Scones for tea

This is a wonderful and easy scone recipe, served by my friend Kathleen at a Sherlock Holmes themed party. Best served with tea and lemon curd. Be prepared to get crumbs everywhere. 

Cream Scones with Currants

makes 8 scones

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 425°F.

Pulse 6 x 1 second in a food processor to combine:

2 cups (10 oz.) AP flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

3 tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

Add and pulse 12 x 1 second:

5 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

Add and pulse one more time:

1/2 cup currants

Transfer the dough to a large bowl.

Add:

1 cup heavy cream

Stir with a rubber spatula until the dough begins to form, about 30 seconds. Transfer the dough and all dry flour bits to a counter-top and knead the dough by hand just until it comes together into a rough, slightly sticky ball, 5 to 10 seconds. 

Mold the dough using a cake pan: press the dough into an 8-inch cake pan, then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work-surface. With a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut the dough into 8 wedges. 

Place the wedges on an ungreased baking sheet. (The baking sheet can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 hours before baking.)

Bake at 425 until the scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Variations

Glazed Scones: Brush the tops of the scones with 1 tablespoon heavy cream, then sprinkle them with 1 tablespoon sugar just before baking.

Ginger Scones: Substitute 1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger for the currants.

Cranberry-Orange Scones: Add 1 teaspoon grated orange zest with the butter and substitute 3/4 cups dried cranberries for the currants.

Lemon-Blueberry Scones: Add 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest with the butter and substitute 1/2 cup fresh or frozen (not thawed) blueberries for the currants. Mix the dough by hand after adding the blueberries to keep them plump and whole. 

Cakey Scones: An egg changes the texture and color and helps these scones stay fresher longer, up to 2 days in an airtight container. Follow the recipe above, reducing the butter to 4 tablespoons and the cream to 3/4 cup. Add 1 large egg, lightly beaten, to the dough along with the cream.

Shopping list

2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, preferably a lower-protein brand such as Gold Medal or Pillsbury

baking powder

granulated sugar

5 tbsp unsalted butter

1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup currants (or other fruit from the "variations" list)

Turmeric Coconut Chicken Curry

Turmeric Coconut Chicken Curry
serves 6

Saute in a large pot for 5 minutes:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium red onion, diced
2 inches fresh ginger, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced

Add and bloom for 2 minutes:
1.5 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Add and saute until sealed, 5-7 min:
2 lb. chicken, diced

Add and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes:
1 15-oz. can of tomatoes, drained thoroughly
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. salt

On the side, combine:
1 13-oz. can coconut milk
1 tbsp. cornstarch

Stir the coconut milk mixture into the curry over medium heat, until the sauce begins to thicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle fresh cilantro on top if desired.

Shopping list
1 medium red onion
2 inches fresh ginger
2 lb. chicken
15-oz. can tomatoes
13-oz. can coconut milk

Check the pantry
3 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. olive oil

Improved Chicken & Dumplings

This is a classic Southern recipe. The version I learned from my grandmother in North Carolina was stripped down simple: just a whole chicken, boiled in "stock" made from water and Campbell's condensed chicken broth, and dumplings made from flour and Crisco. It was my go-to comfort food as a child, but these days I find myself wanting more out of this dish. I decided to amp it up by treating the first half of the recipe - boiling the chicken - like making chicken stock, and the second half - boiling the dumplings - like making chicken soup.

First, I picked up the classic chicken soup veggies: onions, celery, and carrots. Then I took the leftover bits from the vegetable mis en place and added them to the boiling stockpot while the chicken cooked - waste not, want not! I also added in the spices typically found in stock recipes: whole black peppercorns, thyme, and a bay leaf. Finally, I switched out Campbell's condensed chicken stock for Better Than Bouillon. For the second half, I updated the dumplings to include leavening and swapped the water for milk, then added the chopped veggies in with the dumplings to cook side by side.

Bring to a boil in a large stock pot:
12 cups of water
4 tbsp. "Better Than Bouillon" chicken base, reduced sodium

Add:
1 bay leaf
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
1 large spring of fresh thyme, whole
1 whole head of garlic, sliced in half horizontally
celery: about 1 stick worth of tops and bottoms
top and bottom of 1 onion
tops, bottoms, and peels of 4 medium carrots
4-5 lb chicken
* Remove the giblets from the chicken's cavity and toss them in as well.  Include the heart, gizzard, and neck if you have them, but discard the liver - it will add off flavors to the broth.

Boil covered for 45-60 minutes, rotating the chicken once about half way through. When finished, set the whole chicken aside to cool in a large bowl.

Strain the stock to remove solids, then pour it back into the pot and return to a boil. Meanwhile, make the dumplings.

Dumplings
Mix in a food processor:
3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder

1.5 tsp. salt
0.5 cups cold Crisco solid vegetable shortening

Add and process just to combine:
~1 cup milk (or cold water), as needed (just enough to bring the dough together)

Roll out dumplings about 1/8” thick on a floured counter top. Cut into ~2" squares (a pizza wheel is excellent for this).

Add to boiling stock for 20 min:
dumpling squares

Simmer covered over medium low heat, about 20 minutes until pastry is mostly cooked. Leave the lid slightly ajar to avoid boil over. Stir once or twice to redistribute the dumplings floating on top. 

Add and boil a further 20 min:

1 white onion, diced
4 medium carrots, diced
3 sticks celery, chopped
4 springs of fresh thyme, tied together

To finish, pick all the meat off of the chicken carcass and return it to the pot.  Squeeze one half lemon into the pot. Adjust salt & pepper to taste. 

Shopping list
4-5 lb. whole chicken
fresh thyme
whole head of garlic
1 white onion
4 medium carrots
celery (3 stalks)

lemon

Check the pantry
Better than Bouillon chicken stock base, 4 tbsp.
Crisco vegetable shortening, 1/2 cup
all purpose flour, 3 cups
bay leaves
whole black peppercorns

Boursin Mashed Potatoes

This recipe is unbelievably easy, and incredibly flavorful. It harnesses the power of a premade cheese blend to avoid most of the hassle normally associated with good mashed potatoes. Via Budget Bytes.

For the salt, I keep adding it and tasting until I feel subconsciously compelled to keep reaching back for another bite.

Boursin mashed potatoes
serves 6-8

Cut into one-inch cubes:
2.5 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes

Place the diced potatoes in a large pot and fill with enough cold water to cover the potatoes by one inch. Place a lid on top and bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Boil for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are very tender.

Once the potatoes fall apart when poked with a fork, drain them in a colander. Return them to the warm pot (with the burner turned off).

Add and mash the potatoes to a rough consistency:
1/4 cup milk
1 5-oz. package Boursin "basil and chive" cheese

Add a further 1/4 cup milk, and mash/stir until mostly smooth.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in a squeeze of lemon juice to finish.

Shopping list
2.5 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes
5-oz. package Boursin "basil and chive" cheese

lemon

Check the pantry
1/2 cup milk

Sesame chicken

Via Budget Bytes.

Sesame Chicken
serves 4

Combine in a small bowl: 
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. water
1.5 tsp. (0.5 tbsp) sesame oil
4.5 tsp. (1.5 tbsp) brown sugar
4.5 tsp. (1.5 tbsp) rice vinegar
1 inch fresh ginger, grated or finely minced
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. sesame seeds

In a large bowl, whisk together: 
1 egg
2 tbsp cornstarch
a pinch of salt and pepper

Take 1 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Trim any excess fat, then cut them into small 1 inch pieces. Toss the chicken in the egg and cornstarch mixture (a technique called "velveting").

Heat a large skillet with ~2 tbsp. of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the chicken and all of the egg mixture. Cook the chicken for 7-10 minutes, until it's golden brown and cooked through. Stir occasionally to break up the chicken chunks (and avoid making an omelet).

Once the chicken is cooked through and golden brown, pour the sauce over top. Toss the chicken to coat it. Thanks to the cornstarch, the sauce will begin to thicken as soon as it hits the hot skillet. Once the chicken is coated and the sauce has thickened, turn off the heat.

Serve over rice.

Pancakes for 2

Alton Brown makes a mean pancake recipe. However, his is designed to feed a family of four, three times over if you count the volume of dry ingredients (which he says to split into 3 and freeze). Even a single batch makes about 18 4-inch pancakes, which is far too much for just me and my husband on a Sunday morning. Since doing mental math before noon on a weekend should be illegal, I've cut down the recipe and recorded it here.

Pancakes for 2
makes 8-10 pancakes

Dry ingredients
Combine in a large bowl:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda

Wet ingredients
If you don't have buttermilk on hand, combine 1 cup milk and 1 tbsp. lemon juice. Let stand for 5-10 minutes.

Pour into a medium bowl:
1 cup buttermilk

Melt in the microwave:
2 tbsp. butter

Separate 1 egg, adding the yolk to the melted butter and the white to the buttermilk.

Whisk each mixture together. Then pour the yolks/butter into the buttermilk/whites, and whisk thoroughly to combine.

Pour the combined wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Whisk until just combined (some lumps will remain). If you would like to add blueberries, chocolate chips, etc., stir in about 1/2 cup at this point.

Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle until a drop of water will dance across the surface. Lightly butter the surface, then wipe it thoroughly with a paper towel until no butter is visible.

Using a 1/4 cup measure, ladle the pancake batter onto the hot skillet. When bubbles begin to set around the edges of the pancake, flip the pancakes. Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes until the middle of the pancake is set.

Hold the finished pancakes on a plate in a warm oven until ready to serve.

Tiki drinks

We've started experimenting with making classic tiki drinks, so I'm making a standing post that will be updated with our successful experiments and favorite versions.

Rum recommendations:
Jamaican, dark Jamaican: Appleton Estate
dark: Koloa dark
Demerara: El Dorado 5 year
white, light: Mount Gay


Demerara Dry Float
Discovered at the bar Smuggler's Cove. This recipe was found on TikiRoom.com. The original calls for Luxardo, but I find that Cherry Heering, which is sweeter, better balances the citrus in the drink and adds a nice depth of flavor.

2 oz El Dorado 80 proof Demerara rum
0.5 oz Lemon Hart 151 Demerara rum (float)
0.5 oz Cherry Heering or Luxardo maraschino liqueur
2 oz fresh lime juice
0.5 oz fresh lemon juice
1 oz Small Hand passion fruit syrup
0.5 oz simple syrup

Shake all ingredients with ice except the 151. Strain into an empty glass and float the 151.

Mai Tai
The original recipe, as determined by Beachbum Berry. Use quality rum.

2 oz. rum, pref. Appleton Estate (options: gold, spiced, or 50/50 light/dark rum)
0.5 oz Grand Marnier orange curacao
1 oz. fresh lime juice
0.25 oz Small Hand orgeat syrup
0.25 oz simple syrup

Sidewinder's Fang
http://www.killingtime.com/Pegu/2012/02/02/tiki-drink-sidewinders-fang/

1 oz. dark Jamaican rum
1 oz. demerara rum
1.5 oz. fresh lime juice
1.5 oz. orange juice
1.5 oz. Small Hand passion fruit syrup
2 oz. soda water

Painkiller
http://tikiloungetalk.com/2011/11/25/painkiller-cocktail-recipe-your-weekend-tiki-drink/

2 oz. dark rum
1 oz. cream of coconut
4 oz. pineapple juice
1 oz. orange juice

Puka Punch
http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Puka-Punch

2 oz. white rum
0.75 oz. dark Jamaican rum
0.25 oz. 151-proof rum (optional)
0.25 oz. falernum
1 oz. fresh lime juice
0.75 oz. fresh orange juice
0.75 oz. pineapple juice
0.75 oz. Small Hand passion fruit syrup
2 tsp. honey mixed with 2 tsp. hot water, chilled
1 dash Angostura bitters

Garnish with pineapple slice, orange wedge, and maraschino cherry.