Cranberry and Meyer Lemon Scones

More cranberries for you.

And, best scones ever. Love 'em.  I made them a few years ago after seeing the recipe on Smitten Kitchen. 

Pros and cons about scones.  Let's start with cons: scones should be eaten fresh because the texture really suffers if you wait a day--so you can't make the whole recipe kit and kaboodle ahead of time and be done with it.  Pros: scone dough freezes well.  So if you're having folks over for brunch, you can make these ahead of time and the only thing you have to do is pop them in the oven in the morning before people arrive, adding about 3-5 minutes to the baking time.  

Or, forget the guests, and just make them for yourself.

Note: I'm sorry about the quality of the pictures below.  I was experimenting with...stuff. (Translation: I had no idea what I was doing with my camera.)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest (from about 2 lemons; Smitten Kitchen prefers Meyer and I said to myself why the hell not, but obviously you can use regular lemons as well--although maybe cut back on the amount because it will be tarter than Meyer zest)
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar (you will use them at different points in the recipe)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 1 1/4 cups fresh cranberries, chopped coarse
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Zeest your leemons. Set aside. Save lemons and their juices for another use.  Or, if you're like me, say you're going to use them for something else, leave them on the counter, and have to throw them out after a few days after not having that "something else". Then, the next day, find recipe for something that requires lemons, buy lemons, and repeat.

.

  I'm not positive, but it sure looks like I have some orange zest in there also, doesn't it? I think I may have had a half-zest orange lying around, and I used it for this. Nice touch. I'm brilliant. 

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt.  You can also do this in a food processor.

Mix the butter and zest into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or your fingers (working quickly) until the mixture resembles coarse meal. 

(Again, this can be done in your food processor, which I try not to use because I don't like cleaning it by hand have I mentioned that I don't have a dishwasher oh I have several times you say well I don't have a dishwasher and it makes me sad so this is not the last time you will hear me mention it.)

In a separate small bowl, toss together the cranberries and 3 TBS sugar .

 

Stir into flour mixture.

In a separate bowl, whisk together cream, egg, and yolk. 

 If possible, do use a piggy bowl. Ear amputation optional.

Add egg mixture to flour mixture and stir until just combined.

Scoop the dough out onto a well-floured surface and pat into a rectangle.  Roll until about 1-inch thick.  Cut dough into 12 rectangles.  You can also use a round cutter, if you want round scones, but that would require having a round cutter, which I don't have.  This doesn't upset me nearly as much as the dishwasher thing.

Place the scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet, at least 1 inch apart.

Bake  about 15-20 minutes (I think mine had to go a little longer, which is strange considering my oven is usually an inferno), until golden brown.

Eat.

Ta-da!

Cranberry Lime Galette

Le sigh. Holidays are over. Good thing champagne is available year-round.

And while the holidays have passed, I have a few recipes that I wanted to post.  Perhaps by posting them, it will bring back a little holiday cheer.  Dammit no it won't, I'm going to go off and cry.

Anyway.  One of my favorite holiday desserts is a cranberry lime galette from Dorie Greenspan (scroll to bottom of linked page for recipe).  It's got cranberry, which is red, and lime, which is green--red and green, how festive! Plus cranberries scream holidays. A silent, wailing scream.

First, you make the crust (or buy it).  I keep posting about crusts, don't I.  I'm sorry.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) very cold (or frozen) cut into 1/2" pieces
• 2 1/2 tablespoons very cold (frozen is even better) vegetable shortening, cut into 4 pieces
• About 1/4 cup ice water

You can also do this in a food processor, instructions for which are on the linked page.  Me? I don't have a dishwasher.  You may ask how this relates.  Well, I don't particularly like washing my food processor by hand because I have a valid fear of slicing myself.  So when I make crusts, I used my hands.

Mix together the flour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. 

Add the butter and shortening.

Mix together quickly and lightly with your fingers, by kind of rubbing the dry ingredients and fat along your fingers.  Oh never mind that doesn't make sense.  What I do is kind of cup my hands, palms facing up, and scoop up a bit of flour with some fat chunks.  Then I take my thumbs and run them along my fingers, starting with my pinkies and then moving up towards the pointer finger.  Kind of like I'm straining the flour and fat through my fingers to get them to mix.  It makes more sense in person.

However you mix, do it until the bits of fat are about the size of small peas.

Drizzle in 3 TBS of ice water.  Mix until just combined, and when the dough holds together when you squeeze some in your hand.  Add a TBS of water at a time, if necessary, to get to the right consistency.

Gather dough in plastic wrap.  If you're worried that your dough is a bit too dry, which I usually am, slide your palm across the dough once or twice to incorporate a bit.

Flatten into a disk and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Roll out dough into about a 13" diameter circle.  I've noticed that Dorie's doughs tend to be pretty soft because of all of the fat.  So she recommends rolling out the dough between two pieces of floured parchment paper, which I highly recommend.   When you get to the desired size, peel off one parchment paper, and use the other to help slide the dough onto a baking sheet.  Refrigerate while you make the filling.

Now for the filling.

• 3 tablespoons ground nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans or skinned hazelnuts)
• 3 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
• 2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, thaw and pat dry)
• 1/3 cup moist, plump dried cranberries (optional)
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• Grated zest of 1 lime
• Juice of 1/2 lime (depending on the size of your lime--mine were pretty juicy and so the galette ended up being quite tart)
  
• 1 medium apple, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch chunks (this actually ended up being a lot, and I thought it took away from the cranberry look of the galette, so I will cut down next time) 
• 3 tablespoons raspberry jam or jelly (I completely forgot this, which is too bad because it adds an extra bit of sweetness to a rather puckerish dessert (and I like really tart things))
  
• Decorating (coarse) or granulated sugar, for dusting
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting (I didn't do this)
  

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix together ground nuts and breadcrumbs.

In a medium bowl, combine the cranberries, dried cranberries (if using), brown sugar, lime zest, lime juice, and apple.

Belatedly realize you forgot the ginger, so add that in also.

Remove dough from refrigerator.  Spread the nut-crumb mixture on the dough, leaving a 2-inch perimeter at the edges.

Mound filling in the center of the dough, again honoring the integrity of your precious 2-inch border.  Gently fold edges up and over filling.  The dough will pleat. A little tearing is okay, just kinda pinch the suckers back together.

Sprinkle sugar over the crust.

Place in oven and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and mixture is bubbling.

Ta-da!

Happy New Year!

Do you make new year's resolutions? It seems like a fun thing to do, but I'm a noncommittal person, so these things are generally not for me.  However, in the interest of killing some time at work, why not.

In honor of 2011, I present to you a list of 20 resolutions, 11 of which I will not do. 

I "resolve" to:

1. Join a gym 

Will I or won't I? Hahaha no. I used to belong to a gym, for a very long time. I was a faithful gym-goer.  Then I met Kevin and we got lazy and mushy together.  And these days I'd rather spend my evenings cooking, blogging, and hanging out with the pugs.  I used to do yoga at home with DVDs, which is something that I could resolve to to again, but that would be too much commitment.

2.  Get a third pug

Will I or won't I?  Sadly, seeing as how this decision should be one of those "family decisions", and Kevin is a mean mean man, I will not be doing this.

3.  Take a photography class

Will I or won't I? Eep. I think I will. Before you get all excited (because I know you were), I mean something very basic to improve my point and shoot camera skills and learn more about the functions of my camera.  I'm not ready for DSLR.

4.  Take a tap dance class

Will I or won't I? I want to, but we'll see.

5.  Go to bed by midnight

Will I or won't I? Oh lawd yes, please let this be a huge honkin' yes.

6.  Wake up before 8am

Will I or won't I? The opposite of above.

7.  Watch less TV

Will I or won't I? Why would I resolve to do this? My TV-watching makes me a better human being.

8.  Go to the Brooklyn Flea Market

Will I or won't I? Hell yes. Just after it gets warmer. But not too warm. Basically during that two-week period in June and again in October when things are juuuust right.

9.  Venture from our neighborhood more for dinner

Will I or won't I? I see so many folks trying all these great restaurants.  Kevin and I used to eat out more at new, fun places, but then he started working 14 hours/day and we basically lost resolve to go further than a 4-block radius from our apartment. I will avoid saying whether or not we will do this.

Well shit, this is tiring. That's enough.

What are your resolutions?

Hope everyone rings in the new year with style, whether that be with fancy dresses and cocktails, or a mug of hot cocoa and warm jammies.

This'll Cheer Me Up

Nothing like purposeless, random shots of the pugs to inject a little happy zing into my post-holiday languor.

NYC has hit by a blizzard.  I was so excited to some coats on the pugs and head out on our merry way, to frolic for hours in the fresh-fallen snow. I love watching dogs playfully romp in the snow, with glee on their little faces. Oh the fun we would have! The pictures I would take! The blissful exhaustion of happy pugs that would follow!

I'm not sure if those are looks of anticipation or fear. 

Sitting down before we even get outside. Not a good sign.

This is a shot of our street.

We venture.  That suspiciously looks like Bunni trying to turn back and head home.

Eventually Kevin takes the lead to forge a path through the deep snow.

We pause to allow the pugs to take in the splendor of it all, before the festive frolicking begins.

This was about as frolicky as Rikki got.

I had higher hopes for Bunni, due to memories of past years and snow-frolicking. There has to be frolicking, dammit.

After words of encouragement which degenerated into commands to "Frolic! Right now you ingrate!", Bunni seems to think this gig is up.

Yeah, it's time to go home.

Seasons Greetings!

Hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season! However you say it--Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Seasons Greetings, Happy Kwanzakuhmas--what I really mean is warm wishes of friendship, family and love. 

Beetch, where is my geeft?

Seriously, ees you stupid? Where EES my GEEFT?  

This does NOT suffice. However, it is a much better background for my coloring.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Cookie Tins

Now that I've had my little detour into Scroogeville, back to the good-natured stuff.  Which I swear I have a lot of.

As part of that ho-ho-ho spirit, I sent out cookie tins to some folks.  But only so much ho-ho-ho spirit. I'm not Martha (i.e. don't have low-paid interns and assistants to do my bidding). So I limited the cookie tins to just family.  And then further Grinched out by limiting it to close family. That I like.  Rebounding from snark is hard, folks.

So on with the cookie collection that started with the peppermint bark shortbread.  Last year I made about 5 varieties of cookies for the tins.  That was a mistake. This year it became a much more manageable 3.  In addition to the peppermint bark, I made molasses spice cookies and walnut shortbread.  Both recipes are adapted from the lovely Dorie Greenspan.

What's nice about these cookies is that they are relatively hearty (good for travel), and both require some chilling time, so you can break up making them over a few days if you like. 

Molasses Spice Cookies

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 tsp baking soda 
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses (not blackstrap)
• 1 large egg
• Granulated sugar, for rolling

FYI--this makes quite a crispy cookie (which may, ahem, may be due in part to some overbaking on my part).  Perhaps this is a softer cookie if baked properly, but I figured its crispiness would help it stand up to the travel.

Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. 

Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the room temperature butter until fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Mix in the brown butter and molasses and beat until well combined, about 1-2 minutes.

Add the egg and beat for about 1 more minute.

Add in the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined.

Divide dough in half, and wrap each half in plastic wrap.

Looks like pile of dinosaur dung a la Jurassic Park.  Don't worry, the poop references do not stop here.

Freeze for about 30 minutes before moving on to the rest of the recipe, or chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Divide each ball of dough into 12 pieces (if you want smaller cookies, that's fine, just remember to shorten the baking time).

Roll each piece into a ball.

Camel poop, anyone?

Place the sugar in a bowl.  Roll each ball of dough until lightly coated.

Lay on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, about 2 inches apart...

Flatten each ball with the bottom of a glass (dipped in sugar to prevent sticking), until about 1/4" thick.

The original recipe says to bake for about 10 minutes.  The original recipe also says the cookies are done until centers are just set--I'm not sure what that means, and it became clear that I didn't when the cookies became a bit more crisp than desirable. "Just set" does not mean firm. Just that it's not soupy any longer, which I think for my oven would have taken more around 7 minutes.  So start checking at 7 minutes. 

Remove cookies with a spatula and set on wire rack to cool.

Brown Butter Walnut Shortbread

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of ground cloves
• 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup finely ground walnuts or pecans (I should point out that the original recipe is called Brown Butter Pecan Shortbread--but I had extra walnuts lying around, so there you go) 
• Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional)

Mix flour, cornstarch, salt and cloves in medium bowl.

Beat together butter and brown sugar on medium speed until well combined and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

With mixer on low speed, gradually add in flour mixture until just combined.

Gather dough and place into gallon-size resealable plastic bag.  It will be soft and sticky. That be okay.

Roll out into a rectangle about 1/4" thick and about 9" x 10 1/2".  I probably spent about 20 minutes on this part because I am not adept at this sort of thing.

Refrigerate dough, in bag, for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut off plastic bag and discard.

Cut dough into 1 1/2" squares.  I scored mine first.

After cutting the dough into squares, prick each piece with a fork two times, with the tines of the fork going all the way through the dough.

Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake 15-20 minutes, rotating sheets from top to bottom and front to back. Shortbread is done when they are just light golden brown. Again, as is my wont, I overshot it and they were pretty golden brown. It was not my night for baking.

To pack the cookies, I bought these cute tins from the Container Store.

 

Source 

I nestled the stacks of cookies in cupcake wrappers.  For the peppermint bark shortbread, I separated the layers with more wrappers.

Ta-da!