Cherry Almond Scones

This scone recipe is an adaptation of one by Pam Anderson, cookbook author and USA Weekend food columnist.  I was out of sour cream, but I had Greek yogurt and heavy cream in the fridge so I changed the original recipe slightly to accommodate the ingredients I had.  I think they turned out just as good as the original recipe.  Tender and uber flavorful, Pam's scones are the best I've ever eaten, and I'd like to think she'd approve of this version.  The recipe ingredients are listed in grams (my preferred unit of measure for baking).  I'll post a conversion when I have more time, but for those who don't wish to wait, there are free conversion calculators available online.

Cherry Almond Scones

makes 8

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 250g all-purpose flour (2 cups)

• 65g granulated sugar (1/3 cup)

• 3g baking powder (1 teaspoon)

• 1g baking soda (1/4 teaspoon)

• 3g salt (1/2 teaspoon)

• 115g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes (8 tablespoons)

• 80g dried cherries, chopped (1/2 cup)

• 80g Greek yogurt (see note below)

• 35g heavy cream (see note below)

• 3/4 teaspoon pure almond extract

• 1 large egg

Directions

1. Cream and sugar for garnish (Turbinado or sanding sugar work well, but granulated sugar is fine),

2. In a small bowl, combine Greek yogurt, heavy cream, and almond extract; stir until smooth and set aside.

3. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. 

4. Pour mixture into a large mixing bowl and stir in chopped cherries.

5. With a fork, stir in the yogurt mixture until all the crumbs are moistened. 

6. Using your hands, press the crumbs onto the sides of the bowl until a ball of dough forms. 

7. On a floured surface, press the ball of dough into an 8-inch round that is approximately 3/4-inch thick. 

8. With a sharp knife, cut into 8 wedges and place on a parchment lined baking sheet and chill in the refrigerator until the oven preheats to 400F.

9. Just before baking, brush wedges with heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar. 

10. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until the edges start to turn golden brown. 

11. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from baking pan; serve warm or at room temperature.

Note

• The original recipe calls for 115g sour cream (1/2 cup), omit Greek yogurt and heavy cream.

adapted from a recipe by Pam Anderson

Orange Rolls

Hello Friends!  Fellow blogger Laura Powell from Real Mom Kitchen has just completed a cookbook - Congratulations Laura!!  Her blog is full of tempting recipes and her cookbook doesn't fail to do exactly the same.  I chose to make Laura's yummy 'Mom's Orange Rolls' to share with you today.  Laura writes, "This recipe is one of my absolute, all-time favorite roll recipes.  This recipe comes from my mom and she's been making them as long as I can remember.  These rolls often make it to the Thanksgiving dinner table.  The dough is made the night before and kept in the fridge."

"With easy recipes from the award-winning blog Real Mom Kitchen, you can play chauffeur and still have a homemade dinner with your family. Using real food that real people eat, Laura Powell shares her convenient and yummy recipes so that you too can be "Keepin' it real in the kitchen." They're sure to be loved by the whole family"!

Mom's Orange Rolls

makes 24 rolls

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Dough:

• 1/2 cup warm water

• 2 packages yeast (4 1/2 teaspoons)

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 cup hot water

• 2 teaspoons fine salt

• 3 eggs, beaten

• 4-4 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Filling:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

• 1/2 cup sugar

• pinch of fine salt

• zest of 1 orange

Frosting:

• 2 cups powdered sugar

• 4-6 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine water and yeast; let sit for about 5 minutes.

2. Melt butter in a saucepan; add sugar and hot water.

3. Combine butter mixture with yeast mixture, then add in eggs and flour until well combined.

4. Cover bowl well with plastic wrap and let dough rest in the refrigerator overnight.

5. The next day, spray muffin pan(s) with Baker's Joy.

6. Divide dough into two equal portions.

7. On a lightly floured (or oiled) surface, roll each ball of dough into a 9x13-inch rectangle.

8. Mix together filling ingredients and spread mixture evenly over both rectangles.

9. Roll up dough from one long side to the other long side.

10. Cut each roll into 12 pieces and place in a greased muffin pan; rise 3-4 hours (preheat oven to 375F at least 30 minutes before baking)

11. Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.

12. Allow to cool slightly before removing orange rolls from pan(s).

13. In a small bowl, whisk together frosting ingredients and spread on top of warm rolls.

Notes

• The dough is very soft, but it will firm and be more workable after chilling overnight in the fridge.  I like to roll my dough on a lightly oiled surface instead of a floured surface. 

• The recipe can easily be divided in half for a smaller batch.

adapted from Real Mom Kitchen Cookbook by Laura Powell