Tartine's Fruit Scones and Some Technical Difficulties

I'm gonna level with you here. These are without a doubt, the most complicated scones I've ever made. They require you to have loved and cared for a sourdough starter long enough that you can make a leaven the night before you even think about making the scone dough. The recipe calls for three types of flour and homemade creme fraiche or kefir although, I took the shortcut and just bought mine at the grocery store. Then there is the mixing, chilling, folding, chilling, loving, and whispering of gentle sweet nothings (that last one isn't written in the recipe, but I imagine it would probably help) that is required to make all of the flaky layers that make these scones great. That said, they are quite delicious and super tangy from the lemon zest and leaven and the combination of flours gives these a really nice complex flavor. I imagine that a couple of you out there are crazy like me and might like make a classic treat in a new way so I've provided the lengthy recipe below. If you try the it please let me know what you think in the comments!

A little programing note: I know things have been quieter than usual around here and it's because my well-loved film cameras are feeling a little under the weather. One has a crazy light leak and the other is leaving lovely stripes on all of my photos (which you can see in this post) so they are heading to Nippon Photo Clinic for a thorough cleaning and check up. Hopefully they will be back in action for when my favorite fruits and veggies start to hit the markets.

In the meantime you can keep up with me on instagram @yossyarefi where I post daily and Food52 where I write a column called Project Dessert every other week.

Thanks and Happy Spring!

Tartine's Fruit Scones
from Tartine No. 3
yield, 12 large or 24 small scones

As printed in the book, this recipe requires an obscene amount of lemon zest (10 lemons worth!) which I kind of assumed was a misprint, so I used 2 lemons worth and found the scones plenty zingy. I also added a Tablespoon of vanilla extract to the recipe, but in the end I think the sourdough and lemon zest masked the vanilla flavor so feel free to leave it out.

306 g/ 1 cup plus 5T cold unsalted butter
312 g/ 1 1/3 cups kefir or creme fraiche
306 g/ 1 1/2 cups leaven*
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract (optional)
306 g/ 1 pint berries
341 g/ 2 1/3 cups pastry flour (I used all purpose)
204 g/ 1 3/4 cups oat flour
136 g/ 1 cup plus 1T whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon baking powder
102 g/ 1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons sea salt
zest of 10 (or a couple) lemons
1 large egg
crunchy sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 400ºF and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper

1. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch sized pieces and place in the freezer to chill. In a separate bowl or measuring cup, combine the leaven, vanilla and kefir until well mixed and place into the freezer to chill while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
2. Wash, hull and roughly chop the berries (only chop if you are using strawberries).
3. In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, lemon zest and salt. Dump the flour mixture onto a work surface or countertop and spread it into a rectangle about 1/3-inch deep. Scatter the butter cubes over the flour and toss gently to coat the butter with flour. Flour a rolling pin and begin rolling the butter into the flour. When the butter starts flattening into long, thin pieces use a bench scraper to fold the mixture back over itself into a rectangle so that is the same size that you started with. Repeat the rolling and scraping three or four times. Work quickly so the butter stays as cold as possible.
4. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the kefir-leaven mixture all at once. Use a bench scraper to gently fold the flour into the liquid. Keep folding the mixture until it is a shaggy mass, then shape it into a rectangle about 15-inches x 21-inches. Fold the dough in thirds, then roll it back into a rectangle. Repeat the folding and rolling process then transfer the dough to a baking sheet and chill for 15 minutes.
5. Roll the dough back into a rectangle and scatter the berries on top. Use a bench scraper to fold the top, bottom, and sides of the dough over itself then roll it into an 18-inch x 15-inch rectangle about 1 1/2-inches thick. Cut the dough into 12 rectangles or 24 smaller shapes and place the cut scones onto the prepared baking sheets. Move the baking sheets to the oven and chill for 20 minutes or until firm.
6. While the scones are chilling beat the egg with a tiny pinch of salt. When the scones are chilled and ready to bake, remove them from the fridge, brush the tops with egg wash, and sprinkle with crunchy sugar. Bake until the tops are lightly browned, 25-35 minutes. Serve warm.

*to make the leaven combine 100 grams all purpose flour, 100 grams whole wheat flour, 200 grams warm water and 1 Tablespoon mature sourdough starter in a bowl, cover and let sit overnight.

 

Seeded Whole Grain Scones with Tahini

My dad used to buy chunks of halva (a dense sesame candy) from the middle eastern market in our neighborhood and I always turned my nose up at the sight of it. I wasn't a kid who shied away from strong flavors (hello, pickled garlic), but the flavor of halva was too much for my little palate to handle and I shied away from pretty much anything containing sesame seeds for a long time. Thankfully, I grew out of whatever bothered me about their flavor and now I am a huge sesame and tahini fan.

These hearty and wholesome tahini-enhanced scones contain a bit of sugar to balance all of the whole grain seediness and the slight bitter edge of the sesame paste, but it's not enough to make them truly sweet. I liked them best on the day they were baked slathered with butter and the tiniest drizzle of honey.

p.s. that cool cactus tea towel is by Amelie Mancini

Seeded Whole Grain Scones with Tahini

yield 12, 2-inch scones

The brand of tahini I used was quite liquid, if your tahini is closer to the texture of peanut or almond butter, add a couple of extra tablespoons of buttermilk. The dough should be soft but hold together after all of the liquid has been incorporated. It should also be said that these 100% whole grain scones are quite dense. If you prefer a lighter scone, substitute 1 cup of all purpose flour for either of the whole grain flours.

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup rye flour

4 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

6 tablespoons assorted seeds (sesame, chia, flax, pepitas, whatever you like)

2 tablespoons non-hydrogenated shortening

4 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup tahini, room temperature

Preheat oven to 375º and line a sheet pan with parchment paper

Combine the flours, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda and 4 tablespoons of the seeds in a large bowl. Use your fingers or a pastry blender to cut the butter and shortening into the dry ingredients. Combine the buttermilk and tahini in a measuring cup and whisk well to combine. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then pour in the buttermilk mixture. Stir gently until just combined. If the mixture seems dry, add more buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough holds together. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and pat it out until it is about 1 1/2-inches thick then use a floured 2-inch biscuit cutter to cut as many rounds as possible and set them on the baking sheet. Gather the scraps, pat them together, and cut as many rounds as possible. Brush the tops of the scones with water or milk and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of seeds. Press gently to make sure the seeds adhere to the scones. Bake until golden brown 20-25 minutes. Serve warm and fresh with butter and honey.

Rhubarb and Rye Scones

These simple scones are a riff on this recipe from last summer and have a similar sweet-tart vibe going on. In this variation, the rhubarb is lightly coated in sugar before being incorporated into the dough, ensuring that it bakes up into little jammy pockets. Who doesn't love a jammy pocket? 

The addition of slightly sweet and nutty rye flour ups the wholesomeness of these scones, but they aren't quite health food, (considering they are loaded with butter, heavy cream and a bit of sugar) but they are a wonderful morning treat for those days when you need one. They'd also be a nice way to surprise your mom this weekend if she is a rhubarb fan, just sayin'.

Yes that is me up there, brandishing my rhubarb triumphantly like an Olympic torch. What can I say, I am crazy for the stuff.

Rhubarb Rye Scones
yield 8-12 scones

4.5 ounces rye flour
6 ounces all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 ounces unsalted butter
3 ounces granulated sugar (a bit less if you really like tart rhubarb flavor)
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
4-6 ounces heavy cream
2 medium stalks rhubarb, cut into 1/2'' pieces
2 Tablespoons crunchy sugar like turbinado or demerara (for sprinkling)

Preheat oven to 400ºF

1. In a small bowl, toss the rhubarb pieces with 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Set aside while you prepare the other ingredients.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, remaining sugar, salt and lemon zest. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or a fork until the mixture is crumbly. Gently stir in the rhubarb and it's juices if any have accumulated in the bowl.
3. Slowly and gently stir in the heavy cream until the mixture holds together, being careful not to overmix. The dough should be very soft. I usually end up using close to 6 ounces of cream.
4. For small scones, divide the dough into two pieces. On a lightly floured surface pat each piece into a round about 1'' thick and cut each round into 6-8 triangles. Alternately, pat the whole disk into a round 1'' thick and cut into desired shapes.
5. Transfer the scones to a parchment lined baking sheet about 1'' apart and brush the tops of the scones with the dregs of heavy cream leftover in the measuring cup, sprinkle the tops with crunchy sugar and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer and warm before eating

Homemade Croissants

One of my favorite things about our new apartment is that we have space for an honest to goodness dining table. I mean, sitting on the floor and eating off of the coffee table worked great for years and our friends were always nice about it, but I have to assume that they prefer our current setup, even if it consists of an old school desk surrounded by an eclectic collection of stools and desk chairs. Baby steps, people.

Now, all of that is to say, we've been having people over to eat more often. Usually on Sundays and usually for a lengthy and loung-y brunch, a meal I find infinitely more enjoyable at home (rather than a restaurant) where I don't have to wait 45 minutes for a table or for my coffee to be refilled. Where the eggs are always cooked just how I like them and the home fries are crispy, but perhaps most importantly, when you have brunch at home, you can excuse yourself to lay down on the couch mid meal if you feel the need and you can encourage your guests to do the same.

Constructing a solid brunch menu is a delicate process. There must be coffee and juice and water and a little hair of the dog if you're up for it. I'm usually not (afternoon drinks ruin me for the rest of the day), but I fully support those who are. Alongside all of those beverages there should be something sweet and something savory. Something carb-y and something fresh. And if you're at my house it pretty much goes without saying that there must be something baked and maybe a little fancy like these babies.

These croissants take a bit of time and planning to pull off. You could make them in a day and a half if you are feeling ambitious or you can put them together a little at a time over the course of a few days, which is the route I chose to take. I made this batch over the course of a week, which is why the light varies so wildly in these photos, and it worked great. All I had to do the day I wanted to serve them was roll them out, cut them, and let them rise before baking which took a few hours of mostly hands-off time. I'm noticeably a little short on finished croissant photos here, and I'm sorry about that, but I'm sure you can all figure out why.

Homemade Croissants

adapted from Tartine

yield 16-18 croissants 

Tartine lists ingredients in cups, grams and ounces. I used the gram measurements which I have included below along with the ounce measurements. If you'd like the cup measurements check out The Fauxmartha, but I have to say if you like baking enough to attempt croissants at home you should own a scale. There is quite a bit of resting/waiting/rising time in this recipe so make sure to read through the entire recipe at least once before you get started. Also, I've added a few notes throughout the recipe, they are in italics. 

For the Preferment

6 ounces/150ml nonfat milk (I used whole milk because that's what I had on hand)

15ml/1 tablespoon active dry yeast

6 1/4 ounces/175g unbleached all-purpose flour

For the Dough

20 ml/1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon active dry yeast

14 ounces/425ml whole milk (room temperature)

28 ounces/800g unbleached all-purpose flour

2 1/2 ounces/70g sugar

20ml/1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt

15ml/1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Roll-in Butter

22 ounces/625g unsalted butter, cool but pliable

Egg Wash

2 large eggs

2 ounces/60ml heavy cream or milk

pinch salt

To make the Preferment

1. Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it is just warmed through, about 80-90 degrees. Pour the milk into a medium bowl and stir in the yeast until dissolved. Add the flour and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until a smooth, but sticky dough forms. Cover the bowl with cheesecloth or plastic wrap and let the mixture rise until it has almost doubled in volume. This will take 2-3 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator. Truth be told, I left mine in the fridge for two days with no problems at all. I think the extra day gave the finished croissants more flavor.

To make the Dough

1. Add the preferment mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the yeast and mix together on low speed with the dough hook until evenly combined. You may have to stop the mixer and scrape the dough off of the hook occasionally. When the mixture has come together, increase the speed to medium and mix for a couple of minutes.

2. With the mixer running, slowly add in half of the milk and mix until well combined. Reduce speed to low and add the remaining milk, flour, sugar, salt and melted butter. Mix until the dough comes together, about 3 minutes. Turn off the mixer and let the dough rest for 15-20 minutes, loosely covered.

3. Turn the mixer back on low speed and mix the dough until it is smooth and elastic, no more than 4 minutes. If the dough seems very firm, add in more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time. I added a tablespoon or two. Make sure to not overmix the dough as over-mixed dough will result in tough, glutenous croissants that are difficult to roll out. Cover the bowl with cheesecloth or plastic wrap and let it rise until the volume increases by half, about 1 1/2 hours.

4. Lightly flour a work surface and transfer the dough to the surface. Gently press the dough into a rectangle 2'' thick. Wrap the rectangle in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill for 4-6 hours.

To "Laminate" the Dough with Butter

1. About 1 hour before you are ready to start rolling and laminating the dough, take the roll-in butter and place it in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix the butter on medium low speed until it is malleable but not warm or soft. Turn the soft butter onto a piece of plastic wrap and  wrap it up. Place it in the refrigerator to stay cool, but don't let it harden completely.

2. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and place the rectangle of chilled dough on it. Roll the dough into a rectangle 28 inches by 12 inches.

3. With the long side of the rectangle facing you, and starting from the left side, use your fingers to gently and evenly spread the butter over 2/3 of the rectangle, leaving the far right side butter-less. Fold the un-buttered third of the dough over the butter, then fold the left-hand third over the center, like a letter. Gently pinch all of the seams of the dough to hold the butter in place.

4. Give the rectangle a quarter turn so that the end seams are to your right and left and the long edge of the dough is facing you. Again, roll the dough into a 28 inch by 12 inch rectangle, being careful to not break the seams holding the butter in. Fold the rectangle into thirds and transfer to a lightly floured quarter sheet pan. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let the dough rest in the refrigerator for 1 1/2-2 hours before making the final turn.

5. Lightly flour a work surface and place the refrigerated dough on top. Again, roll the dough to a 28 inch by 12 inch rectangle and fold it into thirds. Place the rectangle back on the quarter sheet pan and wrap tightly with plastic. Place the pan in the freezer for at least one hour. If you plan to make the croissants the next morning, transfer the dough from the freezer to the fridge the night before. Alternately, you can freeze the dough for up to one week, just remember to transfer the dough to the fridge the night before you plan to bake the croissants. I froze my dough for 5 days before baking.

To Finish the Croissants

1. Transfer the thawed dough to a lightly floured work surface and roll it into a rectangle 32 inches by 12 inches and about 3/8 inch tall.

2. Use a ruler to mark 4 inch intervals at the bottom of the dough. Cut the dough into long triangles, 4 inches wide at their base. If you'd like to make pain au chocolat, cut the dough into 6 inch by 4 inch rectangles. I made a combination of the two. 

3. To shape the croissants, begin with the base of the triangle facing you, gently stretch the base and roll the base towards the point. To finish, grab the point, stretch it gently, and tuck it underneath the rolled dough. This will help the croissants stand tall and proud. To shape the pain au chocolat, place a baton of chocolate or a few ounces of chopped chocolate in the center of the rectangle and, starting from a long end, carefully roll the croissant. Place the croissants or pain au chocolat, seam side down on a lined baking sheet at least 2 inches apart. I used two baking sheets.

4. Loosely cover the formed pastries and let them rise until at least doubled in size, 2-3 hours, in a draft free area. The ideal ambient temperature is 75º, but a bit warmer or cooler is alright as long as the temperature is not so warm that it melts the butter in between the layers. When the croissants are finished rising the pastries should be puffy, but still a bit firm to the touch.

5. When the croissants are ready to be baked, preheat your oven to 425º and prepare the egg wash by whisking all of the ingredients together. About 10 minutes before you are ready to put the croissants in the oven, gently brush them with the egg wash then let the wash dry slightly before baking. Make sure to wipe up any errant drips of egg wash on the baking sheet.

6. Place the croissants in the oven and turn down the temperature to 400º. After 10 minutes, quickly open the oven door and turn the sheet pan(s) 180º which will help the croissants bake evenly. Bake for 6-10 more minutes or until the croissants are deep golden brown.

7. Remove the croissants from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. They are best enjoyed fresh and warm, but they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day or for up to 3 days in the fridge. Genltly warm them in a 375º oven before serving.

Bonus Recipe

If you have any scraps of dough left over after cutting your triangles and rectangles DO NOT throw them away. Roll them in a mixture of 4 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Then curl them up into little snails and tuck them into a muffin tin. Let them rise until they are doubled in size and bake in a 400º oven until crisp and deep golden brown. My little cinnamon snails are pictured above with the grapefruit juice and they were such tasty little treats.

The aftermath.

Yeasted Vegan Biscuits and Some Rambling

I have lived in New York for a pretty solid chunk of time now and I am grateful that I get to live in such an amazing place, but most days there is a part of me that misses the Pacific Northwest. A big part. It’s tough to feel so deeply connected to more than one city and the constant pull between coasts has been at the front of my mind all summer. So when I was home in Seattle a few weeks ago I made a promise to myself to just absorb and to try my darndest to bring as much of that Pacific Northwest energy back with me as I could.



When I was packing up and getting ready to leave Seattle, I found myself squirreling away little bits of home to bring back to New York with me: a tea towel, a few mugs and bowls I made when I lived in Portland, some jars of jam made from the fruit I picked with my parents, a set of beautiful gold rimmed tea glasses, and some tablecloths that I've always loved. The faded cotton tablecloths I grabbed are remnants of the life my parents and brother lived in Iran years and years ago. They have been witness to countless meals and conversations. They have spent time with members of my family that I will never get to meet. One of them even made the trip to college with me where I hung it on my dorm room wall alongside a print of Starry Night (I know, I know) and a concert poster or two.



There is something to be said for the comfort and safety of familiar objects because just having these tablecloths in our east coast home makes me feel a bit more connected to the life I left when I moved to New York and it makes being here just a bit better.

Biscuits for breakfast are mighty comforting too.

Oh, and one last thing, check out the side bar for an updated about me page.

Yeasted Vegan Biscuits
adapted from Steve's Honey Angel Biscuits
yield 8-10 biscuits
Steve was my jam swap partner this year and he hooked me up with four delicious jars of jam (I don't want to brag but the flavors were peach melba, white fig with grapefruit, olliaberry, and white peach) and a recipe for his favorite jam vehicles (a category of baking that I have a high appreciation for): corn muffins and angel biscuits. I tweaked his biscuit recipe a bit to accomodate what I had on hand and realized when all was said and done that they were vegan, and the most tender biscuits I'd ever had to boot. For a more traditional version, swap the almond milk and lemon juice for an equal amount of buttermilk and 2 ounces of butter and 2 ounces of shortening.

1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons warm water
10.75 ounces all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3.5 ounces non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening (I like Spectrum)
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400º

1. Combine the yeast and warm water in a small bowl and stir to combine. Let stand for 5 minutes to give the yeast time to bloom.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt. Then cut the shortening in with a pastry blender until the mixture is crumbly but there are still small chunks of shortening visible.
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients in. Stir gently until combined. Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface and knead a few times. Pat the dough into a rectangle about 3/4'' tall and and fold it in thirds.
4. Pat or roll the folded dough to a 1'' thickness and cut it into 8 rounds with a 2'' biscuit cutter. Alternately, you can use a pastry (or pizza) wheel to cut the dough into squares. Place the cut biscuits into an ungreased cast iron skillet or on a baking sheet, just barely touching. Gently gather any scraps into biscuit shapes and bake those too, don't waste a bit of this delicious dough. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until light golden and cooked through.

Marmalade Pull Apart Bread

I've talked about my "condiment situation" here before so I know many of you also find yourself with an overabundance of jam on your shelves. Well, with rhubarb season in full swing and strawberries just around the corner I decided it was time to face the pantry head on, and by pantry I mean the shelf in my closet where I keep my jam. It's next to the extra sheets if you were wondering. Fancy, I know. This little loaf that I whipped up last weekend is a lot of things, fun to eat, easy to share, your toast and marmalade all in one, but the best part is that it uses an entire 8oz jar of marmalade. Like a lot of sweet bread this is the tastiest the day it’s made, but if you have to keep it around for a day or so make sure you wrap it up tight and warm it up before you eat it.

Marmalade Pull Apart Bread

For the Dough
adapted from Smitten Kitchen
yield, one 9x5 loaf

3 cups all purpose flour
2 Tablespoon sugar
1 envelope active dry yeast (2 1/4t)
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1/3 cup milk + 1/4 cup milk, separated
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the Filling

8oz marmalade
4 Tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
½ vanilla bean scraped  or 1t vanilla extract (I used a vanilla scented marmalade and I loved the vanilla flavor so much, but this is totally optional)

To Assemble

1. In a small saucepan heat the 1/3c milk and butter until the butter is melted. Add in the 1/4c milk, vanilla, and the sugar. Let the mixture cool to between 105-115º, then whisk in the yeast and set aside until the mixture is foamy and frothy. 2. In a large bowl stir 2c flour and the salt together, then add in the yeast mixture and stir until the liquid is incorporated. Add the eggs in one at a time, followed by the last cup of flour. Stir for about two minutes, the dough should be quite sticky, but well mixed.
3. Place the dough in a large, greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise until doubled in size, about an hour. While the dough rises, prepare the filling.
4. Dump the marmalade into your blender (or use an immersion blender) and pulse a few times to break up the bits of zest, I pulverized mine pretty well because I wanted it to be easily spreadable. If your marmalade has finer bits of zest to begin with, you probably won’t have to go crazy with the blender, you don’t want to totally puree it. Then, add in the spices and vanilla if using. If you are using a flavored marmalade, you might want to skip the spices and vanilla, your call. Grease and line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment.
5. After the dough has risen, dump it onto a floured board and roll it into a roughly 12x20 rectangle. Use a brush or spoon spread the melted butter onto the dough, then gently spread the marmalade mixture on top. You want a very, very thin layer of marmalade so you may need a bit less than 8oz total.
6. Slice the dough into 6 vertical strips, then stack the strips on top of each other. Slice the stack into 6 squarish pieces. Lay the stacks of dough in the prepared loaf pan so the layers are visible, like the pages of a book. Cover and let rise until almost doubled again, 30-45 minutes.
7. Heat your oven to 350º. When the dough has risen, put the loaf pan onto a sheet pan and slide it into the oven. Bake until deep golden brown, 30-35min. Let it rest for about 20 minutes then dig in!

Michelada Brunch: Austin, TX

A few weeks ago I made my way down to Austin, TX for the second time in as many years. My last trip was to celebrate the marriage of two of my favorite folks and bake them a wedding cake, on a ranch no less! This go-round was a more urban adventure because I was lucky enough to tag along with my boyfriend when he went down to work at SXSW.



He and his crew had lots of work to do recording bands during the day, so I busied myself listening to music, eating tacos and bbq and drinking Micheladas wherever I went. I also dutifully stood by the gear while the guys went to get the van and occasionally fed the parking meter, you know, to earn my keep.

Instead of a hotel, we all stayed together in a little cabin compound with cool modern furniture, outdoor showers for the adventurous and a white fluffy rug whose fibers I am still finding stuck to my clothes, like sand from a beach vacation. Tough life, I know.



After a long week of work, those guys earned themselves a boozy, bacon filled breakfast and since we were staying in a house with a full kitchen and I love cooking a morning meal for a crowd,  I was happy to oblige. It's always a little disorienting cooking in someone else's space so I decided to keep it simple: soft scrambled eggs, a heap of crispy bacon, my favorite fluffy buttermilk biscuits, some Texas citrus, and lots of coffee and Micheladas. Have you ever had a Michelada? They are spicy beer cocktails that I've had a pretty serious love affair with since the last time we visited Texas.

I spent the rest of our trip falling so in love with a man named Sam, some Moonpies, the White Horse and beer koozies that I'll forgive Austin for what it's humidity did to my curly hair. Can't wait to see you again, Austin.



Bonus dog photo! You can call him Dude, or maybe His Dudeness, or Duder, or El Duderino if you're not into the whole brevity thing. Special thanks to Shawn, Pete and Ellie for taking some of these photos while I was cooking for the crew.

Buttermilk Biscuits
adapted from Alton Brown
yield 1 dozen

2c flour (White Lily brand if you can find it)
4t baking powder
1/4t baking soda
3/4t salt
2T butter, chilled
2T non-hydrogenated shortening (or butter), chilled
1c buttermilk, chilled

Preheat oven to 450º

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
2. With your fingers, or a pastry cutter, mix the butter and shortening into the flour mixture until it looks crumbly.
3. Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the buttermilk, mix until just combined. The dough should be sticky.
4. Dump the dough out onto a well floured surface and gently fold the dough over itself five or six times. Pat the dough out 1'' thick and cut with a 2-3'', floured biscuit cutter.
5. Place biscuits, barely touching, on a sheet pan and bake for 15-20 min or until golden brown on top and cooked through.

Michelada (Beer Cocktail)
Serves 1

This isn't really a recipe, but this is how I like to make them.

Take a chilled pint glass and rim it with salt (lime salt would be great here if you have it), if you have something larger than a pint, even better. Fill the glass half full of ice cubes and add a few tablespoons of tomato juice, the juice of a lime, a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce, as many shakes of hot sauce as you can stand (I like Cholula or Tapatio), a few grinds of fresh black pepper and a pinch of salt. Top with a 12oz Mexican beer (I like Modelo Especial) and half of one of the limes you squeezed for their juice, give it a gentle stir and enjoy. You won't be able to fit the whole beer in a pint glass, so if you use one just add the rest of the beer in as you drink the cocktail. I've also heard a few shakes of Maggi Seasoning are a delicious addition, but haven't been able to find it.

Honey Oat Scones

If I had to choose, I would say that scones are my favorite jam delivery vehicle. Sure, you could spread it on toast or make it into a sandwich with some peanut butter, but for true jam appreciation, scones win every time. I am partial to simple scones without dried fruit or nuts and these subtly sweet numbers sure fit the bill. I toasted the oats before adding them to the dry ingredients which gave them so much toasty, delicious flavor that I am going to try toasting some oats for my next batch of oatmeal cookies.

Honey Oat Scones
yield, about 8 scones

1 1/2c old fashioned oats
1/4c buttermilk
1/4c heavy cream
1/4c honey
1 egg
1 1/2c flour
2t baking powder
1/4t baking soda
1/2t salt
10T cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Preheat oven to 375º

1. Evenly spread the oats onto a baking sheet and slide them into the oven to toast until fragrant and light brown (7-9 minutes). After they have cooled, remove 2T to sprinkle on top of the scones. Turn up the oven to 450 degrees.
2. In small bowl or measuring cup, whisk the buttermilk, heavy cream, honey and egg.
3. In a large bowl mix the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a fork or pastry cutter, cut the cold butter into the mixture until it resembles a coarse meal with a few larger lumps of butter.
4. Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the milk mixture, gently stir until a cohesive dough forms, being careful not to over mix.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and pat 1'' thick. Use a round cutter or bench scraper to cut out your scones. If you have any scraps, gently press them together and cut again.
6. Place the cut scones on a parchment lined baking sheet about 2'' apart, brush the tops with heavy cream, and sprinkle with the reserved oats. Bake the scones until golden (12-14 minutes) and cool slightly before eating.

These are best the day that they are baked, but you can store them at room temperature in an airtight container for a day or two.

Whole Wheat Raspberry Walnut Muffins

Just in time for the weekend, I would like to present you this incredibly versatile and forgiving muffin recipe. The only catch is, you need a kitchen scale. I'm sure you lovers of baked good out there have and use your scales all of the time, but if you don't have one it is totally worth the dollar bills. I have a Salter model that cost about $30 at Macy's and it has survived in my kitchen for years despite many spills and drops and other various kitchen disasters that stem from having about 18 square inches of counter space. Don't even get me started on my barbie sized oven. Someday I will post some photos of my tiny New York kitchen so you can all feel bad for me. I kid, I kid, let's get back to the muffins. These wholesome treats can be adapted to use any flours, fat or milk you have on hand. I went with equal parts of whole wheat and all purpose flours, olive oil, almond milk and tossed in some frozen raspberries for color, walnuts for richness and crunch and a bit of orange zest for some citrusy zip. As long as you substitute the ingredients in equal weight you can go crazy, I am going to try a blueberry buckwheat version next.

Whole Wheat Raspberry Walnut Muffins
adapted from Gluten Free Girl, who adapted from Shuna Fish Lydon

350 grams flour (I used 175 grams whole wheat and 175 grams all purpose)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
180 grams brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 eggs
300 grams milk
100 grams olive oil
1 cup frozen raspberries
1 cup chopped walnuts
zest of 1/2 an orange

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a muffin tin thoroughly or if you prefer, line with muffin cups.

1. In a large bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

2. Whisk together the sugar, zest eggs, milk, and olive oil until they are combined well. Add them to the dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold the ingredients until the batter is almost fully combined. Add the frozen berries and walnuts, careful to not break up the berries too much.

3. Fill the muffin tins 3/4 full and bake until the muffins are browned with a bit of a crunch and a knife goes through cleanly, about 25 minutes to 35 minutes.

If you try these please share your variations in the comments, I'd love to hear your creative ideas.

Happy Friday!

Yeast Raised Waffles

I haven't been very good at sleeping in since I started working early mornings at the bakery. My one and only, on the other hand, is a champion morning sleeper. Most Saturdays I get up an hour or two before him to tiptoe around our apartment, make a big pot of coffee and do a little breakfast scheming. Last weekend I started my scheming a little early because I knew that I wanted these most delicious waffles as a special treat, and I knew that the batter needed an overnight rest. You see, these babies are raised with yeast which gives them the most incredible flavor and light, crisp texture. Don't let the yeast dissuade you beacause the batter comes together so quickly and easily. Then the next morning you can give yourself a few extra cozy minutes in bed (or if you are like me, force yourself to stay in bed for a few minutes) and when you're ready for breakfast, stir some eggs and baking soda into your batter, heat up your waffle iron, and most likely eat more waffles than you intended. I ate three.

Marion Cunningham's Yeast Raised Waffles
adapted from Orangette

1/2c warm water
1 package (2 1/4 tsp) dry yeast
2 cups whole milk, warmed (full disclosure, I used almond milk here and I don't think these waffles suffered one bit)
1/2c unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1t salt
1t sugar
2c all purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4t baking soda

1. Pour the water into a large mixing bowl, then sprinkle the yeast over top and let sit for about 5 minutes to give the yeast a chance to dissolve
2. Add the milk, butter, flour, salt and sugar to the yeast mixture. Whisk until smooth. Cover bowl with plastic and let the mixture sit overnight at room temperature.

The Next Morning

1. Heat your waffle iron and while it's heating mix the beaten eggs and baking soda into the waffle batter.
2. Cook the waffles according to your machine's specifications. I have this model that I lovingly call Tina Fey (she was in the hardware store when my bf and I bought it!). Anyway, for my machine, I use a full 1/3c of batter and it works like a charm. Cook until golden and crisp and douse in maple syrup or alternate worthy topping.

Croissants

There are a lot of perks to working as a baker without a traditional culinary education. I don't have a pile of student loans to pay off (aside from those associated with my BA) and I started working without having to do slave labor as an unpaid intern. The biggest downside is is that I missed out on learning a lot of classic techniques from true experts. Well my friends, there is no time like the present so I consulted my current favorite bread book, Artisan Breads Every Day, decided today was a good day for croissants, and went for it. I was really pleasantly surprised with how these croissants turned out. They are flaky and crisp on the outside, tender and chewy on the inside, and the perfect vehicle for just about anything from strawberry jam to soft scrambled eggs. You can also use the same dough for danish or roll a bit of chocolate inside to make pain au chocolat. The recipe does require the dough to rest overnight and there is quite a bit of hands on time, but it is so worth the effort.

Here is a link to the recipe online, but if you have a few bucks to spare just buy the book. There are a ton of helpful process photos and the simple techniques will change the way you think about baking bread.

Some notes: The recipe calls for turning the dough three times, but next time I make these I will definitely add a fourth turn for even more flakiness. I will also be a bit more careful when forming the pastries, I could have rolled them a bit tighter pulled the ends into more of a crescent shape and they wouldn't have spread so much.