sour cream scones

  
I adore scones.  
  
Because scones offer just a hint of sweetness, you will find that they are a wonderful accompaniment to most beverages and menus.  

One of my favorites is the sour cream scone. It's the perfect scone if you're wanting to serve a light sweet treat with an array of spreads, like lemon curd or a home-made blackberry preserve. 
  
Sour cream scones are the perfect combination of butter and sour cream that marry to bake an incredibly tender and moist scone And what about the outside texture of the scone you might ask? Well, it's just irresistible.  Something magical happens in the oven when you've brushed the tops with heavy cream, and then sprinkled them with raw sugar . . . a heavenly sweet crust forms atop each one. The sweetness of the raw sugar rounds out the hint of sweetness found in the scone itself.  
  

This wonderful recipe always finds a place on my brunch menu, and I'm often asked for the recipe. I must admit that this posting is long overdue!  
  
Don't wait for a special occasion to make this treat.  If you don't have any spreads, fresh berries and cream taste absolutely wonderful as well. It's a quick and easy recipe that you and your family will truly enjoy! Bon appetit!  
  

 

Here's how . . .

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons butter, COLD, cubed

1 cup sour cream

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup sugar in the raw  

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Be sure that all your ingredients are COLD.

In a food processor (or mixer), pulse flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Add the cubed butter until a coarse meal forms. Pulse in the sour cream and egg yolk until just combined.

Turn the sticky dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough comes together into a ball. Gently pat the dough down into a 3/4 inch thick circle shape. 

With a large knife cut the dough square into 4 smaller, equal squares. Then cut each smaller square diagonally, with an X, making 4 smaller triangles.

Don't worry if the top is uneven, or even flaky, it will only hold more heavy cream and raw sugar . . . which yields an even more heavenly crust!

Transfer the 16 triangles onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush the tops of each scone with heavy cream and sprinkle it with some sugar in the raw. This will create a shiny and crunchy top for the scones.

Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes until the bottoms of the scones are light brown. Remove from oven, cool slightly on the sheet pan and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  

     

Serve warm with lemon curd or a berry preserve 

. . . and enjoy!

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asparagus and avocado salad

 I recently saw chef Jim Lahey on television making signature dishes that he serves at his famous restaurant in New York, and one of the recipes captivated me . . .  

asparagus & avocado salad  

Sounds strange, I agree . . . but the combination is amazing!  

My dear friend Alex is on Spring break from work, so she came by for a visit yesterday afternoon. I made lunch for us to enjoy, and included this salad. I'm so grateful that she was daring enough to try it with me for the first time. We both LOVED it! 

The fresh mint gives it a most pleasant aroma and flavor. It is truly a Spring salad in every sense of the word, and each ingredient is at its prime this time of year.  

Might I add, the presentation is also quite beautiful with its ribbons of asparagus. 

Truly, a wonderful addition to any brunch, lunch, or dinner gathering. 

All you need are a few simple ingredients . . .

Ingredients

4 or 5 thick asparagus spears , trimmed

1 avocado, halved, pitted, and peeled

16 fresh mint leaves chopped

1/2 lime 
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt, for serving
pepper, to taste

Preparation

Using a vegetable peeler, shave the entire asparagus from bottom to top, reversing grip and rotating as necessary to shave as much as possible. 

I recommend soaking the asparagus ribbons in a bowl of ice water for 30-45 minutes before assembling the salad. Be sure and pat dry very well, as you don't want any excess water in your salad. The crisp ribbons are quite delightful, paired with the soft, creamy avocados.  

Divide asparagus strips evenly among 4 salad plates. 

Cut each avocado half into 4 sections. Place 2 wedges on each salad plate. 

Sprinkle each plate with mint leaves and squeeze lime over salads. 

Drizzle with olive oil and season each with a pinch of salt; serve.

Serves 4 people.

If you like avocados as much as I do, then
a good rule is to add 1/2 an avocado per person!

Bon Appetit!

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