Cheddar Dill Scones

It's been raining, in case you haven't noticed. It's the kind of drawn-out, drizzly rain that lasts for days and makes me want to curl up in a Snuggie on the couch (not that I have one ... hint hint). In weather like this, the waft of cheesy scones baking in the oven gives me with a warm comfort and tides me over until the sun comes out of hiding.

Yesterday was the perfect day to go into a baking frenzy, seeing as I was confined to being indoors anyway. I took the opportunity of being home-bound to bake up a care package for my brother A. in California. My afternoon of baking began with these scones, a slight variation of Ina Garten's recipe - but with some whole wheat flour for a healthy kick. And since I like my scones fluffy, I double the cream for a biscuit-like crumb (if you prefer a drier, more dense texture this recipe is not for you).

Cheddar Dill Scones (adapted from the Barefoot Contessa)
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
2 T baking powder
3 tsp salt
3/4 lb cold butter, diced
2 cups cold heavy cream
4 eggs
1/2 lb grated cheddar cheese
1 cup fresh dill, minced
heavy cream, for brushing

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine dry ingredients, less 1 T (reserve for coating cheese and dill), and add butter. Mix until the butter is in pea-sized pieces.

Beat eggs and heavy cream together, add to dry ingredients. Mix just to combine.

Toss 1 T flour with cheese and dill, then knead into batter. Form four large rounds from the batter, and cut each round into 6 wedges. Place on parchment-lined sheet pans, bake for 25 minutes.

Cool on racks and enjoy!

chocolate-hazelnut and cranberry-almond scones

crepes - two ways

This past weekend I indulged in much needed Sunday morning in front of the stove. With music playing in the background, steaming coffee in hand and my roommate reading the Times on the couch (okay futon), I set about making crepes. Since I’m very much into the “variety is the spice of life” philosophy when it comes to food, I cooked up two versions: original and buckwheat.

For fillings I simply went to the pantry. Since Meyer lemons have been a constant in the apartment for the past few weeks, they were cut in half for easy access to their fragrant juice. Dusted with powdered sugar, those sweet, lemony crepes are always a favorite. I also brought out the jar of Nutella that seems to take up residence wherever I am in the world. (I have very fond memories of eating Nutella straight from the jar in my apartment in Rome, using thin breadsticks as merely transportation for the gobs of the creamy, chocolaty goodness that is Nutella.) Smeared with the chocolate-hazelnut spread and sprinkled with a dusting of toasted slivered almonds those crepes were reason enough to get up in the morning. I also set out maple syrup, butter sweetened with sugar and vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon-sugar and a variety of toasted nuts to round out the spread.

The best part of the day – other than the fact I got to cook barefoot in a sunny kitchen and eat crepes all afternoon – was that I froze the rest of the crepes for a quick, decadent breakfast/lunch/dinner in the (very) near future.

Since I have qualms about publishing someone else’s fabulous recipes on the site, you can find the recipes I used here and here.

Crepe Tips:
1. Don’t fear the crepe. In my experience, they’re easier than pancakes could ever hope to be.
2. The first of any batch is always a dud, no worries. Either toss it in the trash, feed it to the dog…or do what I did and eat it anyway.
3. Use a heavy, nonstick skillet as well as non-stick spray and butter. It may be a bit overcautious, but they slide out paper thin and flawless every time.
4. Use your fingers to flip rather than a spatula. Total control. (Plus you have the added pleasure of pseudo playing with your food).
5. To freeze, allow crepes to cool completely. Stack in layers with parchment or wax paper between each crepe, place in ziplock bag et voila! Crepes anytime!
6. Make crepes savory by filling with mushrooms, shallots, brie, turkey, parmesan, asparagus…the options are endless!