Oatmeal-Maple Scones

Lots of people say that you shouldn't humanize your dog.  But I say, it is fine.  My dog basically is a human.  I believe he has deep thoughts.  One example is with food.  There is no doubt in my mind that my dog likes good food.  He doesn't just eat, he tastes and enjoys his food.  

Yes, I know he eats grass.  But to be honest, it is tasty.  I used to eat clovers growing up.  They are salty and herby.  

So, I have been eating a lot of jelly beans lately (for obvious reasons), and I am a Jelly Belly fan.  However, I am anti-buttered popcorn jelly bean flavor.  Why?  Why do you have to put those in my bag of assorted jelly beans?  I eat by the handful (still one at a time tho, I am no glutton) and every once in awhile, I don't investigate my batch before chowing.  When I accidentally put one of those buttered popcorn jelly beans in my mouth, I regret my entire life's worth.  I cannot shallow those things.  

Anyways, my point is that I give them to my dog.  And he loves them.  He doesn't just shallow them.  He chews them, tastes them, savors them.  And Scot says it is because dogs taste things to make sure they aren't poisonous.  Lies.  If that was true, he would never know if bacon was poisonous.  Because he pretty much inhales that stuff.  We all have weaknesses.  

For the record, I also hate the chocolate jelly beans.  But I just give those to Scot.  

One flavor that Scot and I may love equally is maple.  Syrup.  And I knew these would be a hit with him because they also have oatmeal, golden raisins and pecans in them.  A very hearty and rustic scone.  Like the Honey-Cinnamon Ice Cream I made from the Flour cookbook, which was sweetened completely with honey, these scones are sweetened only with maple syrup.  And I have the good stuff, straight from New York.  Personally, I am not a huge fan of powdered sugar glazes.  I have a problem that I can't get over, where I can taste the powdered sugar from which it is made.  I don't know how else to explain it.  It just bothers me.  And I think these glazes are too sweet.  Sorry to bother you with my personal issues.  I know Scot likes them, so I did give this maple glaze a try.  Scot is one of those, "Is there is sugar in syrup?" types of people, if you know what I mean.  It was fine with the glaze, but I probably would prefer the scones without it.  

Oatmeal-Maple Scones

by Joanne Chang, Flour

1 1/4 cups (210 g) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups (125 g) old-fashioned rolled oats

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup (50 g) pecan halves, toasted then chopped

1/2 cup (80 g) golden raisins

1/2 cup (1 stick 114 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into 8-10 pieces

1/2 cup (80 g) cold heavy cream

1/2 cup (160 g) maple syrup

1 cold egg

Glaze

1 cup (140 g) confectioner's sugar

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1-2 tablespoons water

Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 350F.

Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle (or handheld mixer), mix together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pecans, and raisins on low speed for 10 to 15 seconds, or until combined. Scatter the butter over the top and beat on low speed for about 30 seconds, or until the butter is somewhat broken down and grape-size pieces are still visible.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cream, maple syrup, and egg. On low speed pour the cream mixture into the flour mixture and beat for 10-30 seconds, or just until the dough comes together. It will be fairly wet.

Remove the bowl from the mixer stand. With a rubber spatula, scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure that all of the dry ingredients are mixed into the dough. Using a 1/3-cup dry-measuring cup, drop mounded scoops of the dough onto a baking sheet, forming 8 scones and spacing them 2 to 3 inches apart. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the scones are golden brown on top. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes.

To make the glaze, mix the ingredients together, using enough of the water to make a smooth, pourable glaze. Pour over the cooled scones and serve.

(Servings: 8, Prep time: 30 min., Bake time: 40 min., Difficulty: Easy)

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foodforscot Ratings:  

Shanon (taste):  7/10

Scot (taste):  9/10

Effort:  2/5

Dishwashing Effort:  2/5

Bacon Cheddar Scones

I made these for Scot's exam a few weeks ago (along with the amazing coffee cake).  I wanted something simple and quick that I could make the morning of the exam.  And these were perf.  

These are totally better the day thet are made.  By a lot.  So, I recommend serving them the same day.  

I have made some biscuits in the past with green onions and/or cheese in them.  When I saw a scone version of the same idea, it sounded so so good.  And they really were.  Probably my favorite scone ever.  But a cinnamon scone with coffee is a close competitor.  

This recipe also strongly encouraged me to buy an electric pepper grinder.  Recipes can encourage.  Don't worry.  Hand grinding tsps or even a tbsp of pepper sucks.  Stinks.  Shucks.

Bacon Cheddar Scones

from Annie’s Eats

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1-2 tsp. ground black pepper (depending on your preference)

8 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

11/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

4 green onions, thinly slices

10 slices bacon, cooked and chopped or crumbled into small pieces

1 cup buttermilk (plus up to 1/2 cup extra, if needed)

1 large egg

2 tbsp. water

Preheat the oven to 400° F. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and black pepper; mix briefly to combine. Add the cubes of butter and mix on low speed until the mixture is crumbly and the butter pieces are about the size of small peas. (Alternatively, this can be done in a regular mixing bowl, using a pastry blender or two knives to cut the butter into the dry ingredients.) Add in the grated cheese and mix just until incorporated.

Mix in the green onions, bacon, and 1 cup of the buttermilk into the flour-butter mixture. Stir by hand just until all the ingredients are incorporated. If the dough is too dry to come together, mix in the remaining buttermilk a tablespoon or two at a time until the dough can be formed into a ball. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and pat the dough into an 8-inch disk. Slice the dough into 8 to 10 wedges.

In a small bowl combine the egg and water and whisk together. Brush each wedge lightly with the egg wash. Transfer the scones to an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

(Servinngs: 8, Prep time: 30 min., Cook time: 20 min., Difficulty: Easy)

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Oatmeal Raspberry Scones with Fruit Smoothies

My initial motivation for brunch was to have a multi-course meal. I soon realized that brunches are not really good for multi-course meals. But, I did it anyways because I am stubborn like that.

I was initially just going to do smoothies. Then, I was thinking there needed to be something to nibble on. Nibble. I wanted to make mini muffins or scones. And something I could make in advance. Turns out, I loved these way more right out of the oven. Shoot. That always happens. They are still good the next day. But, the next day...not so good. But, the whole point was I wanted something I could make totally ahead of time. And I didn't have oven time available for these babies the day of. Need more ovens.

Anyways, they were good. And they are really quick to make. They weren't that mini. I got 15 out of the recipe below. I cut them like biscuits, which worked nicely until I had to reshape to cut more. The raspberries kind of exploded during the reshape. It turned out fine though.

For my smoothies, I always use frozen fruit. I think frozen fruit makes for a much better consistency. Alton Brown agrees with me, so you know it has to be right. My typical smoothie is: 1 banana, ~1 cup of orange juice, ~1 cup vanilla yogurt, and fill the rest of the blender with frozen fruit. And I put everything in the blender in that order. It always blends best with the liquid on the bottom. For the brunch, I did some with all strawberries and raspberries. Some with a mixed fruit of pineapple, mango, strawberries and grapes. And some with some combo of the two.

I don't know anyone who doesn't love a fruit smoothie.

Oatmeal Raspberry Scones

from Annie’s Eats

1 large egg

1/2 cup cold buttermilk

1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/3 cups old-fashioned oats

1/3 cup sugar

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

Pinch of nutmeg

10 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, grated on a large grater or cut into small pieces

3/4 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Combine the egg and buttermilk in a liquid measuring cup. Stir together; set aside.

Whisk together the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter to the bowl and toss. Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture so that the mixture is crumbly. Pour the egg and buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a fork just until incorporated (the mixture will be sticky). Fold in the berries just until incorporated (be particularly gentle if using fresh berries). Gently knead the dough 6-10 times, just until it comes together into a sticky dough. Portion the dough out into 8-12 scones, depending on the size you prefer, and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. (A large dough scoop is a good tool, but not necessary.)

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

(Servings: 8, Prep time: 20 min., Cook time: 20 min., Difficulty: Easy)

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