The Charmed Kitchen

Cream Scones

I must admit that for me, the difference between a scone and a biscuit is sometimes hard to see. Both use the same ingredients, for the most part. They can be rolled and cut out the same way, too. I often say that scones are like biscuits, but with more stuff in them. Scones are often sweeter, too. This recipe is a tough call for me. I was given the recipe by a friend a long time ago. She called them Cream Scones. I could easily see calling them Cream Biscuits, instead. Whatever you call them, these little gems are tender, flaky and super easy to make.

Cream Scones

2 c. flour
1 T. sugar
½ t. salt
1 T. baking powder
1 c. heavy cream
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Sift together dry ingredients and gradually add cream to form soft dough. Knead lightly on a floured board until dough sticks together. Roll to ½ – ¾ –inch thickness and cut with 2-inch biscuit cutter. Re-roll scraps and continue cutting, handling dough as little as possible.* Place on baking sheet and bake 10-12 minutes or until golden. Makes 8-10.

* Instead of rolling them out and cutting into rounds, I pressed the dough into an 8-inch square. I cut the square into 4 smaller squares. I then cut and “x” across each of the four squares, making 4 triangles ( 16 in all). Bake as directed above.

Peanut Butter Pancakes with Red Grape Syrup

I wanted to make peanut butter pancakes the other morning. I really like the whole pb&j flavor combination but I didn’t have any grape jelly.  I did have some red grapes in the freezer and I decided use them to make a syrup. The combination was really good. I started by making the grape syrup. I took 2 cups of frozen grapes and set them in a small skillet with about 1/4 cup of sugar, a little cinnamon and some fresh grated nutmeg. I let this mixture cook over medium high heat until the grapes were tender and the liquid in the pan had created a syrup. I didn’t need to add water as the frozen grapes gave off their juices as soon as they started to heat up. With fresh grapes you might want to add a little water to get the whole process going. It took about 15 minutes in all. While the grapes were cooking I made the pancake batter and began cooking the pancakes. When the pancakes were done I topped them with a few grapes and a drizzle of the pretty grape syrup. Not a peanut butter and jelly sandwich – but something so much better.  Sometimes it pays to think outside the box.

Peanut  Butter Pancakes

1 c. buttermilk baking mix, like Bisquick or Jiffy mix, I make my own

2 T. sugar

1 egg

1/3 c. peanut butter

2/3 half and half

1/4 c. water

Combine baking mix and sugar and set aside. Whisk together remaining ingredients until smooth and add the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Heat and lightly oil skillet and use 1/4 c. of better for each pancake. Cook over medium heat. Turn when edges appear dry. Makes 8.

Strawberry Cupcake

I was making cupcakes for a program with kids and I decided to make some with strawberries. As you might expect, they were a big hit. The berries add sweetness and color in a delicate, natural way. I used frozen berries I had gotten in season last year. It was the last of my berries so I am really looking forward to strawberry season later this year.

Strawberry Cupcakes

2/3 cup whole fresh or frozen strawberries, thawed

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

2 large egg whites, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside. Place strawberries in a small food processor; process until pureed. You should have about 1/3 cup of puree, add a few more strawberries if necessary or save any extra puree for frosting; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla, and strawberry puree; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.

With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended.

Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely in tin before icing. Makes 12.

Strawberry Frosting

1/2 cup whole frozen strawberries, thawed

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold

Pinch of coarse salt

3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place strawberries in the bowl of a small food processor; process until pureed. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners’ sugar; beat until well combined. Add vanilla and 3 tablespoons strawberry puree (save any remaining strawberry puree for another use); mix until just blended. Do not over-mix or frosting will incorporate too much air. Frosting consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream. Makes enough for 1 dozen cupcakes.

Dandelion Gravy

It’s funny when you think about it. People spend tons of money to eradicate dandelions from their lawns but will go to an upscale restaurant and pay good money for a salad with mixed greens including dandelions. Dandelions were not considered a weed at one time. In fact, immigrants brought the seeds to America as a vegetable. While the greens can be bitter they can also be tamed when paired with certain ingredients. Combining dandelions with tomatoes, vinegar, cheese or other dairy products and bread or cereal products will make them less bitter when eaten. They are also packed with nutrients and if you don’t spray your yard with herbicides you can likely find them under your own feet. Free, tasty and nutritious. Sounds like a win all around. The plant is pretty much edible from top to bottom. The leaves for salads, soups and other dishes. The flowers are used for wine, jelly and the “burger” recipe at the bottom of this page. The roots are roasted and used as a substitute for coffee. If you haven’t eaten dandelions before my only question is, what are you waiting for?

A classic dish using dandelions is dandelion gravy. Some versions use bacon, others not. This one uses bacon, sour cream and is served with boiled potatoes.

Dandelion Gravy

4 strips bacon
3 T. flour
1 c. water
1 lb. dandelion greens, washed and chopped
½ c. sour cream
1 T. sugar
1 T. vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot boiled or baked potatoes
Fresh chopped parsley, optional

Chop bacon and cook in skillet until crisp. Leave bacon in the pan. Remove all but 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat and stir in the flour until smooth. Add water and dandelion greens and cook over medium heat until greens are tender- about 5- 10 minutes. Add more water if mixture is too thick. Turn off heat. Combine sour cream with sugar and vinegar and stir into dandelion mixture. Adjust seasonings. Spoon gravy over potatoes.
Serves 4.

Note: If you want leave out the bacon instead add 3 tablespoons of oil to skillet along with the flour.

My friend, Mari Keating, sent met his recipe for a frittata.

Mari’s Dandelion Frittata

Mari Wrote: I sauteed greens in olive oil and garlic, poured scrambled eggs over, sprinkled with feta cheese, let it set over low heat, then popped it under the broiler to “poof” – an amazing frittata. Amounts are variable to taste, as is cheese used (or not). The greens are a wonderful addition to salads, raw or wilted with a hot vinaigrette and today I’m making dandelion pesto.  Google abounds with recipes. My variation is that I use walnuts instead of pinenuts, because I’m cheap.

She said it was wonderful.

The next 2 recipes come from Dr. Peter Gail my mentor and dearly loved friend.

Dandelion Pita Pizza

Pita bread, toasted English muffin, or toasted bread
Spaghetti or pizza sauce
Fresh dandelion greens of any age, chopped fine
Grated cheese (any kind)
Cover bread with sauce, add chopped greens, top with cheese, and toast in oven until cheese
melts. For a more sophisticated treat, chopped dandelion greens may be sauted in olive oil with
onions, mushrooms and several cloves of crushed garlic, and then spread on the pizza and topped
with cheese.

Dandy Burgers

1 cup dandelion flowers, green removed
½ cup flour, any kind
1/4 cup onions, chopped fine

½ tsp salt
½ tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp rosemary
1/8 tsp pepper
enough milk to make thick batter.
Peel dandelion flowers and put in 4 quart mixing bowl. Add onions and mix together. Blend
flour and seasonings together, add to the flowers and onions, and blend thoroughly. Add milk
slowly, blending it in until you have a thick batter.
Heat Olive Oil in frying pan to cover bottom. Make batter into golf-ball-sized balls. Place in
oil, and squash down flat to make a 2″ diameter patty. Fry till brown on both sides. Remove and
serve on rolls as you would hamburger patties.

Ham with Mustard Sauce

It is important to listen to your friends. My friend Kat kept telling me about her Grandmother Dienhart’s mustard sauce. She said it was a tradition in her family to always make it with ham. She told me how wonderful it was. She even sent me the recipe. We had a ham dinner last night and Kat made the mustard sauce. She was so right. This stuff is amazing. Sweet, sour, creamy and just the right balance of flavors to pair up with the smoky flavor of ham. I could see this sauce becoming a tradition in my family, too.

Kat’s Extra Wonderful Mustard Sauce

3 large eggs
½ c. sugar
4 T. dry mustard
½ c. half and half
½ c. cider vinegar, warmed
4 T. butter

Off the heat, whisk eggs in the top of a double boiler. Sift in sugar and mustard powder. Whisk until smooth. Add half and half and place pot over simmering water. Heat mixture until it starts to bubble and thicken, while constantly whisking. Whisk in warm cider vinegar very slowly and stir until thickened. Stir in the butter until melted. Serve warm with ham. Makes 2 cups.

Sour Cream Lemon Cupcake

I must admit to being a huge fan of these cupcakes. They are rich, without being too heavy and full of flavor.  Lemon in both the batter and frosting really makes them special. Cupcakes are also such a nice, easy to serve dessert for parties, cookouts and picnics. If you try these I am sure you will be pleased, as will your family and friends. Well, assuming you give them any. 🙂

Sour Cream Lemon Cupcakes

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon each baking powder and salt

2 cups sour cream

Frosting:

9 tablespoons butter, softened

6 ¾ cups confectioners’ sugar

6 tablespoons lemon juice

1 T. vanilla extract

¾ teaspoon grated lemon peel

3 tablespoon milk

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add lemon peel and vanilla; mix well. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream (batter will be thick). Fill 30 greased or paper-lined muffin cups with 1/4 cup of batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. For frosting, cream butter and sugar in a small mixing bowl. Add lemon juice, vanilla, lemon peel and milk; beat until smooth. Frost cupcakes. Makes 30.

Homemade Bavarian Mustard

With baseball season here there has been a lot of talk about hot dogs and mustard lately. I will admit to not being a big fan of mustard when I was a kid. I am now. I enjoy using all types of mustard in all sorts of dishes. Mustard is great on sandwiches and sausages. It is also a versatile  ingredient for salads, salad dressings, marinades and all sorts of sauces.  I lean towards spicy brown mustard myself.  I also enjoy making my own mustard. That way I can tweak the seasonings. So here are a few of my favorite homemade mustard recipes. If you never made mustard before- you might want to try. It is easy and fun.

Horseradish Mustard

1 c. dry mustard
3/4 c. white wine vinegar
1/3 c. dry white wine or dry sherry
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 T. dried minced onion
2 t. caraway seeds
1 1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. coarse ground mustard
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 T. prepared horseradish

Combine all ingredients, except eggs and horseradish in top of double boiler and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours. Whisk in eggs and cook over simmering water until mixture has thickened and eggs are cooked, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in horseradish. Pour into sterilized jar, cool and cover. Store in fridge for up to 3 months. Makes 2 cups.

Bavarian Mustard

3/4 c. beer
2/3 c. dry mustard
2 T. sugar
2 T. cider vinegar
2 t. salt
1-t. celery seeds
1/2 t. fresh grated ginger or 1/4 t. dry
1 egg, beaten

Combine all but the egg in the top of a double boiler and let stand 2 hours at room temperature. Stir in egg and cook over simmering water. stirring constantly until mixture thickens and egg is cooked, about 10 minutes. Pour into sterilized jars and cool before covering. Store in fridge for up to 2 months. Makes 2 cups.

Spicy Mustard

1 c. dry mustard
2/3 c. dry white wine
1/2 c. vinegar, flavored with herbs or garlic
1/2 c. sugar
2 t. salt
1 t. basil
1 t. chili powder
1 t. dried minced garlic
1 t. oregano
1/2 t. cracked pepper
2 eggs, slightly beaten

Mix all ingredients, except eggs, in top of double boiler and let stand 2 hours at room temperature. Add eggs and cook over simmering water, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and eggs are cooked, about 10 minutes. Pour into sterilized jars and cool down before covering and refrigerating. Keeps in fridge for up to 2-3 months. Makes 2 cups.

French Herb Mustard

1/4 c. dry mustard
1/4 c. white wine vinegar
1/4 c. white wine or dry sherry
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. tarragon
1/4 t. dill seed
1/4 t. celery seed
1/4 t. ground cloves
3 egg yolks or 1 whole egg

Combine all ingredients, except eggs, in top of double boiler and let stand at room temperature 2 hours. Whisk in eggs and cook over simmering water, stirring constantly, until mustard thickens and eggs are cooked, about 5 minutes. Store in crock or jar in fridge for up to 1 month. Makes 1 cup, recipe can be doubled.

Biscuits Supreme

Biscuits are easy to make. They really are. Fast, too. You can mix up  a batch of biscuits in the time it takes the oven to preheat.  Yet, I know  people who seem to struggle with them. The other night in class we were talking about the secret to  a light and flaky biscuit.

So what goes wrong? How do you make light, flaky biscuits every time?

For the moment I’ll assume you have a decent recipe. There are a lot of great biscuit recipes out there. I know people that have treasured family recipes. Biscuits that have been made the same way for generations.

Assuming also, that the baking powder is fresh, there has to be some other reason that some folks just seem to struggle with biscuits.

The problem is – more than likely- over-mixing the dough. When I talk to someone who tells me her biscuits are always heavy or tough I first ask about how they are put together.

Once the dry ingredients have been mixed and the fat cut in, there is just liquid to be added. At this point the dough should be handled just enough to hold together. A light hand means a light biscuit. The same is true for making scones. The more you knead the dough, handle the dough and roll the dough, the less flaky biscuits become.

Don’t treat biscuit dough the way you would a yeast-based dinner roll. The two are very different in how they are handled. Yeast based doughs benefit from kneading and “working” the dough. Biscuits are the opposite.

Even when cutting out the biscuits, it will help if you cut  them out as close together as you can. That way you have fewer scraps to re-roll. Every time you roll the dough out- it becomes a little tougher.

Here is a recipe for one of my favorite biscuits. They are light and very flaky. Is there anything better than a fresh, warm biscuit with some butter?

Biscuits Supreme

2 c. flour
4 t. baking powder
2 t. sugar
½ t. cream of tartar
½ t. salt
½ c. shortening
2/3 c. milk

Stir together dry ingredients and cut in shortening to resemble coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and add milk all at once. Stir until dough sticks together and knead on lightly floured surface 10-12 strokes. Roll or pat to ½ inch thickness. Cut with 2-21/2 inch biscuit cutter and place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake in 450-degree oven for 10-12 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 10-12.

Homemade Brownies

Keeping with a trend I started a couple of days ago, I will be sharing more recipes for homemade mixes. This one is for brownies. You make a basic mix, then just use it to make brownies whenever you like. Tasty, easy and no ingredients you can’t pronounce. Once you make the basic mix you can add different ingredients and make different frostings for all kinds of fun and easy variations.

Homemade Brownie Mix

7 c. sugar
4 c. all purpose flour
2 1/2  c. cocoa
1 T. plus 1 t. baking powder
1 T. salt
2 c. shortening*
Combine first 5 ingredients. Stir well. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mix is crumbly. Place in airtight container store in a cool, dry place or refrigerate up to 6 weeks. Yield: 14 cups.

* You can use butter or coconut oil instead of the shortening- but store mix in fridge. Use within 3 months.

Quick and Easy Brownies

3 c. brownie mix
3 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2  t. vanilla extract
Combine all ingredients, stirring until blended. Spoon into greased and floured 8-inch square pan. Bake at 350 for 35 – 40 minutes. Cool and cut into squares. Yield: 16 brownies.

Variations:

Nutty: Add 1/2 c. chopped pecans to recipe.

Minty: Add 1 t. mint extract.

Minty chip: Add 1/2 c. Andes mint chips

Chip: Add 1/2 c. chocolate chips

Butterscotch: Add 1/2 c. butterscotch chips

Rocky Road: Add 1/2 c. chopped nut and 1 c. mini marshmallows

Peanut butter: Reduce to 2 eggs and add 1/4 c. peanut butter and 1 T. oil

Turtle Brownies: Make a regular batch of brownies. Cool brownies completely in pan on rack. Make caramel layer

Caramel layer
3/4 c. sugar
1/3 c. light corn syrup
3 T. water
1/3 c. heavy cream
1 t. vanilla
1 1/2 c. pecans

In a heavy 3 quart saucepan bring sugar, corn syrup, water and a pinch of salt to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Continue cooking, without stirring until mixture turns a caramel color. Remove from heat and carefully stir in cream and vanilla. Mixture will bubble and steam. Stir in nuts and spread over brownies. Chill until caramel is set, about 4 hours.
Cut brownies when chilled, but serve room temperature.

Black forest brownies: Make regular brownies, but use only 2 eggs and add 1 c. cherry pie filling. Use extra cherry pie filling to top the brownies when serving. You can also use some whipped cream to top, too.

Easy Chocolate Butter Cream

6 T. butter or margarine, softened
1/3 – 3/4 c. cocoa, depending on how dark you want your frosting.
2 2/3 c. powdered sugar
1/3 c. milk
1 t. vanilla

Cream butter. Combine cocoa and sugar. Beat cocoa mixture in alternately with the milk until frosting is spreading consistency. Beat in vanilla. You may need an additional tablespoon of milk. Makes about 2 cups.

Peanut Butter Frosting

2 T. butter
1/4 c. peanut butter
2 1/2 c. powdered sugar
6 T. whipping cream
1 t. vanilla

Melt butter and peanut butter together. Beat in remaining ingredients. Frosts a small pan of brownies.
Toppings

To vary your favorite brownies you can stir in or top them off with a variety of ingredients. A few suggestions would include:

coconut                                                                                                          chopped nuts
M&M’s
dried fruits
powdered sugar: after brownies are cool, use a doily to make a pattern, then carefully remove the doily
sprinkles
cereals, such as granola or Trix
flavored chips
raisins, plain or yogurt covered
fruit pie fillings

Carrot Oat Bran Muffins

If you haven’t liked bran muffins, you might want to try these. With the addition of carrots and raisins these muffins are moist, light and slightly sweet. They remind me of a cross between a muffin and carrot cake. Vanilla and orange zest makes them fragrant and tasty, too. With plenty of oat bran they also provide healthy dietary fiber. I make these pretty often, then freeze some for later.

Carrot Oat Bran Muffins

1 c. milk or buttermilk
1 c. oat bran
1 egg
1/3 c. oil
3 T. brown sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 t. orange peel
1 c. shredded carrots
1 c. flour (all purpose or whole wheat pastry flour)
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
½ t. salt
½ c. raisins

In mixing bowl combine oat bran and milk. Add egg, oil, sugar, vanilla, peel and carrots. Beat well. Combine remaining ingredients in small bowl and mix well. Gently fold into bran mixture. Divide batter in 12 muffin cups that are either greased or lined with paper cups. Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Makes 12.