June ABC challenge: Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Scones

Damn trying to bake on a warm evening.  I was trying to make these for a bake sale fund raiser, so I hope they turn out, but although my butter started out frozen, by the time I was mixing in the chocolate chips it had melted.  I also had to use a buttermilk substitute; I was a little concerned when it didn't seem to change consistency, but I suppose all I needed was the acid.  We'll see how it goes.

Since I was using unsalted natural peanut butter, I increased the salt in the recipe.  I figured in this particular recipe, better a little more salty than not enough.  I added extra peanuts as well, but didn't measure them.

My changes are in strikeout and italics.  Here's what I used:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup traditional rolled oats

⅓ cup dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ ¾ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

¾ cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 egg (separated)

½ cup chunky peanut butter

crushed peanuts

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

raw sugar (for sprinkling)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add the butter and use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour mixture until the butter is pea-size (alternately, you could use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour mixture).  In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and the egg yolk. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour the buttermilk mixture into the center of the well, then add the peanut butter. Using a rubber spatula, very gently fold the mixture together until it starts to come together.  Add the chocolate chips and gently knead with your hands (in the bowl) until just incorporated. Be careful not to overmix the dough. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of parchment paper on a cutting board and pat it into a round disk about 8 inches in diameter. Whisk the egg white, then brush the top of the dough with the egg white, and sprinkle with raw sugar.  Cut the dough into 8-12 wedges (do not separate them), slide onto a baking sheet, and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until the scones are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then re-slice and separate them. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, or serve slightly warm.

The dough was so soft and sticky, I shaped it and then stuck it in the freezer for about 15 minutes.  It firmed the dough, but I doubt it had any affect on the butter chunks (or smears, as they were.)  Otherwise, these were pretty easy and quick to pull together.

I baked the scones for the minimum amount of time.  The dough was well colored, but the interior was still very soft.  They also spread and rose a fair amount, such that the scones (cut into eights) ended up fairly large.  I recommend cutting them into 9-12 segments.

Conclusion:  I'm not big on scones--- I think it's mostly a textural thing.  They're not quite biscuits, which are nicely short, and not quite cake, soft and moist.  These didn't change my mind.  I don't think the flavors were well suited to scones, the texture was a bit dense (personally I think they could have used another minute or two in the oven, but then they might have been dry), and the oatmeal didn't soften, resulting in what felt like bits of paper.  But a scone lover probably would have found them delicious.  I might try using the basis of this recipe, though, with other flavors (minus the peanut butter and oats) as it baked up really nicely.

Recipe:  Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Scones via Brown Eyed Baker

June ABC challenge: Pineapple Chipotle Cream Cheese Scones

This month's ABC challenge entry is a bit of a cheater.  The challenge is for this King Arthur basic scone recipe.  Now, I'm not a big fan of scones.  They taste okay and all that, it's just that they have no substance.  They're just above biscuits in that category, and only because they usually come with add-ins.  They're not sufficient alone for breakfast, but it's so hard to limit yourself to just one.  Really you want to eat the whole batch, which is just too depraved to think about.  So I usually keep my distance, and planned on passing on the challenge this month.

Thing is, I had in my refrigerator this:

Chipotle-flavored cream cheese

I thought it sounded delicious when I bought it, but the reality was a sorry disappointment.  It tasted highly processed, salty -- not rich and creamy at all; I'd put it right down there with the cheese that squirts out of a can.  (Or so I'm imagining, as I've never actually tasted cheese that squirts out of a can.)  But what to do with it?

The scone recipe for this month got me thinking.  There are many scone recipes that call for cream cheese; this month's challenge wasn't one of them.  This is where the cheat comes in.  King Arthur Flour has another scone recipe that does use cream cheese, so I started from there.  A few other substitutions, plus a 1/4 reduction in the quantity and I had my recipe.

Here's what I worked with:

3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 + 1/8 teaspoon baking powder (see Conclusion)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 ounces cold, chipotle-flavored cream cheese
2 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
1/3 cup canned pineapple tidbits, squeezed of juice and juice reserved
2 tablespoons dried, chili-spiced pineapple, medium dice
1/4 of a large egg (about 2½ teaspoons)
1/2 teaspoon orange extract (or zest of 1/4 orange)
1+ tablespoon reserved pineapple juice

Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.  Cut in the cream cheese and butter until the chunks of butter are the size of peas.  Stir in the fresh and dried pineapple.

In a separate container, whisk together the egg, extract (or zest), and juice.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and stir with a fork until the dough is evenly moistened.  It will look on the dry side.

Turn the dough out onto a floured piece of parchment or waxed paper, and fold it over several times, until it holds together. Pat the dough into a 3/4"-thick rectangle (about 4" x 8") and cut into 4 wedges.  Brush the tops lightly with milk and sprinkle with sparkling white or pearl sugar, if desired.  Place the scones about 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.  (I have to use an insulated sheet or they would burn on the bottom.)  Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the tops are golden brown.



Conclusion:  This is a great flavor combination!  The chipotle is not immediately noticeable, but there is a gentle heat that builds over successive bites.  These are sweet, which I did on purpose to counter the chili heat, but there is already plenty of sweetness in the pineapple; next time I would reduce the sugar by half.  The only down side was they didn't rise much, if at all.  Since I'm adding an acid in the pineapple juice, next time I will convert the baking powder to baking soda and see if that improves the rise.

Now, what to do with the rest of that tub.

Original recipe:  Apricot cream cheese scones via King Arthur Baking

Spiced Pecan Twist

Sunday morning -- start it with this spicy, twisted sweet bread.  It's soft and crispy, sweet and fragrant.  It has a consistency much more like a scone than a bread.  In fact, it's pulled together just like a scone, differing only in the shaping. As a loaf, however, the result is less crispy crust and more fluffy interior.

This is quite sweet, with sugar in the dough, the filling, and the glazes.  Personally, I don't see the point of both an apricot jam glaze AND a lemon glaze,  and I'm not sure either is necessary since the dough receives an egg wash.  I recommend the apricot for a less sweet touch, but in that case it should probably be eaten the same day as the jam is sticky and will soften the crust.  The lemon glaze adds a nice citrusy flavor, but no need to drape it on.   You could also easily reduce the sugar in the dough, if desired.

This was a little tricky to make -- there were no photos and the directions were a bit scant.  She offers that you can make one large loaf or two smaller ones, but then gives directions for only one variation without telling you which that is.  I had halved the recipe, and as it was had the dough rolled out into about a 14" square before I checked the measurements:  25 cm, which is just under 10".  Oops.  And of course, I didn't know if that was for the full recipe or only half.  Considering the small size of the recommended square (which would have left my dough fairly thick), I determined her continued directions must be for the half-size loaf.

I didn't want to gather up the dough and re-roll it to the proper size, so I charged ahead and waited to see how it would work out.  My finished log was only about 2" in diameter, but once sliced and twisted I was able to sort of squish it up a bit to about 10" long.  This gave the dough room to rise, but might have caused the layers to blur a bit more during baking than if the twist had been tighter.  (Another disadvantage to the lemon glaze is that it obscures the pretty layers.)

I used the original recipe as a guideline for the total quantity of spices, but used a 2:2:1:2 mix of cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and Chinese 5-spice (which is somewhat anisey, though mine was old and low in flavor.)  I also used about half whole wheat flour in the dough.

This bread is quite rich with all the butter and sugar, so plan your accompaniments accordingly.  Simple scrambled eggs and dark coffee would go nicely.

For the filling:
42g plain flour
25g dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice
1/8 teaspoon salt
20g butter, soft
1/2 cup pecans, broken pieces
1 egg white

For the dough:
190g plain flour
100g whole wheat flour
30g caster sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
35g butter
1 egg yolk
100ml milk

For the egg wash (optional):
1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water

For the apricot glaze (optional):
1 tablespoon apricot jam

For the lemon icing (optional):
1/3 cup confectioner's sugar
Zest of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tablespoon butter, melted
Hot water, added a teaspoon at a time until you get the desired consistency

For the filling, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, and spices in a small bowl; blend in the butter. Add the egg white a little at a time.  (If you are not using the egg wash, reserve a small amount of this egg white, about 1/2 teaspoon, to secure your log roll.) Stir well until you have a smooth, creamy paste and set aside.

Sift together the flours, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a mixing bowl. Rub in the butter until you have a soft crumb texture. Whisk the egg yolk and milk together and pour slowly into the dry ingredients, mixing all the time. Your dough should be smooth, light and very soft. Heavily flour your work surface and tip the dough onto it. Sprinkle with a little more flour and very gently knead for a few seconds, pulling the edges of the dough towards you, working in a circular motion until you have a neat ball of soft dough. Roll out your dough to about a 10" square. Spread the filling over the dough with a palette knife, leaving one inch untouched along the far edge. Sprinkle the pecans evenly over the filling.

Starting away from the clean edge, roll up the dough into a log. Beat your egg for the egg wash (or use your reserved egg white) and brush the clean edge. Secure the roll closed with the egg wash strip underneath the roll. With a sharp knife, cut through the center of the roll lengthwise, leaving one inch at the top still adjoined. Rotate the halves outward to expose the layers, then wrap them loosely around each other about two times to form a twisted strand. Secure the end by pressing lightly with your fingers.  If using, brush all over with the egg wash. Move to a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes at 375F.

Make the lemon icing by whisking together the confectioner's sugar, melted butter, lemon zest and a little hot water until you have the desired consistency. Leave to one side.

Once the bread has come out of the oven, dollop the apricot jam in a few spots and allow it to soften, then brush thinly over the hot loaf.  Allow to cool on a wire rack. When cooled, drizzle the icing decoratively over the loaf.

Conclusion:  This was somewhat fussy, but worth the effort for a special breakfast or brunch.  Be cautious with the sugar layering -- it can overpower the flavors of the bread without necessarily adding to the whole.  Next time I would probably limit the topping to a light, decorative drizzle and call it good, but all options are provided here.

Original recipe:  Cinnamon and Pecan Twist Bread via Food Network UK

Sour Cherry and Greek Yogurt Scones

This  recipe uses yogurt and a little olive oil instead of butter, which made me worry about the resulting texture.  I didn't want a soft, bready scone!  And while these are not as short as a traditional scone, they were much better than I'd feared.  The outside bakes up crusty, though the inside remains a little soft.

I followed the recipe as she suggested, using spelt (not sprouted) and whole wheat pastry flours.  However, I used dried tart cherries, and only 1/2 cup. (I should have used the whole cup) and sliced almonds instead of pistachios.  The other change was, because I didn't want to be bothered with honey butter, I added the 1/2 t cardamom right into the flour mixture for the scone.  They had a very light cardamom flavor, very subtle.  (The creator suggests that, as an alternative to the cardamom butter, add 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped sage into the flour mixture.) 

Here's what I used:

2 cups flour (half sprouted spelt and half whole wheat pastry flour)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 1/2 cup pitted sour dried tart cherries
2 dozen shelled pistachios, chopped sliced almonds (about 3 tablespoons)
Cream or 1 beaten egg with 1 tablespoon of water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar.  In a separate bowl whisk together oil, and yogurt. Add the yogurt mixture to the flour mixture. Mix to combine.  Place dough on a well floured surface. Knead lightly to to incorporate all the flour, then mix in the cherries. Make a nice ball, being careful no to over handle the dough or the dough will be tough and pink. Flatten out the dough using your hand and make an 8 inch circle. Cut into 6 wedges. Brush with cream or beaten egg. Sprinkle with nuts and press them down lightly into the scones so they stick.  Transfer the scones to a baking sheet sprinkled with flour or cornmeal. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.

Cardamom honey butter
1/4 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon cardamom

In a small bowl, mix butter, honey and cardamom to combine.

Conclusion:  I omitted the cardamom honey butter. These were delicious and simple.  I'll be making them again.

Recipe:  Sour cherry yogurt scones with cardamom honey butter via Stir It Up! at the Christian Science Monitor