Cheddar Scones for Tea

I’ve been on the hunt to replicate a cheddar herb scone that I had this spring at a tiny little coffee house near where I work.  (It has changed hands, the scones are no longer there – and the recipe would not likely be forthcoming anyway). 

Most scones do not impress me – they are dry and crumbly.  I think that coffeehouses sell them that way so that you want more to drink.  Hmmm?

There is a little teahouse not too far from work that makes delightful scones – but alas, not the cheddar herb variety (I’ll be working on getting my hands on some of their recipes in the near future)

I wanted a scone that would go nicely with a tomato sandwich for tea and this really fit the bill. 

I found this recipe from Ina Garten for Cheddar Dill scones – and I adjusted the herbs (not a fan of dill, here) --- I’m pretty happy with it – still not quite the scone I’m seeking --- but good enough for now

Ina Garten’s Cheddar Dill Scones -- adjusted

Ingredients

4 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided

2 tablespoons baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

3/4 lb cold unsalted butter, diced

4 extra-large eggs, beaten lightly

1 cup cold heavy cream

1/2 lb extra-sharp yellow cheddar cheese, small-diced

1 cup minced fresh chives, basil, and tarragon (heavy on the chives, please)

1 egg, beaten with

1 tablespoon water or milk, for egg wash

Directions

1.     Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2.    Combine 4 cups of flour, the baking powder, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Mix the eggs and heavy cream and quickly add them to the flour-and-butter mixture. Combine until just blended. Toss together the Cheddar, dill, and 1 tablespoon of flour and add them to the dough. Mix until they are almost incorporated.

3.    Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead it for 1 minute, until the Cheddar and dill are well distributed. Roll the dough 3/4-inch thick. Cut into 4-inch squares and then in half diagonally to make triangles. Brush the tops with egg wash. Bake on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 20 to 25 minutes, until the outside is crusty and the inside is fully baked. Makes 16 large scones.

Cucumber Mint Salad

This is one of our family favorites and its EASY and inexpensive.  But it feels super elegant and ritzy...

1 Cucumber -- peel and quarter lengthwise -- scoop out ALL of the seed and pulp and then slice into little chunks
2-3 stalks of green celery cut into small slices (only use the sweet green part)
Mint -- use however much you like -- we like alot!!  Roll the leaves in your fingers and use kitchen shears to make tiny snips of mint for the salad
1/3 cup of crumbled Feta cheese (I never measure this -- just toss in a handful)

Mix it all together and let it sit while you make the rest of dinner ---
Sprinkle it with the lightest vinaigrette you can find -- we like Vanilla Vinaigrette from Baldwin's Extracts

We serve with grilled meat or salmon and some warm pita breads ---

Homemade Ice Cream

We tried making ice cream the other night.  It was a little bit messy, but otherwise absolutely wonderful.  Give it a try --- you'll never go back to store-bought again.

Take a quart size ziplock bag (use the freezer strength and don't skimp on quality --- its going to take some handling)
Pour into it:

• 1 cup of whole milk
• 1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2-3 tbsp sugar
• your choice of fruit -- about 1/3 -1/2 a cup (we used peaches and some chopped up crystallized ginger)

Seal up the baggie and place it inside of another ziplock bag -- this one a gallon size bag.
Into the outer bag (around the quart bag) put about 4 cups or so of ice and 1/4 cup of kosher salt.
Take turns shaking the bag (don't squeeze it!!)
It will feel like nothing is happening -- and then --- all of the sudden the inside bag will puff up ---
Take the smaller bag out of the big bag and wipe it off (salty ice cream is yucky)
Put it into the freezer to firm up a bit -- about a half an hour or so.

Sparkling Lemonade

Ah! The joy of simple food (and drink).  This is so simple and easy -- and yet I'm always astounded by how impressed my guests are by it.  I've already made two pitchers of sparkling lemonade this season.  The first was for the Memorial Day picnic at our house.  The second was for a family gathering this past weekend.  The family is well accustomed to my sparkling lemonade (although they all seem to think its far more challenging to make than it really is), so not too many oohs and aahs there.  

This is one of those emergency treats that turns any simple summer meal into a party.  We take it to Tanglewood with us in the summer (almost time!!) and we take it to the beach.  Unless I make it for just the two of us (yes, sometimes) - there are never any leftovers.  By keeping the two primary ingredients in the pantry and freezer, I can throw this together any time on the spur of the moment.  

Sparkling Lemonade

1 can frozen lemonade concentrate (the cheap store brand will be just fine)

1 bottle (2 liter size) seltzer

1 lemon, sliced thinly

That's it --- pour out the frozen concentrate into a pretty pitcher.  Gently pour in the seltzer (try not to let it fizz overmuch or it will get flat quickly).  Gently stir/mash the lemonade concentrate so that it dissolves nicely.  Add the lemon slices to make it look pretty.  

All done!! 

This lemonade is lighter and less sweet than what you might associate with frozen concentrate lemonade.  That's partly because we're using seltzer, which has that tiny bit of bitterness to it.  But its also because we're using more liquid than is generally called for by the directions on the can.  Its light, nicely sweet, but not overly so, fizzy and wonderful.