Maple Walnut Scones

I love Maple Nut flavor. Not only is it delicious, but it makes me think of Dad. When we were growing up, wasn't his favorite ice cream flavor Maple Nut? These scones are mighty tasty--as well as quite filling!

Maple Walnut Scones

4 cups (17 ounces) all-purpose flour
½ cup (3 ½ ounces) sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
1 ½ cups (3 sticks/12 ounces) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk, divided (6 ounces + 2 ounces)
2 teaspoons maple extract
1 cup (4 ½ ounces) toasted walnuts
¼ cup raw sugar

For the Maple Glaze:
½ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons maple syrup

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

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk until combined. (I used the food processor & pulsed until combined.)

Add the butter. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until the butter is pea-sized. (Once again, I used the food processor and pulsed just until the butter was pea-sized. Then I transferred the mixture to a large mixing bowl.)

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, ¾ cup of the buttermilk (I goofed & added the whole 1 cup--8 ounces total--instead and the texture seemed just right to me), and the maple extract. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and then gently knead the dough with your hands until the dough starts to come together. Add the walnuts to the dough and knead gently to incorporate. Move the dough to a lightly floured surface. Use your hands to shape the dough into two discs—about 1 ½ inches in height (I didn’t make mine quite that tall). Do not overwork the dough.

Cut each disk into 6 wedges with a knife. Place the wedges onto the prepared baking sheet. Brush each scone with the remaining buttermilk and sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake in the center of the oven for about 25 to 30 minutes (or 20 to 25 minutes if your scones aren't super tall), rotating the baking sheet halfway through the baking time, or until the scones are golden brown.

Transfer the scones to a cooling rack to cool completely. (I didn't let them cool completely--we enjoyed them warm.)

Glaze the scones:

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the wire rack with the cooled scones over the baking sheet.

Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and maple syrup until the mixture is smooth. Slowly pour the glaze over each scone in a zigzag pattern. (I sprinkled some chopped toasted walnuts on top while the glaze was still wet.)

Allow the glaze to set (about 10 minutes) and serve immediately.

Scones can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Recipe source: Baked

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins

I know I’ve posted similar muffins before, but this one is yummy, too!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 ¾ cups (7 ½ ounces) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 large egg, at room temperature
½ cup (3 ½ ounces) packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup (6 ½ ounces) smooth peanut butter
1 ¼ cups (10 ounces) milk
5 tablespoons (2 ½ ounces) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup milk (or semi-sweet) chocolate chips

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. To prepare the muffin tins, spray the indentations and the rims around them with Baker’s Joy (or use paper muffin liners).

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl until well combined. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until lightly beaten. Whisk in the brown sugar and continue whisking until thick, smooth, and pale brown, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the peanut butter until smooth, then stir in the milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Use a wooden spoon to stir in the flour mixture and chocolate chips, until incorporated. The batter is quite thick; be careful not to overmix.

Fill the prepared muffin tins ¾ full. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the muffins are lightly browned with rounded tops. A toothpick inserted into the center of one muffin should come out with a crumb or two attached.

Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Gently rock each muffin back and forth to release and remove it from the tin. Cool them for 5 minutes more on the rack before serving. If storing or freezing the muffins, cool them completely before sealing in an airtight container or in freezer-safe plastic bags.

Recipe source: The Ultimate Muffin Book

Broccoli, Rice, Cheese, and Chicken Casserole

Alyssa made this for us on Sunday. It was delicious!

Broccoli, Rice, Cheese, and Chicken Casserole

Ingredients

3 to 4 cups leftover cooked rice
20 ounces roasted chicken, chopped (or substitute canned chunked chicken, drained)
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup milk
1 (16 ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli
1 small white onion, chopped
1 pound extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a large bowl, mix the prepared rice, chicken, cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, butter, milk, broccoli, onion, and shredded cheese.

3. Pour mixture into 9x13-inch baking dish.

4. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Stir halfway through cooking to help cheese melt evenly.

Almond Shortbread Cookies with Chocolate Filling

Almond Shortbread Cookies with Chocolate Filling

Alyssa made these cookies for us. We all absolutely loved them! We ate the entire batch within 24 hours. I assume they would freeze well—if they lasted long enough to get to the freezer!

¾ cup sliced almonds
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
3 egg yolks
¾ teaspoon almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
Chocolate filling (recipe follows)
Powdered sugar (optional)

Toast the almonds: Heat oven to 350°F. Spread almonds in thin layer in shallow baking pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until light golden brown; cool.

Finely chop almonds; set aside.

Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until creamy. Add egg yolks and almond extract; beat well. Gradually add flour, beating until well blended. Stir in almonds. Refrigerate dough 1 to 2 hours or until firm enough to handle.

Heat oven to 350°F. On well-floured surface, roll about ¼ of dough to about 1/8-inch thickness (keep remaining dough in refrigerator). Using 2-inch round (or square) cookie cutter, cut into equal number of rounds. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until almost set. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Spread about one measuring teaspoonful chocolate filling onto bottom of one cookie. Top with second cookie; gently press together. Repeat the remaining cookies. Allow to set, about 1hour. Lightly sift powdered sugar over top of cookies, if desired. Cover; store at room temperature.

Chocolate Filling: combine 1 cup chopped chocolate or chocolate chips and 1/3 cup whipping cream in small saucepan. Stir constantly over low heat until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Cool about 20 minutes or until slightly thickened and spreadable.

Recipe source: Hershey's Chocolate Cookbook

Potato, Ham & Gruyere Tart

This tart reminds me of quiche. It's a delicious way to use up leftover ham!

Potato, Ham & Gruyere Tart

Savory Tart Dough, rolled into a 10-inch round
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 russet potato, about ½ lb (250 g) , scrubbed
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 shallots, minced
½ tsp minced fresh thyme
3 ½ oz (105 g) Black Forest ham, cut into 1/3-inch dice (about ¾ cup)
½ cup (4 fl oz/125 ml) plus 2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
1 large egg
Large pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
2/3 cup (2 ½ oz/75 g) firmly packed shredded Gruyere cheese

Make the Savory Tart Dough:

1 ½ cups (7 ½ oz/235 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
Salt
10 Tbsp (5 oz/155 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
4-5 Tbsp (2-2 ½ fl oz/60-75 ml) ice water

In a large bowl, stir together the flour and ½ tsp salt. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the texture resembles coarse cornmeal, with butter pieces no larger than small peas. Slowly begin adding the ice water, stirring and tossing with a fork until the dough just holds together. Transfer the dough to a work surface, pat into a ball, and flatten into a disk. Lightly flour the work surface, then flatten the disk with 6-8 gentle taps of the rolling pin. Lift the dough and give it a quarter turn. Lightly dust the dough or the rolling pin with flour as needed, then roll out, lifting and turning the dough and dusting the surface as needed. Fold the dough round in half and carefully transfer to a 9-inch tart pan, preferably with a removable bottom. Unfold and ease the round into the pan, without stretching it, and pat it firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim off any excess dough by gently running a rolling pin across the top of the pan. Press the dough into the sides to extend it slightly above the rim to offset any shrinkage during baking.

Refrigerate or freeze the tart shell until firm, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, place an oven rack in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 375°F.

Partially blind bake the tart shell by placing parchment on shell & topping with pie weights or raw rice. Bake in lower third of the oven for 20 minutes or until pale gold. Remove pie weights and parchment. Place a baking sheet on the lower rack to catch any drips when you bake the tart.

To make the filling, in a pot of salted boiling water, cook the unpeeled whole potato until tender when pierced with a small knife, about 30 minutes. Drain and let cool. Peel and cut into 1/3-inch cubes.

In a heavy frying pan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the shallots and thyme and sauté until the shallots are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup (5 oz/155 g) of the potato cubes (reserve the remainder for another use). Stir the potato cubes to coat with the shallot mixture, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the ham.

In a small bowl, beat together the cream, egg, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, and nutmeg.

Spread the potato mixture evenly in the crust. Sprinkle with the cheese and pour the cream mixture evenly over the top. Bake the tart on the upper rack until the top begins to brown and the center is set, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 15 minutes. If using a tart pan with a removable bottom, place the pan on a large aluminum can or canister and let the sides fall away, then slide the tart onto a serving plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe source: The Williams Sonoma Cookbook

Beef Chili with Masa Harina

Beef Chili with Masa Harina

This chili is fantastic! The flavor is very well balanced—and not too spicy at all made just like the recipe states. The texture is perfect as well—nice and thick but still a soup. We served this chili with Honey Corn Muffins.

5 Tbsp (2 ½ fl oz/75 ml) canola oil
3 lb (1.5 kg) beef chuck, ground (minced) for chili
3 large yellow onions, finely chopped
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and finely chopped
½ cup (1 ½ oz/45 g) chili powder
2 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp ground dried oregano
2 tsp ground coriander seeds
4 cups (32 fl oz) beef stock or broth
1 can (28 oz/875 g) crushed tomatoes
1 can (15 oz/470 g) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 oz/470 g) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
3 Tbsp masa harina
Salt

In a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat, heat 1 Tbsp of the oil. Add half of the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a colander placed over a bowl to drain off the fat. Repeat with another 1 Tbsp of the oil and the remaining beef. Drain and set aside.

In a large pot over medium heat, heat the remaining 3 Tbsp oil. Add the onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the jalapeno, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and coriander, stir until well combined, and cook for 1 minute longer.

Add the reserved beef, the stock, and tomatoes, and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 50 minutes.

Add the kidney and pinto beans and masa harina. Continue to simmer, uncovered, until the chili is slightly thickened, 5-7 minutes. Season to taste with salt and serve in large bowls.

Accompany this chili with small bowls of sour cream, salsa, shredded Cheddar cheese, and chopped green onions for serving if desired.


Recipe source: The Williams Sonoma Cookbook

Indian Chicken Curry

Indian Chicken Curry

Alyssa absolutely loves Indian food, so she particularly enjoyed this meal. The rest of us really liked it, too. We served the curry with basmati rice and naan bread.

2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground turmeric
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 lb (500 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
¼ cup (1 ½ oz/45g) unsalted cashews
1 large yellow onion
2 small tomatoes
2 Tbsp clarified butter or canola oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 tsp seeded and minced green jalapeno chile
2 bay leaves
2 star anise
½ cup (4 fl oz/125 mL) coconut milk
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Toast and grind the coriander and cumin seeds. (Toast seeds in a skillet over medium-high heat until the seeds begin to pop, about 2 to 3 minutes. Then grind using either a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle.) In a bowl, stir together the toasted seeds, turmeric, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, the cayenne pepper, and oil until well mixed.

Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes. Add to the bowl with the spice paste and stir to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

Toast the cashews and then chop coarsely. Set aside.

Thinly slice the onion. Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise and remove the seeds, then chop the flesh. In a sauté pan over high heat, heat the clarified butter. Add the onion and sauté until it begins to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, chile, bay leaves, and star anise and continue to saute until the onion is light golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the chicken and sauté just until the meat turns opaque, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the coconut milk and ½ tsp salt and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and simmer for 5 minutes longer.

Transfer to a warmed bowl , garnish with the cashews and cilantro, and serve at once.

Offer basmati rice to accompany the chicken and its curry sauce. We also like to serve naan bread with it.

Recipe source: The Williams Sonoma Cookbook