Cheddar Bacon Scones

January 31, 2018 by Stephie 2 Comments

Cheddar Bacon Scones are studded with cheese and bacon for a savory scone that is as perfect for a weekend breakfast as it is for an afternoon coffee break.

I have a real love for scones.

Sweet scones, savory scones…really, it doesn’t matter. I love them all.

There is a local coffee shop that I frequent – not because I like coffee (because I actually don’t), but because a.) they carry my favorite green tea and b.) their scones give me life.

(Coincidentally, this is the same coffee shop that inspired my Amish Breakfast Cake recipe.)

They always have a variety of sweet scones and one savory option, with the flavors varying depending upon the season and what’s available – and probably what they feel like making, to be honest. I flip-flop on whether I go for sweet or savory, but when there’s a Cheddar Bacon Scone available? That’s always the answer.

The other day I decided I would whip up my own batch of Cheddar Bacon Scones – mostly so that I could “test” several of them (quality control is important, you know) without having to pay for multiple scones.

I should teach a class on budgeting.

At any rate, I adapted my Sweet Potato Biscuit recipe to create these Cheddar Bacon Scones. In addition to butter, I cut in a few tablespoons of cream cheese – because cheese. Also because cream cheese is tangy. And delicious. Again I say – because cheese.

Ok now…let’s talk for a second about how this is not a low-fat recipe. It’s just not. Cheese, butter, bacon…and cream. Yes, I used cream as the liquid in this recipe.

I have made cream scones in the past (such as my Cranberry Ginger Cream Scones) that allowed cream to play the part of both fat and liquid the recipe. And that works quite well and is very lovely. But…I was feeling a little extra indulgent when I made these and decided to go over the top with both butter and cream here.

(For the record, my friend Christina also likes to go the butter + cream route. Case in point: her Small Batch Meyer Lemon Scone recipe. I’ve always known there was a reason we were friends!)

Feel free to swap in whole milk or buttermilk for the heavy cream if you like – but that’s as much as I’ll allow! No skim milk, ya hear? It is too thin and just doesn’t have the body we want for this kind of recipe.

Just consider these a treat yo’self moment. I’m happy to help.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Cheddar Bacon Scones

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

12 mins

Total time

32 mins

Yield: 8-9 2-inch scones

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
1½ ounces (3 tablespoons) cream cheese, cold
3 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup cream, plus 1 tablespoon for brushing the tops**

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut the butter and cream cheese into pieces, and use a pastry cutter to work the fat into the dry ingredients until the butter and cream cheese are in pea size pieces.
Stir in the bacon and cheddar cheese. Stir in the cream until just combined.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead just enough to bring the dough into a disk. Fold in half; pat the dough back into a disk and fold in half again. This will help form some layers in the finished scones.
Roll or pat the dough to ½ inch thick. Use a 2-inch cutter to cut out the scones, placing them close together on an ungreased baking sheet and re-rolling dough scraps as needed. Brush the tops lightly with additional cream.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Notes

**If using both butter and cream puts you over the edge, I will accept whole milk or buttermilk as acceptable substitutions for the cream.

Maureen’s Rice Krispie Cookies

January 8, 2018 by Stephie 23 Comments

Maureen’s Rice Krispie Cookies: Totally easy, no-bake cookies packed with sweet dates, crispy rice cereal and crunchy pecans. These are the perfect cookie for any gathering! Make them with gluten-free crispy rice cereal for an easy gluten-free cookie.

For some reason, I often decide it would be a great idea to go on a cookie-baking spree the week before leaving for a beach vacation.

Everything I own ends up covered in powdered sugar, royal icing, sprinkles, food coloring and/or melted chocolate. If you can buy it in the baking aisle at the store, it will cover my kitchen counters, floors and cabinets in a light layer.

Meanwhile, any item of clothing that has been purchased specifically for said vacation sits on top of my dresser, mocking me.

Sometimes I find myself doing squats while washing dishes and brushing my teeth. Any activity that requires me to stand still for more than thirty seconds will become fair game for toning my booty.

But at the end of the day it’s always worth it, especially when Maureen’s Rice Krispie Cookies are involved.

This recipe, which came from my great-great-great-aunt (seriously!), is one of those crazy retro recipes that gives you a list of seemingly strange ingredients and as few directions as possible.

(Sound familiar? We’ve encountered the same issues with my Christmas Spice Cake and Angel Food Cake recipes, among others.)

My great-grandmother used to make Maureen’s Rice Krispie Cookies and mail them to my mom and uncles when they were in college. My mother and her best friend would proceed to sit on her bed and eat the entire box in one sitting. I highly doubt my uncles bothered to share. They’re just.that.good.

Not only are they incredibly delicious, they’re also incredibly easy! They also don’t require you to turn on the oven. Pretty great, right?

All you have to do is cook down the butter, sugar and dates until they become a paste. Then, stir in your crispy rice cereal and your chopped pecans.

If you want to make these for your gluten-free friends and family, just swap your big-brand crispy rice cereal for a gluten-free version. Because of the malt flavoring that is in traditional Rice Krispies, they are not considered gluten-free. Luckily, there are a number of gluten-free Rice Krispies alternatives you can find to ensure everyone can enjoy these beauties!

Once the mixture has cooled slightly, you roll the mixture into balls and coat them in powdered sugar. I recommend making one or two bigger than the rest – you’ll need to eat these right away so as not to be incongruous, you know. 😉

Enjoy these by yourself in one sitting or take them to your next party and share them with your friends. I promise not to give away your secret either way.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Maureen's Rice Krispie Cookies

Yield: Approximately 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients

1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1 8 oz package of dates
2 cups crispy rice cereal
1 cup chopped pecans
Powdered sugar

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine crispy rice cereal and pecans.
In a saucepan, combine butter, sugar and dates. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture resembles a paste.
Pour date mixture over cereal mixture and stir to combine. When mixture is fully combined and is cool enough to handle, form into balls and roll in powdered sugar. Place on wax paper or parchment paper to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container for up to a week (not that they have ever lasted that long around here...).

Chai Sugar Cookies

November 16, 2017 by Stephie 2 Comments

Chai Sugar Cookies are made from an easy no-chill sugar cookie dough that is flavored with warm chai spices: cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, cardamom and white pepper. Cut them into whimsical shapes for a fun take on a holiday classic!

Mary Berry is a miracle worker.

That’s right. This past weekend a new season of The Great British Bake Off (known more commonly as The Great British Baking Show in the States) was added to Netflix.

If you have never watched this show, stop what you’re doing and go fix your life. I have a hard time deciding what the best thing about this show is – the accents? The amazingly British recipes and baking terms that I get to learn about as I watch?

No, the best thing about the show is most definitely one of the judges and British food writer extraordinaire, Mary Berry.

Mary is delightful. She’s everything you could ever want in a TV cooking show judge and human being. She is kind, funny and knows her craft incredibly well.

As it turns out, she is also capable of inspiring me to get back into the kitchen, for it was while I was watching this new season of GBBO (the “Biscuit” episode, to be exact) that I became inspired to make this Chai Sugar Cookie recipe.

(I should note that my mother was also a huge fan of GBBO, so it seems only fitting that my first recipe following her passing would be inspired by one of her favorite shows.)

NO-CHILL SUGAR COOKIES

These Chai Sugar Cookies are a riff on my No-Chill Sugar Cookie recipe.

Now, let’s be clear in one area — Chai Sugar Cookies are not meant to be moist, chewy sugar cookies. If you are looking for a moist, chewy cookie, I would point you toward my Granola Cookies or even my Maple Walnut Blondies (because, while perhaps not a standard cookie, they’re pretty much life-changing).

No, these are the type of cutout sugar cookie with a bit of “snap” to them, as Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood might say. They are perfect for decorating and gifting during the holidays, and freeze beautifully if you want to make them ahead of time for a party.

The best part is that, since this is a no-chill sugar cookie recipe, the dough can be made in just a few minutes and go right to the oven. No waiting required to get to chai cookie greatness.

CHAI COOKIES

To make these Chai Sugar Cookies, I boosted my normal No-Chill Sugar Cookie dough with the same warm, flavorful spices found in my Homemade Chai Concentrate: cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice and cardamom, with a bit of white pepper for a slight bite at the end.

It’s no secret among my friends that I adore all things chai (being a tea drinker versus a coffee drinker will do that to a person), so chai cookies were really just the next logical step in this obsession.

The icing for Chai Sugar Cookies is a simple glaze, boosted with a simple sugar syrup instead of corn syrup to make it dry hard and glossy. Add any food colorings you like to dress these chai cookies up for any holiday occasion – although I am pretty fond of the look of the white icing against the spice-speckled cookies.

Oh — wondering where I got my adorable woodland creature cookie cutters? Ikea! Seriously, what doesn’t that store have?

Yield: 30 2 1/2-inch cookies

Chai Sugar Cookies

Name: Chai Sugar Cookies
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 cup unsalted butter, softened; 1¼ cups granulated sugar; 2 large eggs; ½ teaspoon vanilla; 1 tablespoon finely ground black tea leaves (equal to the contents of 2-4 black tea bags); 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 2 teaspoons ground ginger; 1¼ teaspoons ground cardamom; 1 teaspoon ground cloves; 1 teaspoon ground allspice; ¼ teaspoon + ⅛ teaspoon white pepper; 3½ cups flour; ¼ cup granulated sugar; 1 tablespoon water; 1 heaping cup powdered sugar; 1 tablespoon whole milk; Small splash of vanilla

Prep Time 20 minutes

Bake Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

For the Cookies:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1¼ cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon finely ground black tea leaves (equal to the contents of 2-4 black tea bags)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1¼ teaspoons ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon + ⅛ teaspoon white pepper
3½ cups flour

For the icing:

¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon water
1 heaping cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon whole milk
Small splash of vanilla

Instructions

Make the Cookies:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, vanilla, and spices and beat until combined.
Slowly add the flour, stirring just until combined. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and use your hands to form into a disk. Roll the dough to ⅛ to ¼-inch thick and cut with lightly floured cookie cutters. Place cookies on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, or just until the bottoms start to turn golden. The edges will not take on much color. Remove from the baking sheets to a rack to cool before icing.

Make the Icing:

Stir together the granulated sugar and water in a small microwave-safe bowl or ramekin. Microwave on high for 30-45 seconds, stirring every 15 seconds, until sugar is dissolved and the syrup is clear.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar (sift first for a completely smooth icing), milk, vanilla and 1 tablespoon of the sugar syrup until smooth. Add more milk or powdered sugar as needed to achieve desired consistency. Spread onto cookies and allow to dry before storing.

Notes

While this dough does not require chilling, you can certainly make it ahead and roll, cut and bake the cookies later. Simply wrap up the disk of dough tightly in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until needed.

Raisin-Filled Holiday Ring

December 17, 2015 by Stephie 8 Comments

Raisin-Filled Holiday Ring is flavored with cinnamon, orange and almonds for the perfect Christmas morning breakfast.

This post is sponsored by Red Star Yeast. Thank you for supporting brands that help make this site possible.

I should be packing right now.

I should be throwing everything I own into any box I see. I should be a whirling dervish of packing prowess.

Instead, I think it is much more important to tell you about this Raisin-Filled Holiday Ring. Never mind the fact that I am writing this on Thursday evening and we move Saturday morning. Never mind the fact that only about 1/3 of our belongings are currently packed. That’s what Friday night is for…right? (Don’t answer that.) Making sure you guys have a recipe for Christmas morning is clearly much more important. (Don’t ask Alex what he thinks about those priorities.)

This will be our first Christmas in our own home, not spending it shuttling around from location to location. We won’t have a tree or really any decorations to speak of up, but it will be special nonetheless. We will do presents and big family dinners on different days, so Christmas day we plan to have our parents over for something of a housewarming dinner. I am contemplating making this Wine-Braised Oxtail recipe that I made for Alex and I this past Valentine’s day and serving it over polenta. Possibly Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon. Haven’t decided yet.

Either way, I’ll be sure to start the day on a sweet note with a lovely breakfast. If you’re planning to do the same (and who doesn’t on Christmas morning?), I highly recommend this recipe. It is an impressive bread that will have your family oooh-ing and ahh-ing about how fabulous you are. The assembly takes a bit of work, but I’m ok with that when making the dough is incredibly easy (and it always is when we use our favorite Red Star Yeast). When I made this, I sent leftovers to work with Alex and there was hardly a speck of glaze left on the plate when he brought it home that evening.

Between the sweet glaze, the crunchy toasted almonds and the filling stuffed with our favorite holiday flavors (raisins, orange, cinnamon and more almonds), I am guessing you’ll experience the same reaction. Just make sure you snag yourself a piece before they’re all gone.

Head over to Red Star Yeast to grab this Raisin-Filled Holiday Ring recipe.

Looking for more great bread recipes? Make sure to follow Red Star Yeast on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram and check out their website for tips and tricks for baking with yeast!

90-Minute Buttercrust Bread

December 1, 2015 by Stephie 4 Comments

90-Minute Buttercrust Bread is a quick and easy sandwich bread that is done in 90 minutes, start to finish. You’re closer to fluffy, soft sandwich bread perfection than you think.

This post is sponsored by Red Star Yeast. Thank you for supporting brands that make this site possible.

Alex and I closed on our house last Wednesday. We are officially homeowners.

Wow, that feels amazing to say.

We spent much of the Thanksgiving weekend working on the house – starting to paint, removing wallpaper (with only slight success…folks, do your future selves and future homeowners a favor and DO NOT go the wallpaper route), installing new light fixtures, replacing the drawer pulls in the kitchen…and generally making the house our own. I promise to share photos as soon as we are settled and there aren’t boxes everywhere. For now, you can always follow along on Instagram for random sneak peeks as we go.

Throughout this slightly stressful time of buying a house, I – as a bit of a stress-eater – was once again reminded of a pretty solid fact: Bread is a necessity in my life.

No, it is not an option. Neeeeeeed. It is my ultimate comfort food.

No, I don’t think I would fare well on a gluten-free diet. But that’s another discussion for another day. For now, it is all about the bread.

That said, I don’t always have time to make bread from scratch. I love homemade bread – it is one of my very favorite things (clearly), but it can be a little time consuming. Sure, I love Baked Potato Bread, Wheat Germ Bread or even Carrot Raisin Bread. But when I only have a couple of hours to bake and need something that can be made lickety-split?

90-Minute Buttercrust Bread to the rescue.

That’s right. 90 minutes. And, unlike many homemade yeast breads, that isn’t just rising time – that is the amount of time it will take you to make this bread from start to finish. Just an hour and a half!

And let me tell you, you won’t notice a difference in this recipe. A few simple tricks (such as using a stellar yeast like Red Star Platinum Yeast and letting your dough rise in a barely-warm oven) is all you need to make this magic happen. Soft, fluffy, butter-blessed bread heaven.

This bread also makes the best toast. I might have eaten an entire loaf by myself because I couldn’t stop toasting it and slathering it in butter and jam. In fact, I had to give away the second loaf to one of my coworkers (who was in the middle of renovating her own kitchen, which seemed like a reason to need homemade bread if ever I had heard one) just to keep myself from inhaling both loaves at once. It seems charitable but really, she was doing me a favor by taking it away from me. I cannot be held responsible for my actions when homemade bread is involved.

Hop on over to Red Star Yeast’s website for this 90-Minute Buttercrust Bread Recipe.

Looking for more great bread recipes? Make sure to follow Red Star Yeast on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram and check out their website for tips and tricks for baking with yeast!

Corn Cheddar Bubble Loaf

October 24, 2015 by Stephie 4 Comments

Corn Cheddar Bubble Loaf adds the toothsome bite of cornmeal to yeast bread. Serve alongside soup or chili for a great fall meal.

This post is sponsored by Red Star Yeast. Thank you for supporting brands that help make this site possible.

Hellooooo, friends! It’s been a hot minute, hasn’t it? I’m sure those of you who follow me on the Instagrams are wondering if I have done anything besides wander around Jamaica in my Tieks lately. The answer is no. I mean yes. I mean…ok, let’s catch up.

So I did take a little jaunt over to Jamaica the other week for the Eat, Love, Sandals Culinary Conference. A special thanks to Jamie over at My Baking Addiction and Kristan from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen for organizing the trip, and the kind folks at Sandals Ochi Beach Resort for hosting us crazy ladies for the week. We spent the week learning from each other, falling in love with the island cats (ok, that was mostly me), taking a beach-side yoga class, and even got to visit a local preschool to deliver some school supplies and spend the afternoon reading to some adorable little nuggets.

But that’s not all I’ve been doing! Alex and I recently adopted my grandfather’s cat, adding to a our little brood. Callie is (at best guess) around 12 or 13 years old, half blind, mostly deaf, absurdly food-driven (she could stand to lose a few pounds), and a little senile. She’s our new senior citizen and we just love her.

In other news, we picked out paint colors for our house last weekend. The plan is to close and immediately start painting over Thanksgiving weekend (happy holidays?) because we aren’t so hot on the idea of a rose-colored kitchen. Just a personal preference. As it turns out, blue is pretty much the only color we can actually agree on, though, so 3 of the 5 rooms we are hoping to paint before we move in will, in fact, be some shade of blue. We will be the blue house. That’s normal, right?

I’ve also been baking some bread for you – like this Corn Cheddar Bubble Loaf! This recipe comes from the folks over at Red Star Yeast, and is the first time I have made a yeast bread with cornmeal in it. The cornmeal adds a great toothsome bite to this bread and using Red Star’s Platinum Yeast (you know it’s my favorite!) means that this dough rises nice and high and won’t get weighed down from the cornmeal or the cheddar cheese.

The best part? This bread can be made the day before and baked just before serving, making this the perfect bread for serving alongside your favorite soup or chili for a fall weeknight meal. Fall eats just got better, folks – no pumpkin needed.

Head on over to Red Star Yeast’s site to grab this Corn Cheddar Bubble Loaf Recipe.

Looking for more great bread recipes? Make sure to follow Red Star Yeast on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram and check out their website for tips and tricks for baking with yeast!

NO-CHILL SUGAR COOKIES

CHAI COOKIES

Ingredients

For the Cookies:

For the icing:

Instructions

Notes

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