Lemon Blueberry Scones

Nick and I wanted some dessert the other night but didn't want to run to the store.  Some how we thought to make blueberry scones with the frozen blueberries we get from Costco (I highly recommend them!  We eat them just plain for a healthy snack, in smoothies, oatmeal, cereal, these scones...).  I tried to find a recipe on Pinterest but all the pictures made the scones look really dry so I just used the recipe I did for my Raspberry White Chocolate Scones since I knew it made a light and flaky pastry.  Nick really enjoyed these!  In his words, "These are so freakin good!"  I love that Nick appreciates my cooking!

I am not big on pastries with lemon which is why there is not too much lemon in my glaze.  I thought it had the perfect amount but you can always add more lemon juice and lemon zest if you're a lemon lover.

INGREDIENTS
Scones:
1/2 c milk
1/2 c sour cream
1 c whole wheat flour
1 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick cold butter
1 1/2 c frozen or fresh blueberries
1 Tbsp melted butter
2 tsp sugar (to sprinkle on top)

Lemon Glaze:
1 Tbsp butter, softened
1 1/4 powdered sugar
3 Tbsp lemon juice

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375.

Mix milk and sour cream in a small bowl and refrigerate.  In a medium bowl mix flours, 1/2 c sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Dice butter and cut into flour mixture with a pastry blender or fork until it is the size of small peas.  Remove milk mixture from fridge and add to flour mixture by folding in with a spatula until just combined.

Flour counter and empty dough out.  Sprinkle dough and hands with flour and knead 6-8 times adding flour as needed.  Roll dough into a 12x12 inch square.  Fold dough into thirds like a letter and then roll into a 12x12 square again (flour surface as needed).  Sprinkle dough with blueberries.  Roll dough into a tight log.  Lay seam-side down and press into a 12x4 inch rectangle.  With a sharp floured knife, cut log into four equal squares and then cut each square diagonally to make 2 triangles.  Transfer to a baking sheet and brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.  Bake 18-22 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

While scones are cooking make the glaze by combining butter, powdered sugar, and lemon juice with an electric mixer until smooth.  Place glaze in a plastic bag.

When the scones come out of the oven transfer to a wire rack.  Cut off the corner tip of the bag with glaze and then drizzle on the tops of the scones.
–Melanie

Caramel Apple Pork Chops

I'm trying to do better at trying new recipes so the other week I went through all my recipe books/magazines and marked the recipes that I wanted to try.  This recipe is from The Costco Way 2011 magazine that comes out in November each year.  It was super easy and fast to make and used only a few ingredients that are relatively inexpensive (especially when you price match!).  I only changed a few things like I used bone-in pork chops instead of boneless because they were cheaper and I changed some of the cooking methods.

INGREDIENTS

4 pork loin chops, 3/4 inch thick

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

salt and pepper

1/4 c packed light brown sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 Granny Smith apples

4 Tbsp butter

4 Tbsp chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high.  Add pork chops to pan (may need to cook in 2 batches) and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cook each side for about 5 minutes until evenly browned.  Remove from the pan and keep warm (in a covered pan or under foil).

Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl.  Wash and cut apples into 1/2 inch wedges (~12 slices/apple) being sure to remove the core/seeds.  When you are done cooking the pork chops melt butter in the skillet and then add the sugar mixture and apple wedges.  Stir, cover, and cook 3-4 minutes until apples are tender.  Remove the apples with a slotted spoon and place on pork chops.  Allow sugar to cook for 2 more minutes to thicken.  Mix in pecans and spoon over apples and pork chops.

Yield: 4 servings

–Melanie

Strawberry Orange Salad

I love sweet salads especially when served with this poppy seed salad dressing!  This is one salad variation I've created to top with my homemade Poppy Seed Dressing.  It is a light refreshing salad that is great served as an appetizer or side.  It's more of a summer salad but I got strawberries on sale the other week. :)

INGREDIENTS
1 head red leaf lettuce
1 c sliced strawberries
1 c clemtine/tangerine wedges or oranges, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 c thinly sliced red onions
1 c mozzarella cheese
1/3 c sliced roasted almonds
poppy seed dressing

DIRECTIONS
Wash lettuce and dry in salad spinner.  Tear lettuce into bite size pieces and place in a large bowl.  Top with onion slices, strawberries, oranges, cheese, and almonds.  Top with desired amount of dressing just before serving or allow guests to dish up their own salad and dressing.*

*If you don't think you'll eat all of the salad don't toss with dressing.  The dressing makes the lettuce wilt and therefore the salad doesn't keep.
–Melanie

Cranberry Salad

When most people hear the word salad they think of the dish as being healthy but this is really more like a dessert if you look at the nutrition and taste it.  Pie is the real dessert at the Thanksgiving so we fudge it in with the rest of the dinner by calling it a salad. haha!

My mom is about both taste and presentation but when I was little I thought it was so ridiculous that she would put a lettuce leaf under fruit/jello salads since you don't even eat the lettuce.  Really it was just that the lettuce was preventing me from getting every last bit of the fruit/jello salad.  Now that I'm older and wiser I wouldn't serve these types of salads (more like desserts) any other way! :)  Doesn't it look beautiful?!

INGREDIENTS
2 small (12 oz. bags/ 6 cups) fresh cranberries- chopped
3 cups sugar
1 (20 oz. can) crushed pineapple, drained
whipped cream
Green leaf lettuce for garnish

DIRECTIONS
Chop cranberries in blender or food processor (if using a blender chop only 1/2 to 3/4 cup at a time to chop evenly). Mix the cranberries in a bowl with the drained pineapple and sugar.  Place this mixture in a large colander over a bowl and refrigerate overnight.  In the morning add 2 cups whipped cream with 1/2 cups sugar and 1/2 cups broken pecans to the cranberry mixture and refrigerate until ready to serve.  I serve using an ice cream scoop and placing it onto a lettuce leaf.

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes with Buttermilk Syrup

Sunday mornings Nick and I try to make something delicious for breakfast since we don't have church until 1.  This Sunday we enjoyed whole wheat triple berry pancakes topped with homemade butter milk syrup. SO GOOD! 

Buttermilk Syrup

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 c white sugar
3/4 c buttermilk
1/2 c butter
2 Tbsp corn syrup
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla extra

DIRECTIONS
In a medium pot combine sugar, buttermilk, butter, and corn syrup and bring to a boil.  Boil for 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and whisk in baking soda and vanilla.  Syrup will thicken as it cools.  Serve over pancakes, waffles, or French toast.

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes

INGREDIENTS
1 c whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1 c buttermilk
1 c berries (fresh or frozen)

DIRECTIONS
Heat griddle or pan over medium/high heat. Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl.  Add egg and buttermilk and mix until all dry ingredients are wet. Add desired amount of berries to batter and fold in.  Spoon onto greased griddle into 4 inch circles. Flip when bubbles start to form in the center of the pancake.  Cook another 1-2 minutes and then serve.

–Melanie

Raspberry White Chocolate Scones

I like to look at cooking blogs and found this gem on thesisterscafe.com.  A few years ago my sister Meri found a place called The Raspberry Patch in Payson where you can go and pick raspberries and then pay only $2.50/pound!  So basically when I saw this recipe I vowed to go picking this summer and make it.  My friend Aura Maria and I went picking and I got about a pound.  I think we went a little too early in the season, but they were still delicious, just a little harder to find in the bushes.  I had forgotten that although the raspberries are cheep, it takes work to pick them.  You have to push the bushes around, bend over, and reach deep in the bush catching scratches on your hands and arms.  Anyway, enough about the picking, these scones are the best I've had.  Most baked scones are pretty dry but these are quite moist.  This was my first time making scones and my only complaint is that they didn't brown on the tops.  Next time I might but an egg wash on top to brown them without over cooking them.

INGREDIENTS
1 stick cold butter
1 1/2 c fresh or frozen raspberries
1/2 c milk
1/2 c sour cream
2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c white chocolate chips
1 Tbsp butter, melted
sugar to sprinkle on top

DIRECTIONS
Mix milk and sour cream in a medium bowl and refrigerate.  In another medium bowl mix flour, 1/2 c sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Dice butter and cut into flour mixture with a pastry blender or fork until it is the size of small peas.  Remove milk mixture from fridge and add to flour mixture folding with a spatula until just combined.

Flour counter and empty dough out.  Sprinkle dough and hands with flour and knead 6-8 times adding flour as needed.  Roll dough into a 12x12 inch square.  Fold dough into thirds like a letter and then roll into a 12x12 square again (flour surface as needed).  Sprinkle dough with raspberries and white chocolate.  Roll dough into a tight log.  Lay seam-side down and press into a 12x4 inch rectangle.  With a sharp floured knife, cut log into four equal squares and then cut each square diagonally to make 2 triangles.  Transfer to a baking sheet and brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.  Bake 18-25 minutes or until tops are golden brown.  Transfer to a rack to let cool.

(prebaked)

–Melanie

4th of July Cake

Every year for as long as I can remember, my mom has made a flag cake for the 4th of July and my grandma did it every year before that! Being in Texas and away from family was sad because the 4th in Caribou County, Idaho is the best experience ever! But, I wanted to keep the tradition alive! My mom always uses just frosting to make the flag, but I thought I'd switch it up a bit!

I made a strawberry cake (from the box). I was going to use red velvet, but the strawberry sounded better last minute and still gave the red cake effect.

Cream cheese frosting:
1 8oz. fat free cream cheese
1 cup white sugar (you can use powdered for a firmer frosting)
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

In a small bowl:
Beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form and set aside

In a large bowl:
Combine cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat until smooth then fold in whipping cream.

Slice strawberries in half or thirds, depending on size so they'll lay flat and lay out like stripes. Use blueberries for stars (yes, I know the stars are white with a blue background, but you get the idea).

We always laid out a real flag to get the spacing right and make sure we had the stripes and stars in the right places! Enjoy and Happy Fourth of July!

Heather

Blueberry Crumble

Nick and I got to visit my parents at my childhood home in St. Louis for one last time last week since they are moving in just 2 days.  It was sad to say goodbye to my home and town where I lived since the age of 2.  We did have a good time visiting my parents and my sister and brother-in-law though.  Despite the stress and need for much packing my mom still managed to make us tons of her awesome food.  For dessert one day she made this blueberry crumble (Gourmet's Best Dessert).  It is a great refreshing dessert for the summer, especially in the humid heat of St. Louis.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pints blueberries, rinsed
3/4 c sugar
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 c flour
3/4 stick (6 Tbsp) unsalted butter, cut into bits
1/2 tsp salt
vanilla ice cream

DIRECTIONS
Grease 11x8 inch pan and preheat oven to 350 F. Put blueberries in baking dish and sprinkle with 6 Tbsp sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon.  In a bowl combine flour, butter, remaining 6 Tbsp sugar, and salt and work the mixture to a crumble.  Sprinkle the crumble mixture over the blueberries and bake in the middle of the oven for about 40 minutes.  Serve with ice cream.

–Melanie

Blueberry Pie

Growing up I never liked pie.  At Thanksgiving or Christmas while everyone else ate pie I had a bowl of ice cream (my fav!).  Nick loves pie so I finally broke down and made this pie recipe a few months ago.  It totally changed my view on pie!  My sister and brother-in-law got to try some and loved it too!  Nick requested that we have this pie instead of cake for his birthday.  This recipe is from Williams-Sonoma and tastes delicious served warm with ice cream on top.

INGREDIENTS

Crust:
2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
6 Tbsp cold water


Filling:
4 c blueberries (if frozen increase cooking time 10-15 min)
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
3/4 c sugar
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces


DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl stir together flour, sugar and salt.  Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbles with butter pieces  no larger than small peas.  Add water and mix with fork until dough pulls together (may need to use hands toward the end).  Divide in two and transfer the dough to a work surface.  Form each piece of dough into a ball and flatten into a disk.  Lightly flour work surface and roll out each dough disk to at least 12 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch thick.

Fold 1 dough round in half and carefully transfer to a 9-inch pie dish.  Unfold and press the dough into the pan.  Trim the edge of the dough leaving a 3/4 inch overhang.  Set the pan and other dough round in the fridge.

Place blueberries in a large bowl, sprinkle with lemon juice and toss.  In a small bowl, stir together sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, salt, and cinnamon.  Sprinkle the mixture over the berries and stir to coat evenly.  Immediately transfer the sugar coated berries to the dough-lined pan.  Dot with small pieces of butter.

Fold reserved dough round in half and place over filled pie.  Unfold and trim the edge leaving 1 inch overhand.  Fold the edge of the top round under the edge of the bottom round and crimp edges to seal.  Cut an asterisk into the top crust using a sharp knife to allow steam to escape.

Refrigerate pie for 20 minutes.  While dough is firming lower oven rack to lower third of oven and preheat to 375 F.

Bake the pie until the crust is golden, 50-60 minutes.  Transfer to trivet and let cool for 1-2 hours.  Serve at room temperature or rewarm for 10-15 minutes at 350 F.

–Melanie

Strawberry Freezer Jam

This is my mom's strawberry freezer jam recipe.  It tastes super good on fresh whole wheat bread, mom's rolls, or a PB&J sandwich.  It is actually really easy to make, inexpensive (especially in the summer when fruit is cheap), and the best jam ever!

INGREDIENTS
3 1/4 c strawberries
1 box sure jell pectin
1 c light Karo syrup
1/4 c lemon juice
4 1/2 c sugar

DIRECTIONS
Puree strawberries in blender.  Place pureed strawberries in a large pot and mix in pectin.  Let strawberries and pectin sit for 30 min stirring every 10 minutes.  Mix in syrup and juice.  Mix in sugar 1 cup at a time.  Heat mixture to room temperature or until sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat and pour into cleaned and dry glass jars (nine 8oz jars or 5 pint jars).  Screw on lids, put one jar in fridge and the rest in the freeze.

Strabs

pureed

mixin in the sugar

sugar is dissolved

lids on ready to freeze

Yum!

–Melanie