (not all of the town, just part of it) Saturday night around midnight. It's Sunday now and I've driven all around town and the roads are pretty slushy. I didn't see any property damage anywhere. I can't believe the canal froze over. All flights were delayed at the Ocean Shores Airport, but the buses seem to be running fine around town.

Jeff

Garden Inspiration: French Garden in the Dordogne

This Garden Inspiration was written by guest blogger and gardener, Rob Harrison, who lives in France.


Karen and I moved to Le Banquet, Les Eyzies near Sarlat in Spring '04. We fell in love with the Dordogne following a Summer holiday the previous year.

Le Banquet is a beautiful ensemble of old farm cottages which we operate as self-catering gites during the Summer season.

Situated in some four and a half acres of the Vezere Valley, the most stunning garden of all is the areas outstanding natural beauty.

Faced with both more time and land than I had previously been used to, I have become hugely interested in gardening and never miss an opportunity to 'get outside'and 'do a bit'. I don't have any particular style, I just like to try things each year, sometimes they work, sometimes they don't-- but, that's gardening I guess, always work in progress.

One aspect of the garden that remains unchanged is the roses. Each year from about mid-June through most of July they are the star of the show. They simply look stunning blooming against the sand and limestone buildings typical of this area. I had over 50 at the last count.



At the start of spring my cold frames are over filled with as many annuals as I can sensibly sow to plant around the grounds. This year I grew Cleome, Amaranthus, the beautiful Nicotiana Sylvestris, Calendula and many others, too many in reality but who can resist the seed catalogues.

In the courtyard area I have some large Italian terracotta pots planted with clipped box and numerous pots filled with Perlagoniums (this is France after all) plus around the terraces, I like to grow things like Verbena, Ageratum and patio Roses again in terracotta pots.

As you follow the path down from the courtyard toward the river which runs through the estate you come to a small stone herb planter from which the guests can help themselves.

This year I planted a hot border close to the old tobacco drying barn. Filled with Canna 'Phasion', Dahlia 'Bishop of Llandaff, Verbena Bonariensis and Ricinus, by August it had really developed into haven of lush, abundant growth filled with sumptuous colour.

Away from the buildings, there are large areas of lawn puntuated with fruit and walnut trees that offer pretty views of the Valley.




Photos provided by Rob Harrison, Le Banquet.

Also visit Rob's blog Our French Garden in the Beautiful Dordogne

~*Christmas Living Room/Dining Room*~

Good Saturday afternoon, dear blogging friends! I hope you all are doing well and are getting all of your last minute Christmas preparations done. We finished up Christmas shopping last night so now I'm going to have to get the gifts wrapped! We are having our family Christmas meal on Saturday, December 27th, so I actually have a few extra days to prepare.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Today's tour starts in our living room...it's decorated pretty simply.

This little Santa is a favorite of mine...it was given to me last year by the woman I work for. He's from Maine.

Do you see that tiny little reindeer by the house? It's from my childhood...I treasure it because my dear Mom always put it out every year.

Our coffeetable.

We are now in the dining room.The hutch.

This little picture was a Christmas card we received this year...I thought it was so sweet...it's glittery.

My drysink...since I didn't have enough candles I used ornaments instead.

Our coat rack.

This is my computer hutch were all of my blogging happens.

The top of the computer hutch.

I found this apothocary jar at TJ Maxx for $19.99! I wasn't going to buy it...I walked by it many times trying to decide what to do...I'm so glad I decided to get it. I can't wait to change it for the seasons.

And, last but not least, our Christmas tree. The only place we had for it was in the dining room. I'm looking for a new tree topper...I want to find a star.

This is my all-time favorite and treasured ornament. My dear Mom gave it to me when I was a little girl and it was always on our tree. Now that my Mom is in Heaven it's even more special to me...

Thank you so much for stopping by for this tour of my home...I appreciate all of your visits and comments so much! This may be my last post until after Christmas and our Christmas dinner on the 27th. Take care my dear blogging friends and may we all keep the true meaning of Christmas in our hearts year round.

Love to you all, Kim