Vanilla Bean Scones

Good Morning, Vanilla Bean.  Good Morning, Vanilla Sugar.

Another Saturday morning, another craving for scones... and I didn't want to go to the store.  As I'm stirring in a scoop of vanilla sugar into my coffee, inspiration struck: 

Vanilla Bean Scones

But would they be too boring?  Too plain without the tart cranberries and sweet orange glaze?  Would just the vanilla bean be enough?

Silly girl.  Did I forget that the simplicity of the vanilla bean is exactly what the vanilla bean is all about?  Apparently I had.  But only briefly.

Vanilla Bean Scones
simple

2 cups plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup vanilla sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced
2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup cold heavy cream
1 tablespoon of vanilla bean paste

1 tablespoon of vanilla bean paste1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons of cream or milk

In a mixer, combine flour, vanilla sugar, baking powder and salt using the paddle attachment.  Cut the cold butter into 1/2 inch pieces.  Add the butter to the dry ingredients and mix on low until the butter is mixed in and is the size of peas.  In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, whipping cream and vanilla bean paste with a fork.  Turn the mixer on low and slowly add the cream and egg mixture.  Turn off the mixer once added.

Put some flour on the counter.  Turn the dough out onto the floured surface.  Add some flour onto the top of the dough, then pat it out into a disk - about 8-9 inches in diameter.  Cut the disk into 6 pieces like a pie.  

Smile at your daughter...

Separate the pieces and put them on a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15-17 minutes. 

To make the glaze, stir together cream, 1 tablespoon of vanilla bean paste and powdered sugar.

Ice them with spoonfuls of the glaze while they're still hot.

Click here for instructions for making your own Vanilla Sugar.

For more baking inspiration - see my mini Baking Pantry Upgrade... it will make you want to head to The Container Store!

Vanilla Sugar - Baking Pantry Essential

As I've mentioned, I have a tradition of getting up early every morning to take our dog, Mr. Darcy, on a walk for a little "Me & Mr." time before Mike leaves for work... funny, I always wanted to be that 'type' of person that got up early for a morning walk- little did I know that I all I had to be to become an early riser was to have a baby!

I love this time of day when the air is a little chilly and crisp.  Before we head out the door, I prepare a thermos of coffee to take along.  A scoop of this vanilla sugar makes my day (...or coffee, at least).   As I sip that hot coffee with a subtle hint of real vanilla, it seems like the flowers smile as we walk by and the birds sing a little sweeter.  It is a great way to start the day.



My favorite projects are simple tasks with minimal effort that have huge rewards.  We all remember the saying from when we were young, “A little effort can go a long way.”  Never has it been more true than with Vanilla Sugar and Vanilla Bean Syrup.  The best example of this is putting a vanilla bean that has been scraped of its bean in a jar of sugar.  Simple.  From then on, when you use that special sugar (that took you seconds to put together) in your baking or your morning coffee, it will be extra special. 



With only a couple vanilla beans and some sugar, you can create vanilla sugar that will bring the authentic vanilla bean aromatic to cookies, scones or creamy custards.  Use it in place of regular sugar in recipes that call for both sugar and vanilla extract.

List of Ingredients:
   
    1 vanilla beans
    5 cups of sugar
    1 medium airtight canister
   
Directions:

For the Vanilla Sugar, begin by scraping the seeds from one vanilla bean.  To do this, slice the vanilla bean in half, length wise.  Using your knife, run the blade down the center of half of the bean, scraping out the dark brown seeds from the pod.  Set the vanilla bean pod aside. Add the seeds to a food processor along with 2 cups of sugar.  Process the seeds and the sugar until you can see the small seeds evenly distributed.  Add the processed seeds and sugar to a medium canister.  Add 3 more cups of sugar and the scraped vanilla bean pods to the canister.  Place the airtight lid on, then shake the canister to mix the vanilla sugar with the regular sugar until well mixed. 




For the Vanilla Syrup directions, click here!

For more baking pantry inspiration - see my mini Baking Pantry Upgrade... it will make you want to head to The Container Store!

Fiddlehead Omelet

A couple of years ago, I remember watching an episode of The Martha Stewart show on which she was giddy with excitement to be preparing some of her favorite recipes with Fiddleheads.  Huh?

 

These New England delicacies are unfurled ferns that are harvested in the Spring for a brief amount of time- just as they've sprung from the ground, but before they've unraveled themselves into full ferns.  This certain type of fern is also indigenous in France... I guess they are fans the damp, dreary climates.  They are not farmed, but picked and gathered from nature.  In my mind, I'm equating them to the Morels back home... although they taste more like asparagus than a wild mushroom. 

With an effort to embrace all thing New England, I snatched some of these up at Verrill Farm this weekend.  I wasn't quite sure what to do with them, so like all mysterious things, I threw it in an omelet.

Are you a fan of the fiddlehead?  Share your recipes with me... there are a couple more days of fiddlehead season left!

Emma, Sittin' & Smilin'

This Sunday after church, realizing that I had makeup on (ok, so not a lot of makeup... maybe just blush and mascara) and a decent outfit on, I had Mike take a couple of photos of Emma and me. 

  Then I decided to take a few (hundred...) photos of Emma as she showed off her new and improving sitting up skills to her Dad.

 It's like she's saying, 'Is this right? am I doing this right?'

 She's already getting her Dad's jokes...

  

She has her Mom's curiosity.

And stubbornness determination.

Oh, Emma.

"Hold on a sec... I've almost got it..."

 "There. Got it. See!" 

I think she's pleasantly pleased with herself!

Lemon Curd | Homemade Gifts for Mother's Day

I love stocking my pantry and refrigerator with homemade ingredients that I can pull out and make something at the last minute.  This Lemon Curd Cream can be used in so many ways- it easily elevates anything it touches!  If I need a last minute dessert, I can buy a pre-made pound cake and some berries and end up with the most wonderful (and stunning) dessert (like I did here).  I can put this jar out (as is!) with a bowl of strawberries and cherries for a great fruit dip or fill a tart shell with it and top it with whipped cream.  The uses for it are endless- a spoon and a sunny day is also a good option!

This Homemade Lemon Curd is a great homemade gift, too - bring it is a gift for your Mom for Mother's day. 

Lemon Curd
   
3/4 cup of sugar
4 tablespoons of butter 
2 eggs
1 tablespoon of cornstarch
2 lemons, juiced
pinch of salt

Directions:
Cream together sugar and butter.  Add eggs and mix together until combined.  Add cornstarch.  Add lemon juice and a pinch of salt.  Transfer mixture back into a saucepan.  Heat on low while stirring constantly.  Cook until thickened - about 5-7 minutes.  Let the mixture cool at room temperature before using so it can set.
Store it in the refrigerator.




Here's an idea for the lemon curd... Vanilla Pound Cake with Lemon Curd, Whipped Cream and Berries!

Mother's Day Wish List

If I was going to buy myself a Mother's Day gift...

These La Rochere Fleur de Lys would be on the list... I love the heavy, chunky glass.  I'm in need of some new props for our table- I'm sure you're all getting tired of my current glasses!  These are only around $10 each.  A steal for something so classic.

This Lollia "Wish" candle smells like summer.  I got my bridesmaids the hand cream as one of their gifts... one sweet smell takes me right back to Seaside!  Large Lollia Wish Candle $32

 I'd order these herb topiary... because I like pretty things that are useful, too.  Herbs, $39 for all 3.

 And the Jack Rogers that I never got around to ordering for myself! 

Lilac Centerpiece in Pewter Serving Bowl with Lilly of the Valley

I’m not a huge fan of using stuffy, professionally design floral centerpieces when I’m hosting a party.  To me it always feels like a wedding or a catered affair when I have an arrangement that looks “too perfect.”  I prefer something that looks like it came out of my garden or my kitchen- it should to be something that compliments the setting, the menu, the occasion and the company.



A few weeks ago, I used this same serving bowl to create a centerpiece with planted pansies.  Here, I've used it with lilacs to create a really bountiful arrangement.  While most of us don’t have an expansive collection of large beautiful vases in which to create centerpieces, we do often have beautiful serving pieces that we’ve served food in for years.  So many times we feel limited by what we don’t have and forget to consider what we do have.   Beyond the practicality of using something you already own versus going out and buying something new, I like to use elements from my own kitchen to create centerpieces for my table.

You'll Need...
   
    Large Serving Bowl
    Double sided tape
    Scissors or Gardening Shears
    Water
    Flowers

Directions :

Fill the bowl half way with water.  Create a grid on the top of the serving bowl with the double stick tape.  Place the flowers in the bowl, using the grid to hold them in place.  Begin by using the largest blooms and branches to create the shape of the arrangement, then fill in with smaller flowers.

Here is the easy to pin strip!

Jalapeno Lime Chicken Tacos | Cinco de Mayo

There are two kinds of tacos we serve in our house - "old school" tacos and "fancy" tacos.  Old school tacos consist of ground beef seasoned with a packet of taco seasoning, crunchy shells, shredded ice burg lettuce, cheddar cheese, sour cream and salsa - because sometimes, we're just in the mood for a little comfort food flashback.  For Mike, "old school" tacos are his box of Macaroni and Cheese.  There's no need to be sophisticated all of the time. 

Other times, we're in the mood for fresh, really flavorful tacos.  Fancy tacos.  Tacos you could serve to company.

When I was catering, I was great at coming up with descriptive titles for my menu items at the last minute.  My client would say, "I want to serve something more fun- something different.  Do you have any ideas?"  Then I would start making up things, trying to come up with what they were looking for.  Words and phrases like "Sweet and Spicy," "Creamy" or "Caramelized" always went over well.  So, after making these random things up, I would have to figure out how to actually make them...  

After such an occasion, one of my go-to's became this Spicy Corn Relish.  For casual Summer parties I used it all of the time mixed with cream cheese and sour cream as a dip with crudites.   I would call it "Spicy Sweet Corn Cream Cheese & Crudites" - it sounded special enough for a party, but it was so simple. 

I thought it would work great mixed with sour cream and spread on fancy tacos... even though, now that I think about it, the cream cheese would have been great, too.

When I say 'fancy' tacos, I don't really mean that they are 'fancy' - just fancy as far as a taco goes.  They are actually really simple - grilled peppers and onions, slices of avocado, slivers of radishes, marinated chicken and a schmeer of this Spicy Sweet Corn Sour Cream.

Party-Worthy
Jalapeno Lime Chicken Tacos


1/4 cup of oil
6 limes, juiced - freshly squeezed
3 oranges, juiced - freshly squeezed
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded & minced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons of cracked pepper
3 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts
............
12 small corn tortillas
2 avocados, sliced
2 peppers
1 red onion
6 radishes, sliced
1 cup of sour cream
1/2 cup of spicy corn relish
cilantro (not pictured, but would be good if you like cilantro...)

In a large bowl, mix together oil, lime juice, orange juice, chili powder, jalapeno, garlic, salt and pepper.  Add chicken, turning it to coat.  Leave chicken to marinate for 1 hour or more - if you have time.

Prepare onions and peppers for the grill by brushing them with a little bit of oil.  Heat grill, then grill chicken, peppers and onions.  Remove from the grill, cover with foil and let them rest for 10 minutes.  Slice the chicken in long strips.  It can be served immediately, or put in the refrigerator and served cold/room temperature later.

For the spicy sweet corn sour cream, stir together the sour cream and corn relish.  To prepare the corn tortillas, heat each one in a hot skillet, according to the package.  Serve grilled chicken, peppers and onions with slices of avocado, radishes, cilantro and the spicy sweet corn sour cream.

Perfect party food.  You can put all of the ingredients out in bowls, or just in piles on a large board and have everyone help themselves.   Throw in a pitcher of margaritas and a couple of Coronas, and you have yourself a party.