Apple Cinnamon Scones

Sometimes I think my dream job would be to work in the kitchen of a bed and breakfast producing small batch pastries for brunch and teatime as well little after dinner sweets for small groups of guests.  I’ve had the experience of working in a large-scale production bakery where I used a huge 60-quart mixer and hauled 50 lb sacks of flour.  Tasks included things like producing 48 gallons of madeleine batter every other day.  While it was important to learn how to scale up recipes and understand how to produce hundreds of pastries at a time, it’s my preference to work small with fresh ingredients where I can vary the menu seasonally to keep things interesting.  So that’s the dream job I sometimes idealize in my head when I think about doing what I love.

The fun of having a blog is you get to work on new pastries all the time.  You can experiment with things you might not otherwise do and you’re constantly learning more about the way ingredients work.  Ask any successful chef if they ever get tired of making the same popular dish over and over again and they’ll probably say, "Yes!"  Although it’s wonderful to have the public love your products, it can sometimes be frustrating to see your patrons revolt when you try to change the menu or rotate new ideas into your repertoire. 

So in my dream job I would make interesting coffee cakes or scones, yeasted pastries or tea breads, filling the space with enticing aromas.  There’d also be cookies for the afternoon and a little something for after dinner sweet seekers.  You see?  It's a really lovely little dream.  Maybe one such scone recipe would be this little apple treat.

For me, autumn and fall are the season of brown sugar and spice.  And apples. All three come together very nicely in this scone, which would be a friendly addition to your Sunday brunch table.  If you have any trouble rousing sleepy family or friends, the scent of baking apples and cinnamon wafting from the kitchen will do the trick. 

This is a rich scone recipe that has a layer of apples tossed with brown sugar and cinnamon tucked inside.  Since the scones are baked in only about 14 minutes or so, I sauté the apples in some butter to make them tender to the bite.  The whole recipe comes together in about 15 or 20 minutes so you don’t have to plan too far in advance.  And you get to have your hands in flour and butter first thing in the morning.  Brew a good cup of java, set them on your table and enjoy sharing the melt-in-your-mouth results.

Bench notes:

- I used a Fuji apple. 

- Make sure there are no lumps in the brown sugar when adding to the flour mixture.

- The butter needs to be very cold.  Cut it into 1/2” cubes and then return to the refrigerator while you assemble the other ingredients.

- I divided the dough into 4 equal portions to make it easier to work with.  You can just divide into 2 equal portions and pat into 9" circles if that’s easier for you.

- If you have a scale, use it to portion the dough equally.
- If your oven isn't ready, chill the scones while you wait.

- If your oven runs very hot, you may want to use two stacked sheet pans to prevent the bottoms from browning too much.

- Scones are best enjoyed the same day.

Apple Cinnamon Scones

Makes 8 scones

1 medium-sized (7 – 8 oz) apple

1/2 oz (1 tablespoon) butter

3 tablespoons (39 g) dark brown sugar, packed

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch freshly grated nutmeg

2 cups (10 oz) flour

2 tablespoons (26 g) granulated sugar

2 tablespoons (26 g) dark brown sugar, packed

1 tablespoon baking powder

scant 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

4 oz (8 tablespoons) cold butter, cut into 1/2” cubes         

1 cup (8 oz) heavy cream                                  

1/2 oz (1 tablespoon) butter, melted for brushing the tops

2 teaspoons (8 g) sugar + pinch cinnamon for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silpat.

Peel and core the apple and chop it into 1/2” pieces.  Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and add the apple pieces.   Cook until the apples are softened a bit, about 5 – 8 minutes, stirring to avoid scorching.  Take off the heat and toss them with the brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Pour into a bowl and set aside to cool. 

Place the flour, granulated and brown sugars, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a bowl and whisk to combine.  Add the butter pieces and toss to coat with flour.  Use your fingers to pinch the butter into small thin flakes about the size of a dime, tossing as you go to continue to coat the butter thoroughly with flour.  Make a well in the center and add the cream.  Stir gently with a fork until it starts to come together and the cream seems fairly absorbed.  The dough will look a little shaggy.  Gather the loose and lumpy dough and knead it very gently 2 or 3 times just until it holds together.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide dough into 4 equal portions.  Pat and shape each portion of dough into a 5 1/2” circle, gently lifting to make sure the dough isn’t sticking.  Top two of the circles with the cooled apple mixture, leaving a 1” border around the edge.  (If a lot of liquid has accumulated with the apples, leave most of it behind.)  Place the remaining two circles of dough on top and press the edges to form a seal.

Using a lightly dusted bench scraper or sharp knife, cut each circle into 4 scones. Use the bench scraper or a metal spatula to lift the scones onto the prepared baking sheet.  Brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Bake on the middle rack until they are golden, about 14 - 15 minutes. 

Pumpkin Pear & Pecan Streusel Cake

October rolled right by at full speed and vanished into thin air right before our eyes.  November is upon us and along with it comes our annual ritual of pumpkin.  I love pumpkin pastries so I’m not one to overlook the pumpkin recipe mania floating around out there at this time of year. 

In fact, I’m always looking to discover new ways to enjoy pumpkin.  After figuring out how the subtle and essential flavor of pumpkin reacts with other ingredients, I’ve managed to produce a few good recipes.  Some of my favorite pastries during this season are Pumpkin Pecan Pie Squares, Pumpkin Cinnamon Swirl Yeast Bread, Pumpkin Pecan Madeleines and Pumpkin Empanadas.  

  

This time I wanted to make a moist pumpkin cake that has lots of flavor and a bit of texture.  This recipe did what I hoped for: the combination of butter, buttermilk and brown sugar make for a very soft and tender cake.  There’s a nice pumpkin flavor that’s perfectly enhanced with plenty of spice and I love the backnote of orange zest in the streusel.  The subtle flavor of pear also adds moisture and, combined with the crunchy texture of pecan streusel, works in great harmony with all the other elements.  The aroma is fabulous.

So let’s get this party started with this delicious cake.  With a little dollop of whiskey- or cinnamon-laced whipped cream, you'll have a terrific dessert for your autumn table.

On another note: For those who don’t own an iPad but want to purchase my ecookbook, The GlobalPastry Table, Apple has now released their new operating system, OSX Mavericks, which allows you to read electronic ibooks on your Mac desktop or Mac laptop.

Amazon also has a free app you can download to read Kindle books on your PC or Mac desktop or laptop as well as iPhone or Android device.  And now that we have cloud technology, ebooks are automatically pushed to all your devices.

Bench notes:

- Pecan streusel can be made a day ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Contrary to popular belief, allspice isn’t a blend of lots of different spices. It’s actually the sun dried unripened berry of the Pimenta dioica plant. It likely got its name because it seems to suggest the flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper and cloves.  I love to use it as a booster because it really beautifully amplifies all the other spices.

- The pear should be ripe but not mushy.

- I find it’s easiest to core the peeled pear if you cut it into quarters and then just slice off the thick stem and core.  Cut each quarter into two slices and then chop into 1/2” pieces.

- Spritz the pear cubes with lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown.  Drain, if necessary, before layering them on top of the cake batter.

Pumpkin Pear & Pecan Streusel Cake

Serves 8                                                         

2 oz (about 1/2 cup) pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped                                    

1/3 cup (2 1/2 oz) dark brown sugar, packed                     

1 tablespoon finely chopped crystallized candied ginger                 

zest of 1/2 orange

1 oz (2 tablespoons) cold butter                                                                        

1 ripe pear, Bartlett or D’Anjou

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

                                                                                            

1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 oz) flour                                                                     

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder                                           

1/2 teaspoon baking soda                                                     

1 teaspoon cinnamon                                          

1/2 teaspoon ginger                                             

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg                                        

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/8 teaspoon cloves                                              

1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon salt

4 oz (8 tablespoons) butter @ room temperature

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (2 3/4 oz) granulated sugar

1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz) dark brown sugar, packed                                                         

2 large eggs @ room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup (6 oz) solid-pack pumpkin                                      

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (3 oz) buttermilk @ room temperature

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Lightly grease a 9” x 2 1/2”cake pan and line the bottom with a circle of parchment.

To prepare the streusel, combine the pecans, brown sugar, finely chopped crystallized ginger and orange zest.  Cut the butter into small pieces and work it into the nut mixture, pinching with your fingers until the whole mixture is moist and crumbly.   Chill until ready to use.

Peel and core the pear and cut into 1/2” pieces.  Place in a bowl and toss with lemon juice to prevent browning.  Set aside.

For the cake, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cloves and salt.  Set aside.

Cream the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes on medium speed, scraping down the bowl as needed.  Add the eggs one at a time and mix thoroughly, scraping down the bowl after each addition.  Add the vanilla and the pumpkin and blend.  Add a third of the flour mixture alternately with half the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour and mixing just until blended.  

Pour a bit more than half of the batter into the prepared the pan. Layer the pears on top and sprinkle with half of the pecan streusel.  Pour the remaining cake batter and smooth it out evenly to the edges of the pan.  Sprinkle the top with the rest of the pecan streusel, pressing down slightly to secure.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with just a few moist crumbs, about 38 - 40 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.   Run a thin knife around the edge of the pan to loosen and invert the cake.   Carefully remove the parchment paper and invert again.  Cool completely.

Espresso Madeleines

It’s early morning and you’re brewing a good cup of your favorite coffee.  Or it’s about 3 o’clock in the afternoon and it’s definitely time for a pick-me-up.  Madeleines are a really quick and easy snack cake that are perfect for those occasions when you’re looking for just a little something to go with your morning or afternoon hot beverage break. Originating in northeastern France as a plain little sponge cake, all sorts of flavors are now in vogue, making it much more fun to experiment with madeleine batter.   I don’t know the history of why it’s baked in this particular shell shape that is its unique identifying factor.

Having just bought a fresh new jar of espresso powder, I decided to make my madeleines all about this robust coffee flavor.  And I'm very glad I did.  These quickly became one of my favorite madeleine permutations.  The brown sugar and a light pinch of cinnamon really round out the flavor.  They’re light and delicious and give you a nice little jolt of coffee flavor, perfect for the adult madeleine lovers in your circle.

Note that these little cakes are baked at a higher temperature so it can be very easy to over bake them.  Instead of light soft and moist cakes, you get tough and dry rubbery slabs, so keep your eye on them.  They don’t take on much color and should spring back when you touch them with your finger. 

I've got more madeleine ideas up my sleeve, so stay tuned madeleine lovers!

Bench notes:

- Instant espresso powder can be found at Italian delicatessens, gourmet food shops, some grocery stores and online.  I think MedagliaD’Oro is best because it has great flavor, is fine grained and doesn’t clump. I’ve also used Ferrara.  You can store nstant espresso powder indefinitely.

- A #40 ice cream scoop is perfect to portion the batter.   (The #40 refers to 40 scoops per quart.)

- I experimented with dipping these in chocolate.  Nice idea but the dark chocolate proved to be too overwhelming and obscured the espresso flavor.

- Madeleines are best eaten the same day.

- For a fun seasonal madeleine, try Pumpkin Pecan Madeleines.

Espresso Madeleines

Makes about 20 madeleines                              

3 oz (6 tablespoons) butter                                                        

3/4 cup (3 3/4 oz) flour                         

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teapoon salt    

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon  

2 eggs @ room temperature

1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz) dark brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder                                                     

                                                                                               

Preheat oven to 375ºF.  Generously butter one madeleine mold pan and eight wells in a second pan.  Lightly dust with flour.

Melt the butter, remove from 
the heat and set aside to cool.


Sift together flour, baking 
powder, salt and cinnamon and set aside.

Beat the eggs and sugar 
at medium-high speed until the mixture has tripled in volume and forms
 a thick ribbon when the beaters are lifted, about 5 – 6 minutes.  Lower the speed to medium 
and beat in the vanilla and espresso powder until blended.


Using a large rubber spatula, fold the flour mixture into the beaten eggs 
in 3 equal additions.  Then fold in the cooled melted butter in 3 equal additions until thoroughly blended.

Fill the wells of the prepared madeleine pans.  Bake until the cakes spring back when touched, about 10 –12 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let them cool for 1 minute, then tilt the pans to dislodge them.  Cool completely on a wire rack.

Brown Butter Baci di Dama

Although no one can argue with the wonders of chocolate chip, oatmeal or peanut butter cookies, I’m always looking for new inspiration for the cookie jar.  I’m starting to gather some ideas for the upcoming holiday season and that always includes scads of cookies.

In addition to quintessential American cookies, I love exploring lots of other wonderful global cookie traditions.  Baci di Dama is Italian for “lady kisses.”  They are typically two small hazelnut cookies sandwiched with a kiss of chocolate.  They come from the region of Piemonte where hazelnuts are gloriously plentiful.  Originating in the late 19th century, Baci di Dama have been added to the official registry of Prodotti Agroalimentari Tradizionali, a list of traditional regional food products.  Yes, they are that good!

I use a mix of hazelnuts and almonds in my recipe. I also brown the butter to enhance the essential nuttiness.  And since Italian cookies are traditionally not very sweet, I keep the sugar on the light side in order to emphasize all the other fabulous flavors.  There’s also a nice pinch of salt to awaken your taste buds.

These two-bite morsels deliver a great explosion of rich nut flavor and pure chocolate bliss.  They are crisp on the outside with a great chewy texture on the inside.  This is definitely my kind of cookie.  Delizioso!

Bench notes:

- For a good illustration of how to brown butter, see the guidance at Simply Recipes. Use a stainless steel pan so you can watch the butter carefully as it can take just a moment to burn. Once you begin to detect a nutty aroma, it’s just about ready. I lift the pan off the heat and swirl for more control if I think it’s browning too fast or nearly done. It will continue to brown once you take it off the heat. Pour immediately into a heatproof bowl to stop the cooking.

- Toast the hazelnuts in single layer in a 350ºF oven for about 10 - 15 minutes, until they’re a golden brown color and the skins are cracked.  Let them cool for a couple of minutes and then remove as much of the loose skins as possible.  Cool completely.

- Toast the almond slices in a single layer in a 350ºF oven for about 6 – 8 minutes.  Watch them closely as they will burn very quickly.  I use sliced almonds rather than whole ones because they grind with the flour to a finer crumb.

- I like a slightly salty cookie so I use a heaping 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

- A truffle scoop is the perfect tool to portion these cookies.  Press down and pack the scoop with dough to prevent cracks. 

- The water in a bain marie for melting chocolate should be barely simmering.  When chocolate gets too hot, it will seize and become grainy.

- Store finished cookies in an airtight container.

Brown Butter Baci di Dama

Makes about 22 sandwich cookies

4 oz (8 tablespoons) butter

1 cup (5 oz) flour

1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz) sugar                                                                        

1/2 cup (2 1/2 oz) hazelnuts, toasted        

1/2 cup (1 1/2 oz) sliced almonds, toasted

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla

2 tablespoons (1 oz) water

2 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate

Cut the butter into small pieces and melt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Swirl the butter carefully as the foam subsides and the butter begins to brown.  The flecks on the bottom of pan will turn golden. The browning only takes about 3 – 4 minutes or so. Lift the pan off the heat periodically to check on the browning and to avoid burning. Pour immediately into a heatproof dish to stop the cooking.  Set aside to cool.

Place the flour, sugar, toasted hazelnuts and almonds and salt in the bowl of a food processor.  Process until the nuts are finely ground. Add the cool browned butter, vanilla and water and pulse just until the mixture comes together into a crumbly dough. Pour into a bowl and compress the dough, if necessary. 

Portion the dough into 1” balls, packing tightly to eliminate cracks.  A truffle scoop works perfectly for this task.  Place on a baking sheet, wrap and chill until firm or overnight.

Preheat oven to 325ºF.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats. 

Bake the cookies until light golden brown, about 14 minutes.  Rotate the baking sheets halfway during the baking process to ensure even browning.  Place the baking sheets on a wire rack to cool completely.

Finely chop the chocolate and place in a dry heatproof bowl set over a pan with an inch or two of barely simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.  Stir the chocolate until smooth.  Remove from the heat.

Put a very small dollop of chocolate on the bottom of half the cookies.  Sandwich with the remaining halves.  Place them on their sides on the baking sheet until the chocolate has firmed up.

Roasted Plum Ice Cream

The last vestiges of the fresh stone fruit season are plums.   Among the most varied of fruit, there are over 2000 kinds of plums throughout the world, with about 100 varieties grown in the U.S. and 50 in northern California, which produces about 95% of the plums in this country. The season starts in May and goes through November.  I’m seeing mostly plums with dark red-blue skins with pale yellow flesh where I live.

Plums are a favorite for me in the kitchen because of their tartness and gorgeous color.  For this ice cream, I roast the plums to concentrate their flavor and soften them enough to blend into a smooth puree.  The result is an ice cream with a good dose of pure plum flavor along with a deep rosy color, a very enjoyable treat to savor before they slip away for another year.

Bench notes:

- Since homemade ice cream doesn’t contain any artificial ingredients or emulsifiers, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften before serving.

- After pouring the finished ice cream into an airtight container, I press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface and then seal with the lid to eliminate air pockets where ice crystals will form.

- For plum lovers, try Cinnamon Plum Cake and Plum Ginger Upside Down Cake.

Roasted Plum Ice Cream

Makes about 1 1/2 pints

1 lb 5 oz ripe red or black plums

2 tablespoons (26 grams) dark brown sugar

1 cup (8 oz) heavy cream

1/2 cup (4 oz) milk

1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz) granulated sugar

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon rum

1/8 teaspoon almond extract

salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut the plums in half and remove the pit.  Place them in a shallow dish cut side up and sprinkle with brown sugar.  Roast until tender, about 15 – 20 minutes, turning them over halfway through.  Place on a wire rack to cool. 

Puree the roasted plums in a food processor or blender until smooth.  Add the remaining ingredients and blend, working in batches if the quantity is too large for your machine.  Pour into a clean airtight container and whisk thoroughly.  Add salt, to taste.  Cover and chill thoroughly. 

Freeze the ice cream base in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions.  Pour the ice cream into a clean airtight container.  Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface, cover and place in the freezer to firm up.