Maple Pecan Scones

Source:  The Magnolia Bakery Handbook

It's good to live on land with a bunch of maple trees because it means you can tap them to make your own maple syrup.  This year, we tapped five trees and canned 10 pints of maple syrup.  Please don't use fake maple syrup like Aunt Jemima.  They have little to no real maple syrup in them.  They are made from corn syrup with flavorings.  Canadians like to joke that they are made from tapping telephone poles. 

We don't make pancakes or French toast very often, but using maple syrup for baking and cooking sure is fun.  They are full of toasted pecans and generously covered with a maple glaze.  

This recipe is from The Magnolia Bakery Handbook.  This is a beautiful cookbook and this is the first recipe I'm making from it.

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup very cold unsalted butter, cut into little pieces

1 cup toasted pecan pieces (see note)

1 egg

1/4 cup dark maple syrup

1/4 cup heavy cream, plus 1 tablespoon for brushing

1 tablespoon dark maple syrup

For the maple glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1/4 cup dark maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.  Add the butter, gently tossing the pieces to make sure they are completely coated with the flour mixture.  Add the toasted pecan pieces and toss to combine.

In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the egg, maple syrup, and 1/4 cup of the cream.  Create a well in the flour mixture and gently stir in the egg mixture until it all comes together.  Do not overmix.  If you still have loose flour, you may need to add an additional tablespoon of cream.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured surface.  Using a bench scraper, fold the dough over onto itself from back to front, give it a half turn, and repeat quickly until the dough is smooth and evenly incorporated.  Do not overwork.

Gently pat the dough into a 6- to 7-inch round about one inch thick.  With a lightly floured chef's knife or pizza wheel, cut the dough into 6 equal wedges.

Transfer the pieces to the prepared baking sheet.  Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon heavy cream and the maple syrup.  Lightly brush the scones.

Bake for 10 minutes.  Rotate the pan front to back and continue baking for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.

Let the scones cool slightly on a cooling rack while you make the glaze.

Making the glaze:  In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and maple syrup to make a smooth, pourable glaze.

While the scones are still warm, slowly pour the glaze to completely cover them.  Cool until the glaze hardens.

Toasting pecans:  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Place the nuts on a baking sheet and roast for 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned and fragrant.  Immediately remote from the pan to cool.  

Mis En Place

This is not a recipe.  Mis en place (pronounced meez ahn plahs) is a French term that means "put in place."  It refers to organizing and preparing all the food and components that you will need in advance of cooking.  I'm not a chef by any means, but I just find it useful to get everything ready before I cook or bake.  

To use mis en place when you are cooking or baking, follow these simple guidelines:

1. Have your recipe handy and develop a plan.  Know if you need to prepare ingredients in advance.  
2. Gather all of your ingredients, utensils, and equipment needed.
3. One by one, wash, cut, dice, chop, and measure all of your ingredients.  Place them all into individual dishes or containers so they are at your finger tips.
4. Set your ingredients around your cooking area so that you can grab them easily--some things will need to be by the stove, others may need to be on the counter.  
5. Prepare hot soapy dish water so that you can clean as you go.  When I bake or cook, I toss the equipment into the water when I'm done with it so it starts soaking.  

To watch The Mis En Place Challenge, watch the video below:

Grilled Pineapple

This is such an easy thing to make when you have the grill fired up.  Warm, sweet pineapple with a hint of cinnamon.  Happily, it takes the same amount of time as a hamburger!  :)

Cored pineapple cut in rings
Brown sugar
Cinnamon

Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together.  Coat the pineapple in this mixture.  Grill for 3 minutes per side on high heat. 

Parisian Torte

Source:  This is an old family recipe and I don't really know who to credit

Rich!  I have loved this cake since I was a little girl.  This was always a special treat for special occasions--like my birthday.  😋

10 large eggs, separated

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate (grated)

Beat egg whites in electric mixer with whisk attachment until foamy.  Add cream of tartar. Beat until stiff.  Add sugar a little at a time.  

In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks with the vanilla and almond extracts.  Gently fold beaten egg yolk mixture, flour, and grated chocolate into egg white mixture.   Spoon into ungreased tube pan.

Bake in tube pan at 325 degrees for 1 hour.  Cool upside down.  When cool, remove the cake from the pan and cut into 3 even layers.

Chocolate Butter Frosting for Parisian Torte:

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup whole milk

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

4 egg yolks

4 egg whites, beaten

Melt chocolate over very low heat on stove.  Add sugar and milk.  Stir over medium heat until smooth.  Cool.

Cream butter.  Gradually add powdered sugar.  Add egg yolks one at a time.  Beat well after addition of each.  Add cooled chocolate mixture.  Fold in beaten egg whites with wire whisk.  Spread frosting between layers and over cake.  Store this cake in the refrigerator.

Sky High Crispy Mustard Chicken

 

This recipe is based on Ina Garten's Crispy Mustard Chicken & Frisee recipe from her Cook Like a Pro cookbook.  The only difference is we used spring greens instead of frisee lettuce because we couldn't find it.  We also changed the name because Steve and I like calling things "sky high."  I think we belong on a mountain.  This is an amazing recipe and  we will bake it over and over.  

2 garlic cloves

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup panko (Japanese bread flakes)

1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

Good olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted 

1/4 cup good Dijon mustard

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (4 large)

1 pound fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise

12 ounces baby frisee, chicory salad greens, or spring greens (washed and spun dry)

Mustard Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the garlic, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until the garlic is finely minced.  Add the panko, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and the butter and pulse a few times to moisten the panko.  Pour the mixture into a shallow bowl.  In another shallow bowl, whisk together the mustard and wine.

Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.  Dip each piece first in the mustard mixture to coat the top and bottom and then coat the skin side only in the crumb mixture, pressing gently to make the crumbs adhere.  Place the chicken on one side of a sheet pan, crumb side up, and press any remaining crumbs into the chicken.

Place the potatoes, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and toss.  Spread the potatoes on the other side of the sheet pan in one layer and roast both together for 40 to 50 minutes, turning the potatoes once during roasting, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees.  The chicken and potatoes should be done at the same time.

Meanwhile, place the greens on a serving platter.  When the chicken and potatoes are done, toss the salad with enough vinaigrette to moisten and place the chicken and potatoes on top, adding any crumbs from the sheet pan.  Sprinkle with salt and serve while the chicken and potatoes are still warm.

Mustard Vinaigrette

(Makes 3/4 cup)

1/4 cup minced shallots

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup good olive oil

1 tablespoon good Dijon mustard

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the shallots, vinegar, olive oil, mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl and whisk until emulsified.

Serves 4 people.

Sloppy Joes

This recipe is better than my mother's.  Sorry Mom.  Sloppy Joes are a personal preference.  I don't like them too sweet and I don't like them tasting like barbecue sauce.  It's the most tweakable recipe ever!  

2 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 pounds ground chuck

2/3 cup green bell pepper, finely-chopped

2/3 cup yellow bell pepper, finely-chopped

1 large onion, finely-chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 1/3 cups ketchup

3/4 cup water

2 tablespoon brown sugar (or less or none)

2 teaspoons yellow mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Heat butter and oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add beef and break apart.  Cook until beef is browned.  Drain off fat and set beef aside onto a plate.

Add onion and bell pepper to the Dutch oven and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until softened.  Add garlic and cook 30 seconds or so until fragrant.  Add beef back into the Dutch oven.  Add tomato paste and stir well.  

Add ketchup, water, brown sugar, mustard, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and black pepper.  Stir well to combine.

Cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes until mixture has thickened.  Remove from heat and serve on toasted buns.

Makes 12 servings.

Notes:

After this mixture is cooled, it can be frozen for up to four months.  Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat before serving.  

I like making Sloppy Joes and serving it the next day so all those flavors can meld.  

Irish Guinness Brown Bread

Source:   Cooking for Jeffrey Cookbook, Ina Garten

1 cup quick-cooking oats (not instant), plus extra for sprinkling
2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed

2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 (11- to 12-ounce) bottle Guinness extra stout beer, at room temperature

1 cup buttermilk, shaken

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for brushing the pan

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Salted butter

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.  

In a large bowl, combine the oats, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the beer, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla.  Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the well.  With your fingers, stir the batter from the middle of the bowl to the outside, until it's well mixed.  It will look more more like cake batter than bread dough. 

Brush a 9x5x2.5-inch loaf pan with melted butter.  Pour the batter into the pan and sprinkle the top with oats.  Put the bread in the oven, immediately turn the temperature down to 400 degrees, and bake for 45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.  Turn the bread out onto a baking rack and allow to cool completely.  Slice and serve with salted butter.

Ham and Cheese Rolls

 

I got this recipe from the wife of our first house builder.  (She had good recipes.)  These are handy to have in the freezer and have been taken on ski trips so we didn't have to make dinner.  Good times, good times.

Tip:  You might want to double this recipe so you have them on hand in your freezer.  Like, definitely double the recipe... or triple it.

1/4 cup butter

1 /4 cup minced onion

1 tablespoon poppy seed

1 tablespoon dark mustard

4 rolls

8 slices deli ham of your choice

4 slices Swiss cheese (I don't even like Swiss cheese but I like it in this sandwich)

Mix first four ingredients.  Spread of both sides of each roll.  Add two slices of ham and one slice of Swiss cheese to each roll.

Wrap each sandwich well in aluminum foil.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.  

Note:  These freeze well.  Freeze before baking.

Seafood Spread

 

Source:  Cousin Beth Brochhausen

Beth put this recipe in our family cookbook, but it's a recipe that everyone made decades ago.  I love it.  The think I like too is that you can have the ingredients on hand and pull it together in a moments notice.  There are certain things that I like to have on hand--different cheese, different crackers, and fruit.  Sometimes you need to put together a variety of appetizers fast!  

1 - 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1 - 8-ounce jar shrimp or seafood sauce

1 can small shrimp, drained

Wheat Thin crackers or crackers of your choice

Spread cream cheese on a plate.  Spread shrimp over cream cheese.  Pour shrimp or seafood sauce over shrimp.  Serve with Wheat Thins or other snack crackers.

Tilapia Parmesan

 
I make creamy sauces out of sour cream, mayonnaise, butter, etc. to put on top of fish before I bake it.  Love, love, love Parmesan with fish.  Here is a simple recipe.

2 pounds tilapia fillets
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons chopped green onions
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Dash of hot sauce
Lemon wedges

Preheat broiler.

Place fillets on a greased baking pan.  Brush fillets with lemon juice, and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Combine Parmesan cheese and next 6 ingredients; set aside.

Broil fillets 8 inches from heat for 8 minutes.  Spread cheese mixture over fillets.  Broil 5 more minutes or until fish flakes with a fork.  Serve with lemon wedges.

Serves 4 people.