scones don't have to be dry

I never had a scone that wasn't dry!  Until... I started getting them from Starbucks 6 years ago.   Any time you think of scones you think of this dry tasteless bread pastry that is never #1 on your guilty pleasure list...until you've had one from Starbucks... warmed! I would get my coffee before work once a week from Starbucks as a treat to my day of insurance.  blaaah!  And that fateful morning where I met my new guilty pleasure...the scone.  I ordered by grande macchiato as always from Jen, yes we were now on a first name basis now(this is when you know you go too often), and I ordered a raspberry scone with it.  Then those words which I will never forget, Jen asked, "Do you want it warmed?" "Warm? Yeah!" I didn't know you could warm anything there.  As I checked out, she handed me that warm brown bag, my mouth was already watering! This was in no way a scone, it was moist and sweet with pretty decorative sugar on top.  When I bit into it there were these delicious pockets of raspberry jam or some kind of raspberry filling chips.  After that day my trips went from once a week to the occasional two or three times a week for coffee with a warmed raspberry or cinnamon chip scone.   Yum!

Once I quit my job to stay home I missed my specialty coffees and warmed scones so I decided to find a recipe to make my own scones.  I've gone through a few recipes over the years picking things I've liked from one and carrying it on to the new recipe and so on until I came up with my own moist warmed cinnamon chip scone! Once you make these you won't have to go to Starbucks you can make them in minutes in your own kitchen!

Cinnamon Chip Scones

2 C. flour
1/3 C. granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 C. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 C.-1/2 C. buttermilk (measure out the 1/2C but you may not need all of it)
1/2 C. cinnamon chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1. Mix first 5 ingredients on low in mixer with paddle attachment
2. Cube the cold butter and mix into the dry mix until you get the crumbled look
3. Add egg and vanilla
4. Start to add the buttermilk slowly until the mixture looks wet but not runny! You may not use all the buttermilk which is ok.
5. Lastly add the cinnamon chips folding them in until they are mixed in well but do not over beat or your scones could be tough (but they will still taste good)
6. Scope your dough; 1/3 cup; onto the tray 2 inches apart.  Slip into the oven for 15 minutes (if you mixed more buttermilk than you should have you may need to keep them in for a few more minutes to cook the inside) Then take them off the tray promptly onto a cooling rack.

You can find a good icing recipe to top them with, but I like them without, so I never perfected an icing.

I hope you enjoy these scones as much as I do!

live.love.eat

Joy of Baking

While Brother was at school this morning, I let my 4 year old daughter make Chocolate Chip Bars today for her daddy.  She was so excited. I let her do everything all by herself.  From scooping the flour to cracking the eggs;"Because Nana lets me do it"- she says; to scooping them out of the pan and and putting them on a plate . So I stood beside her as her assistant and did whatever she asked.  She only asked me to help stir the butter and sugar, it was a bit tough, especially for a little girl.  I just loved watching her in her joy as she mixed all the ingredients in.  Only a bit of flour was lost on the table, but it didn't matter, they taste delicious.

Some little girls love dress up or dolls, and she really likes those things, but she LOVES baking.  She always asks me to bake, and for Christmas her Mimi and Pop Pop got her an EZ-Bake.  Her response was, hands on her face in amazement and said, "Is this a REAL oven, like REAL food that I can eat??!!"  She was so amazed by it, she squealed in excitement!  But, she still wanted to bake a real batch of cookies. So we did.

This was the best recipe to start with for a little ones first time baking with real size portions.  Some how if all the ingredients don't make it all the way in, it doesn't matter.  The Chocolate Chip Bars still taste great and making bars verses cookies cuts the time in half with one bake. Brother was home by the time the cookies were cooled and ready to move to a plate.  In the pictures below she is letting her brother help her, with a little instruction, as you can see, and observing him to make sure he does it right.  ha ha.  So cute! I was so proud of my little girl!! She is growing up so quickly.

Enjoy baking as I am sure this has put some of you in the mood for some Chocolate Chip Cookies. 

I also wanted to share a fun post from one of the blogs I follow.  The Handmade Home has given us over 2 dozen free fonts to download from her post today.  I had downloaded #21 from Jones Design in the past, as she mentions, which is another great blog. My favorite this time is Sketch Rockwell! Enjoy!!