.

Cranberry & Lemon Scones

 

I had this brilliant idea of hosting a Princess tea party for my friends and their little princesses but unfortunately the royal wedding is on a Friday so that's messing things up. We're going to have our own little party anyway and I made these scones this morning and have some more in the freezer so I can make a fresh batch tomorrow morning at 5 a.m.

I better get to bed only a few hours until the wedding!

Cranberry & Lemon English Scones

Ingredients: 3 cups flour, 1 ½ tablespoons baking powder, 1 ½ teaspoons salt – sifted together in a large bowl. 2 teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ cup sugar, 4 ounces unsalted butter, 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 cup dried cranberries, zest of one lemon. 1 egg yolk.

Directions: In a large bowl sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in the sugar. Cut in butter and work in to the flour mixture or use an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix together until crumbly. Gradually add 1 cup heavy whipping cream in to the dough and the cranberries and lemon zest. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough on a floured work surface. Roll out to ¾ of an inch thick. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet. Cut dough into triangles (I used a pizza cutter) and place on baking sheet. Put in the freezer for at least 3 hours but overnight is better.

Bake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix together ¼ cup heavy cream and egg yolk. Brush each triangle scone lightly with cream/egg yolk mixture. Cook for 30 minutes and turn halfway through. They are done when they are a light golden brown.

 

Parsnip + Kale Quiche avec Bacon

 

 

The parsnip doesn't get a lot of love. It's always compared to its more popular cousin, the carrot. But the parsnip, although not as pretty, is much sweeter than the carrot and adds a nice complexity to this quiche. The parsnip with the kale and bacon make a really interesting combination of flavors. I entered this recipe in Food52.com's "Late Winter Tart (Sweet or Savory) contest.

I was inspired by Julia Child's Quiche Lorraine in "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" and added parsnips, kale and cheddar cheese to the basic recipe. Also, I used whole milk instead of heavy cream and omitted the salt and nutmeg and added pepper instead. I used 8 oz of bacon instead of the recommended 3-4 oz (because how could too much bacon ever be a bad thing).

For the Pate Brisee I used James Peterson's from the book "Baking". But any tart shell recipe will work just fine.

It is an absolutely delicious dish. Try it!

Serves 6

Pate Brisee:

• 1 cup cake flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cups cold butter
• 8 teaspoons heavy cream

 
 
 
Filling :

• 8 oz Bacon
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cup whole milk
• 3 large kale leaves
• 2 small parsnips
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 oz cheddar cheese

1. For the Pate Brisee. Combine everything in a stand mixer and gradually add teaspoons of heavy cream one at a time. Mix for about 2-4 minutes until it holds together
2. Flatten the dough into a disk. Flour a clean work surface and roll the dough out with a rolling pin. Makes enough for a 11 inch pie or tart pan.
3. Place in preheated 400 degree over. Place pie weights or beans wrapped in parchment paper in the bottom of the pie shell to prevent it from rising. Bake for 15 minutes then remove pie weights or beans and bake another 15 minutes. If edges are starting to brown, place foil to prevent over browning. Remove and let cool.
4. For the filling: Peel parsnips and place along with the kale in a pot of water to boil. Add salt and 1 of the tablespoons of butter.
5. Fry bacon until crispy. Let cool briefly and chop or crumble into tiny pieces.
6. Mix eggs and milk and pepper in a bowl.
7. When parsnips and kale are done. Kale will be wilted and parsnips will be soft. About 20 minutes. Chop the kale and parsnips into small pieces
8. Place crumbled bacon into pie shell. Add parsnips and kale. Pour egg/milk mixture on top. Sprinkle cheddar cheese and dollop butter all over pie surface with remaining tablespoon of butter. Place in preheated 375 degree over for 30 minutes

 
 

Peppers for Breakfast

 

I know. Enough already with the peppers. But honestly, I can't get enough of them. Tomorrow I'm thinking maybe a fried egg sandwich with a pepper on top and the yolk oozing down over the bread and pepper. Hmmm. Might try that.