Pumpkin Scones -- Spicy, Delicious, and Moist

 Zoulah welcomes you to Red Couch Recipes where she has been a bit busy in her Bewitchen Kitchen this year.  She and her little witchy Red Couch Family have made these scones three times.  Talley, the youngest witch, made these first.    They are so deliciously moist and are enrobed in two icings; the pumpkin icing makes Zoulah drool.  They are perfectly spiced, and Zoulah wishes she could claim this recipe as her own, but it is from Cooking Classy, and it is a Starbuck's copycat recipe.  Here in the Pacific Northwest Starbuck's no longer serves these, so it is a good thing we can make them!  Zoulah wouldn't change a thing in the recipe, and she plans to include this in her fall baking repertoire.  You are going to love this moist scone.  Yes, Zoulah knows this has a lot of ingredients, but she also knows it is worth it.

 

Zoulah kindly put  a fork out so you could taste one.  See, Zoulah is a good witch, not a bad witch.



Scone Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and diced into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon canned pumpkin puree -- tablespoon is for pumpkin icing

3 1/2 tablespoons buttermilk

1 large egg

1 teaspoon  vanilla extract

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon half and half (for brushing tops before baking)

 

Glaze Ingredients
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons half and half, then more as needed

Pumpkin Icing
3/4 cup powdered sugar
 1 tablespoon pumpkin puree

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1 tablespoon half and half

 

Scone Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a food processor, pulse together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, brown sugar and granulated sugar until well blended (if you don't have a food processor you can whisk by hand in a large mixing bowl, then cut in butter with a pastry cutter). Add butter and pulse mixture several times to cut butter into mixture (large pieces of butter should no longer be visible). Pour mixture into a large mixing bowl and create a well in center.

 

In a bowl whisk together chilled pumpkin puree, buttermilk, egg, vanilla extract and honey. Pour mixture into well in flour/butter mixture. Stir mixture with a wooden spoon to incorporate, then knead in bowl (or on work surface) by hand several times to bring mixture together. Dust a work surface with flour then invert dough onto surface. Pat and shape dough into an even 8-inch round. Using a large knife, slice into 8 equal wedges (dust knife with flour as needed while cutting, it will be fairly sticky).

 

Transfer scones to a Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush tops with 1tablespoon  half and half then bake in preheated oven 13 - 15 minutes until tops are golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and cool 10 minutes (no longer) before spreading with glaze and pumpkin icing.

 

Glaze Instructions:

In a mixing bowl whisk together powdered sugar and half and half, adding more half and half as needed to reach desired consistency (it should be fairly thick, not runny). Spoon and spread mixture on scones to evenly coat tops (use all of it). Let glaze set at room temperature.

 

Pumpkin Icing Instructions:

In a mixing bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and half and half. Transfer mixture to a small Ziploc bag, seal bag, cut a small tip from corner and drizzle mixture over tops of scones. Allow icing to set. Best served day prepared.

 

Yield:

Eight nice-sized scones.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for dropping by Zoulah's Bewitchen Kitchen!

 

 

 

Posted with Home Sweet Home, Foodie Friday

 

 

Christmas Morning Casserole

 

Every year on Christmas morning we make this egg casserole that we call Christmas Morning Casserole before we open presents.  When our children were younger, they did not like to eat breakfast before the present opening, but this year I took the jingle bells to wake them up, and, GASP, they didn't even get into their stockings until after breakfast.  This was the casserole that my mother-in-law, Geniel, served in my husband's home for Christmas.  It is the perfect casserole for Christmas morning, as it is very substantial and filling, since we usually don't eat lunch on Christmas day.  We usually serve it with some potato patties and some fruit.

 

Of course you don't have to wait until Christmas to make it...

 



Just wanted to give you a view of my Christmas-y silver plated serving ware.  There is a tree and snowman too.  I think they were made by the International Silver Company.

Christmas Morning Casserole Recipe

  

11 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup (1 cube) melted butter
1 pint small curd cottage cheese
8 ounces grated Monterey Jack cheese
8 ounces grated Cheddar cheese
1 4-ounce) green chilies
1 pound cubed ham or 1 pound cooked bacon,
cut into small pieces
paprika

Beat eggs in blender.  While blending eggs, add flour, salt, baking powder, and butter.  In a separate large mixing bowl, mix cottage cheese, Monterey Jack Cheese, Cheddar cheese, chilies, and ham or bacon; blend well with large spoon.  Add egg mixture to cottage cheese mixture and mix well.  Pour into a 9 x 13-inch buttered casserole dish.  Sprinkle with paprika.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes and then reduce oven heat to 350 and bake for another 20-25 minutes.  Bake uncovered and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.  May be mixed the night before, covered, and refrigerated, so it can be baked the next day.
 



Italian Breakfast Strata and Hodgson Mill Giveaway Winner

Planning for a Christmas morning breakfast, then this just might be the ticket!  It whips up it minutes and you make it the night before and just pop it in the oven in the morning.  Don't you just love things that you can prepare the night before, especially for Christmas morning when the kids just want to jump at the presents. 

With the aid of Random. Org, Commenter Number 15 is the winner of the $25 Gift Code for the online Hodgson Mill Stores.  Start your oven  Marlis (Creative Journeys)!  Marlis creates beautiful tablescapes on her blog and is a very gracious blogger.  I know you will bake up something delicious!  I just used Hodgson Mill whole-wheat flour for a cake and it was so yummy and moist. 

 

We always eat a huge breakfast on Christmas morning and the rule is that the children can only open their stockings before breakfast -- the kids have to wait to open their presents until after breakfast.   Yes, I am a mean mother :).

The Broken Bread

Ingredients for Italian Breakfast Strata

Adapted from the December 2011 issue of Family Circle

1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes (NOT soaked in oil)

1 cup water

1 pound of sweet Italian sausage with casings removed

1 each of green and red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced

8 green onions, diced

1 loaf Italian bread (14 ounces), cut into 1-inch cubes

8 large eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup packed basil leaves, chopped

2 cups shredded  mozzarella

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

When I was making this, I felt very Christmas-y with all the red and green going on.

1.  Bring 1 cup of water to boil.  Place sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl and add water.  Let stand 10 minutes to soften tomatoes.

2.  Meanwhile, place sausage into a large nonstick skillet.  Cook over medium to medium-high heat for six minutes.  Add peppers and onions and cook, sitting occasionally for about four minutes.  Remove from heat.  Drain sun-dried tomatoes and chop.  Stir into sausage mixture into skillet.

3.  Place bread cubes in a very large bowl.  In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, milk, and chopped basil (or dried basil).  Stir sausage mixture into bread along with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.  Pour egg mixture over bread mixture and stir to moisten all ingredients.  Coat a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.  Pour bread mixture into prepared dish.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. 

4.  Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Uncover baking dish  and top with remaining Mozzarella Cheese and Parmesan Cheese.  Spray foil (the side that will touch the casserole) with baking spray.  Cover baking dish with foil.  Bake, covered, for 45 minutes.  Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes.  Cool slightly before serving.

Notes:  Fresh basil and red peppers are very dear right now so I used 1 tablespoon of dried basil.  I know it would taste much better with fresh basil.  I  used two green peppers instead of a green and a red.  I knew I would be okay because I had the red of the sun-dried tomatoes already in the mix.



Watermelon Waffles

This is a easy and fun option for a summer breakfast -- make some wild watermelon waffles.  These would be great for your children or when the grands visit.  Just color your waffle batter and place some chocolate chips in the pink part of the watermelon and voila!  I saw this on some creative person's blog -- sorry I can't remember where.  I hope you are enjoying your summer!

Posted with the following:  Wow Us Wednesday

Maple Iced Cinnamon Rolls Tutorial

Hi and Welcome to my Red Couch!

Over the weekend our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, held it's Semi-Annual General Conference.  On this weekend we don't attend church and we watch the televised conference messages.  It's a weekend full of wonderful, positive, faith-filled talks that encourage us to take action to be better people.

 I usually try to make something special on General Conference weekends, and over the weekend I made Maple Iced Cinnamon Rolls.  I have been making this recipe for years.  Make sure you have enough people to eat these because they taste the best fresh from the oven!  Although not difficult to make, these take a little under three hours to make, but they are worth every minute of time.  You can also use quick-rise yeast to speed up the process; I didn't.  I have included some pictures of the cinnamon roll process.  Hope you enjoy.

Many moons ago as a parting gift to the staff where I had interned for the summer I made cinnamon rolls.  Their comment was, "We didn't know you could bake!"  They implied that I should have been baking and bringing cinnamon rolls in to the office throughout the summer.

Maple Iced Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

Adapted from a Betty Crocker Recipe

The Sweet Roll Dough
1  package regular active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water (105 to 110 degrees)

1/2 cup lukewarm milk (scalded then cooled)

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg

3-1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl.  Stir in milk, sugar, butter, salt, egg and 2 cups of the flour.  Beat until smooth.  Stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a dough easy to handle.  Turn onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes or put in Bosch or Kitchen Aid mixer and mix for about 5 minutes on low.  Place dough in greased large bowl; turn greased side up.  Cover; let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours.  Don't short the rising time!  Punch down dough.  This makes your basic sweet roll dough.

Cinnamon Roll Stuffing Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

On lightly floured surface, flatten dough with rolling pin into 15 x 9-inch rectangle. 

Spread dough with softened butter. 

Mix sugar and cinnamon.

Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar mixture over dough.  Sugar and cinnamon spice make the cinnamon rolls so nice!

Roll dough up tightly beginning with the 15 inch side. 

Continue to roll dough.  Stretch and work roll to make it even.

Cut dough into 1-1/2 inch rounds making 12 to 16 cinnamon rolls.    I use a serrated bread knife to do the cutting -- it seems to work best.  In a pinch, I have also used floss!

Don't you just love the look?

Place closely on buttered baking sheet.  You can also place them separately, for individual rolls.

Let rise until doubled.  Look how nice and fat they are!  This only takes about 40 minutes.

Bake in a 350 degree oven, on a middle rack, for about 25 to 30 minutes. 

Maple Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, and 1/2 to 1 teaspoon maple flavoring or flavoring of your choice.

While fresh from the oven, drizzle rolls with maple glaze.

I hope you enjoyed my tutorial and as always thanks for stopping by Red Couch Recipes!

Linked with the following:  Skip to My Lou, Show and Tell, Sweet Tooth Friday, Foodie Friday, Weekend Wrapup, Favorite Things Friday

"Book and Cook" Oven Eggs and "In the Neighborhood"

Welcome  to Red Couch Recipes!

Today I bring to you a "Book and Cook."  A "Book and Cook" is where I read a book and then make a recipe inspired from the reading of the book.  My favorite book I have read this summer is "In the Neighborhood  -- The Search for Community on an American Street, One Sleepover at a Time," by Peter Lovenheim and published by the Penguin Group in 2010. 

On the street where Peter Lovenheim lived,  Bob Wills kills his wife Renan Wills and then commits suicide, leaving their two children to run out at 10:30 in the night to seek shelter at a neighbor's home.

"A family had vanished, yet the impact on our neighborhood was slight. How could that be? Did I live in a community or just in a house on a street surrounded by people whose lives were entirely separate? Few of my neighbors, I later learned, knew each other more than casually, and didn't know even the names of those a few doors down. Why is it that in an age of cheap long distance rates, discount air-lines, and the Internet, when we can create community anywhere, we often don't know the people who live next door?"

After this tragedy, he felt compelled to find out more about his neighbors.  In his quest, he even asked some of them if he could sleep over so that he could get to know them better.  Others he interviewed or met for coffee or lunch.

Of course not everyone would allow him to sleep over, but when he was allowed access to his neighbors, via a sleepover, he didn't want them to change anything as a result of his visit.  He didn't want them to make any special food for dinner or breakfast.    The author liked to greet people early in the morning just as soon as they walked out of their room; it was his favorite part of the visit. 

If the author came to the home of Red Couch Recipes, for a sleepover he might be served Oven Eggs.  During the school year, I make Oven Eggs about once a week.  They are also known as Dutch Babies, German Pancakes, and many other names.  The recipe is simple.

1/4 cup Butter
6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Put butter in 13 by 9 - inch pan and melt in oven.  Be careful as butter can burn quite easily.  Mix eggs, milk, and flour thoroughly with a whisk and pour in pan with butter.  Bake in oven for 10-12  minutes (or a few minutes longer if you aren't using glass)  or until the egg mixture has risen high and is slightly brown.  It comes out of the oven high, but rapidly sinks.  I enjoy Oven Eggs with Parmesan cheese on them.  Others in my family like syrup and powdered sugar. 

If he came to our home, most likely we would eat on the deck.

In his visits, Peter Lovenheim becomes acquainted with Patti  DiNitto, a divorced mother of two young children.  She was a radiologist and she had diagnosed her own breast cancer.  The author, Peter Lovenheim, has connected Patti and another neighbor, Lou Guzzetta, together.  Lou is an 81 year old retired surgeon whose wife has died five years earlier.  Peter and Lou occasionally help out Pattie by taking her to the grocery store to doctors appointments, and to lunch or coffee.

When Peter approaches Lou to help out Patti he says, "I'll drive her...She would be doing me a favor.  Understand?  My life is zero.  I have nothing to do.  Tell her I will drive her and she will be doing me the favor.  I'll take her food shopping on Thursdays, to stores, whatever.  Please tell her it would be a favor to me." As Patti's funeral Lou  asks Peter how he got to know Patti.

"I don't recall exactly what I answered Lou, but the truth is, I met Patti deliberately.  I met her because it troubled me to think that one night , my neighbor Renan Wills feared for her safety and the safety of her children, but knew none of her neighbors well enough to seek shelter in our homes.  I met Patti because later, I myself, came to feel isolated among those same neighbors.  I met Patti because at some point it seemed both absurd and wasteful to be living unconnected to the people all around me."

In one of the author's closing remarks he writes: " The community of neighbors that I'd set out to find, I had found.  Had I not undertaken the deliberate effort to meet them, I would never have known Lou Guzzetta's wisdom, or Deb O'Dell's talent and energy, or Jamie Columbus' artistry, or Bill Fricke's quiet strength of character.  And I would have missed the chance, by embracing Patti DiNitto, to try to redeem in a small way our neighborhood's failure to have known Renan Wills."

In one of his final remarks, the author concludes that if we want to break down the barriers that separate us as neighbors, "To do so, we really don't need to sleep over at each other's houses.  All we need to do is deliberately set out to know the person next door, or across the street, or down the block; to ring the bell and open the door."

So as Mr. Roger's used to sing "So who are the people in your neighborhood?"

I really enjoyed this book, but I must give you a warning, you may need a hanky or two when you read it!

You can get this book at your local library, as I did, or buy it at a bookstore or through Amazon, or another online book seller.




I have posted this with the following:

Dutch Oven Mountain Man Breakfast

Welcome to Day Number 2 of Dutch Oven Week!  I doubt the Mountain Men had it so good, but I love this for breakfast.  It has been my tradition to make this for Pioneer Day every 24th of July.  I am not the best at Dutch Oven Cooking, but I do own two Dutch Ovens and I enjoy cooking with the ovens.   I do not own fancy equipment, in fact I Dutch Oven on a piece of scrap sheet metal or on cleared off ground...just kind of like the pioneers used to do it!   It's just my way of saying "hats off to the Pioneers.  This year when we go family camping, I am going to have to make this!  Last year my family was not exactly enamoured with my camp cooking.  A Dutch Oven is great for camping! 

Mountain Man Breakfast Recipe

1 pound bacon or sausage
 1 (2 pound) package frozen hash brown potatoes
2 medium yellow onions, diced
Salt and pepper to season potatoes and eggs
1 fresh jalapeno or small can of green chilis (optional)
12 eggs, beaten with a whisk
3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
Fresh salsa to serve (optional)

Heat a 12" Dutch oven using 18-20 briquettes under oven until hot. Cut bacon into 1 inch slices or if using sausage cut into 1 inch pieces.   Add to Dutch oven and fry until brown. Add onions and saute until onions are translucent. Add potatoes and jalapeno pepper or green chilis and season with salt and pepper. Cover and bake using 8 briquettes bottom and 14-16 briquettes top for 30 minutes. Season eggs with salt and pepper then pour eggs over top of potatoes. Cover and bake another 20 minutes. Stir gently every 5 minutes. When eggs are done, cover top with cheese and replace lid. Let stand until cheese is melted.

Serve topped with fresh salsa if desired.

Serves: 8-10 .

This has been adapted from a recipe at Byron's Dutch Oven Recipes.