Buttery goodness

Are there ever times when you smell something and a memory comes back to mind?  Sometimes when I smell cinnamon I start reminiscing on the comforts of home.  In thinking about cinnamon most people will readily think cinnamon rolls as they have gained popularity from a well known bakery chain.  Have you ever thought about cinnamon scones tho?

The other day I decided to use my newly purchased scone pan and I made cinnamon scones.   Granted I didn't follow the recipe in its entirety and while I'm giving credit to the recipe, I'll share my tweaked version below.

2 cup all purpose flour
4 TBSP sugar, divided
2 TBSP brown sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon, divided
1 TBSP baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 TBSP cold unsalted butter (cut into 6 pieces)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream


Preheat oven to 375°F.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, 2 TBSP sugar, brown sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Add the butter and work into the flour mixture, using a pastry blender, until the butter and flour form pea size balls.
Add vanilla, egg and 1/2 cup of the heavy cream. Mix together. If the dough is too dry, continue mixing and adding more cream 1 Tbsp at a time in small increments until a pliable dough has formed.
If you have a scone pan, evenly divide the dough amongst the pan and press into place.  Otherwise dump dough onto a floured surface and form into about an inch tall rectangle. Cut into triangles. Brush the tops with more heavy cream. In a small bowl, mix together the remaining 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 2 Tbsp sugar. Sprinkle mixture on top of scones.
Place on a non-stick baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes. Top with your favorite icing* 

*I used a Four roses bourbon, mixed with butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar for a buttery bourbon vanilla glaze - it was incredible!

Let's do dessert!

A couple of days ago I was texting w/ a Marine who mentioned he likes to cook and then asked me if I knew how to make crème brûlée.  That simple question set off a craving, and you don't have to lead me into temptation b/c I can find the way myself!  I knew I had the ingredients to make it, but the question was, could I resist making it.  You can guess by now that since I'm blogging, that I didn't resist and I made some crème brûlée!

Now my method w/ making Crème brûlée is NOT the traditional method, and that's fine b/c it still turns out silky smooth, and it's ready faster than the oven method. 

You'll need:

3 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 pint (1 cup) heavy whipping cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Superfine sugar

Directions:

Beat egg yolks in medium bowl with electric mixer on high speed, 5 minutes or until thick and light yellow. Gradually beat in sugar.

In a double boiler heat cream over medium heat until just hot to the touch. Stir half of the warmed cream into the egg mixture a little at a time, so the eggs do not curdle.

Stir the egg yolk and cream mixture into the remaining cream in the double boiler. Cook, stirring continuously, over medium heat, 8-10 minutes, until mixture thickens; do NOT boil. Pour custard into 4 small ramekins refrigerate 2 to 24 hours.

Before serving, sprinkle each crème brûlée with superfine sugar and place under preheated oven broiler, or use a kitchen torch to melt sugar. Dessert is served!

 

So now that dessert has been served onto the main course!  I'm a firm believer in good food FAST -especially if I'm busy!  Naturally I live in Florida, and have access to fresh seafood and thus I eat a lot of fish.

 

I can't say that these measurments are accurate (I cook by sight/taste...you know the mindset that a great chef is a great taster philosophy!) but they're pretty close.

 

Pecan crusted trout:

 

 

2 fish fillets

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs, divided

1/3 cup pecans

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp italian seasoning

1/2 tsp McCormick montreal steak seasoning

1/4 cup butter, melted.

 

Place 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs, and the pecans in a blender**.  Blend on high until pecans are finally ground. Remove mixture to a small bowl, add remaining panko bread crumbs and the seasonings.  Brush the fish fillets liberally w/ the melted butter.  Take the pecan breading mixture, and sprinkle over the fish fillets.

Bake at 400° for about 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily w/ a fork. Garnish fish w/ a few pieces of pecans.

 

**I use a vitamix blender which is restaurant/industrial quality - you can try a food processor if you don't have a blender.

 

Last but not least...homemade biscuits!

 

I love homemade biscuits.  They're extremely versatile.  You can make biscuits and gravy, you can top the biscuits w/ a cooked sausage patty, scrambled egg and cheese, you can use the biscuits as a chicken pot pie topping, you can add a little bit of garlic powder, parsley and cheese to the dough and recreate those biscuits from an overly priced seafood restaurant, you can even sweeten the dough a litle bit for an old fashioned strawberry shortcake...the ideas are only limited by your imagination. 

Some recipes call for shortening, some call for butter, some combine the two.  The best I can suggest is don't handle the dough too much b/c if you do, you'll have tough biscuits instead of tender flaky biscuits.

2 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons (1 Tbsp + 1 tsp) baking powder

2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup butter flavoured shortening

1 egg

2/3 cup milk

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut in shortening & butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat egg with milk; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Turn onto a well-floured surface; knead 8 times. Roll to 3/4-in. thickness; cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. biscuit cutter. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.