Chocolate Chip Scones

Okay, so those don't look like scones. They look like drop biscuits. I used a scone recipe, but they were the last thing on my "to make" list and I got lazy. Very, very lazy. Rather than rolling them out and cutting them into pretty little circles, I did what any good Southern gal does with a bowl of biscuit batter - I dropped them on the baking sheet by the spoonful. I call them "rustic" or "country" - or you can call them lazy. I won't be offended.

I made two batches using the same basic recipe - one "plain" and one chocolate chip. The chocolate chip leftovers were devoured by the guys at work. The others I hoarded and took to work for breakfast along with a little raspberry jam. I am not looking forward to going back to cold cereal next week. I have been thoroughly spoiled. Now, I did use almond milk, so mine were likely a little sweeter than intended, but the milk worked perfectly.

(For those who have made scones before: is the dough supposed to be super sticky? This was my first time, and I wasn't sure what the dough was supposed to be like).

Here is my recipe (taken from... I don't remember):

Basic recipe:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup almond milk

Mix the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles course crumbs. (I used my hands. It's fun!Stir in the egg. (If you are making the chocolate chip ones, here is where you add 1-1/2" teaspoon and 2/3 cup mini chocolate chips).

Gradually add the milk until a thick dough is formed.

(This next step is the one I skipped)
Turn out the mixture onto a floured board and knead lightly. Roll out the dough to 3/4" thickness and cut into rounds with a 2" cookie cutter. Gather the trimmings and lightly knead, roll, and cut them as well.

Place the rounds about 1" apart on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush the tops with a little beaten egg or milk. Bake in a preheated 450° oven for about 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm.

Almond milk chocolate sheet cake

I love chocolate sheet cake! It was one of my favorite desserts as a kid. There's just something about all that chocolate and the unique flavor (maybe it's the vinegar and baking soda) that sets it apart from other cakes. When planning the menu for Sunday's tea party/Pride & Prejudice marathon, I found a recipe for a chocolate sheet cake that uses almond milk. Since milk from a cow sometimes makes me sick and my aunt is lactose intolerant, I thought it was perfect.

I added more cocoa than the recipe called for simply because I got a little carried away. The cinnamon flavor got lost, but I think that's because I did go overboard with the cocoa. This cake smells amazing when you are making it - you boil the butter, milk, and cocoa so it smells like hot chocolate and then you pour that over the sugar/flour/cinnamon mixture and it makes you want to grab a spoon and just dig in (I don't recommend it, though). The cake was a huge hit at the tea party. I brought what was left to work today and it disappeared before I could run out to the car to grab a box of plastic forks! If you see about fifteen guys with chocolate around their mouths, they work for me!

All the food at the tea part went over very well (which makes me happy because I spent all day Saturday baking). I will post pictures and recipes throughout the week.

-- Note, because I wanted to cut the cake in small pieces, I put it in the fridge for a couple of hours once it was done. It will cool very nicely on it's own, but if you want the glaze to harden faster you should chill it. --

Taken from the Silk Pure Almond website, here is the recipe for the chocolate sheet cake.

Ingredients:
Cake
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup butter or margarine
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 1/2 cups Silk Pure Almond Vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 eggs, beaten
Frosting
1/2 cup margarine or butter
4 tablespoons cocoa
6 tablespoons Silk Pure Almond Vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup toasted, chopped pecans or walnuts, if desired

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray or grease a 9x13-inch baking pan. Whisk together flour, sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl; set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter or margarine. Add cocoa and Pure Almond and bring to a rapid boil. Remove from heat and pour over dry ingredients, mixing well. Stir in soda, vinegar and eggs. Mix well and pour into prepared pan. Bake in top rack of oven for 20-25 minutes. While cake is still warm, prick thoroughly with a fork and pour frosting over cake.
I sprinkled mini chocolate chips over the top of the cake before I poured the frosting. They partially melted and added another layer of chocolate yumminess.

To make the frosting:
Melt butter or margarine in a medium saucepan. Add cocoa and Pure Almond and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add powdered sugar, vanilla and nuts. Keep warm.

Viola's Banana Bread

Duke has made no secret of the fact that he loves banana bread. In Daughter of Deception he calls it the perfect apology food. Later in the series, he mentions that Viola gets revenge on him by lacing the banana bread with cayenne pepper.

Here is Viola's banana bread recipe:

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cup flour
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon each: ground cloves, ground nutmeg, ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
(Or if you'd like, use 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice - this recipe is spicy, alter to your tastes)
1 egg
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1-1/2 to 2 cups mashed bananas (about five or six very ripe ones)
1/8 teaspoon vanilla

Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 9x5 loaf pan
- Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the ingredients and set aside.

- In a second, medium bowl mash the bananas - I find it's easiest to put the peeled bananas in the bowl, cover them with the sugar, and then use a fork or potato masher to mash them. The sugar works as an abrasive to break up the bananas.

- Add the egg, vegetable oil, and vanilla to the banana and sugar mixture. Combine.
- Dump the wet ingredients into the well in the dry ingredients. Fold until just moistened. I usually try to keep it to under 30 strokes.
- Pour into loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 50 - 55 minutes. Let cool.

- Enjoy.
Actually, I find that banana bread tastes best after it has been sitting for twelve hours or so. (If you make it at night, it makes a wonderful breakfast).

Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I need a late night snack!

Tasty Thursdays - Paul Duke’s Slow Braised Beef or Pork Roast

I had planned on showcasing recipes actually in the series, but this one I already had pictures of. Paul Duke was a single father for ten years, and his mama wouldn't have let him feed Toby nothing but fast food. This is one of his favorite meals.

From The Duke Family Cookbook

Paul Duke’s Slow Braised Beef or Pork Roast

1 - Pork shoulder butt roast or beef pot roast, preferably bone-in (approx 3 to 4 pounds)

1 - Medium red or yellow onion (peeled and quartered)

2 - Large carrots (scrubbed and cut in thirds or quarters)

2 - Large celery ribs (scrubbed and cut same size as carrots)

12 oz - Salsa (heat level to suit you – use your favorite)

12 oz – Shiner Bock (or your favorite full-flavored (not light) beer)

Salt Pepper Onion Power Garlic Powder to taste

2 Med or 1 Large Bay Leaf (optional)

Directions:

Put carrots, onion, and celery in the bottom of the crock pot.

Trim excess fat from meat. Season with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder on all sides. Stick it in crock pot on top of vegetables.

*** Aggie Duke Note:If pork is marbled well enough, you can brown it in a Dutch oven without oil (medium heat). For beef (or if pork seems very lean) use about 2 tbsp of oil (not olive, but peanut, sunflower or the like) on medium heat. Sear the meat on all sides while allowing it to brown on the large flat sides. This gives it a good flavor, makes the meat look appetizing, and by searing all side ensures a juicy roast at the end. Use tongs to turn your meat as it cooks. Fork holes in it defeat the purpose of searing and sealing. ***

Dump salsa in crock pot. Add 2/3 (8 oz) of the beer to the salsa jar and stir it well to clean the jar. Pour in crock pot and stir (beer will foam). Toss in bay leaves. Cover. Set on low and allow to cook for 4 – 6 hours. Use an instant read thermometer after 4 hours to gauge meat temperature and adjust cooking time accordingly.

Shut off crock pot 20 minutes before the meat is completely done. Let rest for ½ hour. Trash veggies and bay leaf.

Slice and serve with side dishes of your choice. Or shred, dump back in the juice, and put in tortillas or rolls.

(served here with mashed potatoes and green beans)

Cold and Strawberry Breakfast Crepes

Living in Southeast Texas, I enjoy cold fronts. Especially in February/March. It means the a/c doesn't run which means not-so-astronomic electricity bills! Too bad it won't last past tomorrow.

While doing research for Love's Old Song, I found a yummy easy strawberry breakfast crepe recipe. They're good and, if you don't want to make crepes (which you can make ahead of time and store in the freezer) you can use flour tortillas instead.

Ingredients:

8 crepes (or flour tortillas)
10 oz frozen strawberries
2 cups cottage cheese
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1 cup chopped frozen peaches
Sliced strawberries or kiwis for garnish

Directions:

Use blender to turn frozen strawberries into a sauce

Warm crepes (or tortillas) in microwave

Spread 1/4 cup cottage cheese on each crepe (or tortilla). Put 2 tablespoons each of fresh strawberries and frozen peaches on top of the cottage cheese. Spoon 1 tablespoon of strawberry sauce over cottage cheese and fruit. Roll up crepe (or tortilla) and place seam-side down on the plate. Spoon additional strawberry sauce over the rolled up crepe.

Voila!