Tea Time Scones

In honor of the Royal Wedding tomorrow
 I'm making scones.
 We can enjoy these with tea while we watch a bit of the festivities.

This is my favorite scone recipe because it's so easy.

They take just a few minutes to prepare.

 Combine the dry ingredients.

 Stir in the cream.

 Knead a bit.

 Flatten into a circle and cut out into circles or wedges.

 Place on a foil lined baking sheet. Brush with melted butter and a sprinkle of sugar.

 Bake until golden at 425 for 15-20  minutes.

 Serve warm with raspberry jam and butter, whipped cream or clotted cream.

CHEERIO!

Tea Time Scones

2 C flour

1/4 C sugar

1 T baking powder

1/2 t salt

Mix well then stir in

1-1/4 C heavy cream

(1/2 C currants or dried cranberries, optional)

Knead on a floured surface 6-8 times.

Pat out into a circle. Score and cut, or cut into circles.

Place on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Brush the tops with  2 T melted butter 

and a sprinkle, about 1 T sugar.

Bake until golden at 425 for 15-20  minutes.

Serve warm with jam, butter, whipped cream or clotted cream.

Enjoy!

Links: My Romantic Home

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NO FAIL HASHBROWNS FOR THIS WEEKEND

This hash brown recipe is fool proof. It will give you crisp potato patties, just begging for a dash of hot sauce (or ketchup for the kids). The following instructions are for pattys, but you can also spread the mixture out in a big frying pan, then cut into wedges for serving.

3 cups Simply Potatoes (see note below)
¼ cup very thinly sliced green onions (optional)
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 egg (lightly beaten)
1½ teaspoons salt (or to taste)
¼ teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)

I use (the shredded hash brown style of) a product called Simply Potatoes (in my store they are sold in the refrigerated section above the eggs), but you can use THAWED Ore Ida shredded (loose) hash browns as well. I have tried fresh potatoes for this recipe and they do NOT work as well as Simply Potatoes or thawed Ore Ida shredded potatoes (fresh potatoes get mushy).

Gently toss the potatoes with the flour, salt and pepper (and onion if you are using it), then gently (I use my hands) mix in the lightly beaten egg. NOTE: I mix the salt & pepper into the egg to make sure the spices are distributed evenly throughout the potatoes.

Pre-heat your heavy frying pan to medium high and brush your skillet with a generous coating of vegetable oil (I like to use my electric frying pan).

Place 1/3 (lightly packed) potato mixture onto HOT, greased frying pan and then gently flatten the mound with your spatula, like this: Fry patties for 4 minutes, per side, or until they are golden brown and crispy.

Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.
I love how these hash brown patties hold together, you can even pick them up and eat them like a commercial hash brown patty, but oh so much better tasting.

NOTE: 3 cups of THAWED Simply Potatoes or Ora Ida equal about a pound.

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How to Cook an Artichoke

We love artichokes and when they are in season we have them often.

There's really nothing to cooking an artichoke, 

but some of you may not realize how easy it is.

Rinse the artichokes under cold water.

Trim off the stem.

 Put in a pot with about 1" of well salted cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat 

and low boil covered for about 45-60 minutes, depending on their size. 

They are done when you can easily pull off a leaf.  Drain. 

Serve with melted garlic lemon butter.

 In each cup put 2 T butter, 1/2 t garlic salt and 1 t lemon juice.

Melt in the microwave.

Serve with the artichoke.

 To eat, pull of a leaf and dip the end into the butter.

Pull the meaty part between your teeth, scraping off the good stuff.

 When you get to the center, take your knife and cut around the base of the leaves.

 Lift off the choke.

 This is the heart and bottom of the artichoke.

 It's well worth getting to.

 This is the choke. Discard this part.

 Cut up the bottom, season with a bit more garlic salt if you like

 and dip into the butter.

YUM! YUM!

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Oma's Bean Soup a.k.a Bohnensuppe

Save your leftover ham bone and add it to a soup pot with water. Throw in some beans, cut up vegetables and seasonings and you'll have yourself one satisfying bowl of soup.

My Mother made the best bean soup. She never measured, so I'm going to help you out with that 

by about guess-measuring today while I make my soup.

 Add your leftover ham bone, with bits of ham still attached, to a soup pot. 

 You'll need about 2 C of dried beans, about one 16oz. bag kidney beans.

 Add to the pot.

 Add about 10-12 C of water.

Bring to a boil. Cover and boil while you chop the vegetables.

Add about; 1 onion, cut-up, 2 garlic cloves, 1T salt (less if your ham is salty),

1t pepper, 1t thyme.

Roughly chop about 3 carrots, 3 stalks of celery including the leaves,and 1/2 tomato.

Add to the pot.

 Add about 3 peeled potatoes, cubed.

 Stir and bring to a simmer.

Cover and let simmer for about 2-3 hours until the beans are tender.

Add the 1/8 t nutmeg. Now you can thicken it slightly with a roux.

 Melt about 2T shortening or butter in a small skillet.

Stir in about 1/4 C flour.

 Stir constantly and cook until it's the color of coffee with cream,

about 2 minutes.

 Ladle a little of the hot soup broth into the skillet, 

then return all of this to the soup pot.

 Bring to a boil, stirring until thickened. 

Check for seasoning and add a few dashes of Maggi.

 Serve with a little Maggi on the side to season to taste.

You can find Maggi seasoning in the condiment section of your grocery store.

Good for lots of things. 

 This is the soup without being thickened with the roux.

It's good that way too. 

This is the thickened soup.

You can serve this the authentic German way with potato pancakes, 

or just a good bread. Try my Sour Cream Dill Bread.

I hope you enjoy this and never throw out bones again!

Guten Appetit!

Links: Savvy Southern Style, Type A

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