Whole Wheat Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

I had some leftover buttermilk - though now I have no idea what it was for, maybe the pralines I made my mom - and we were going away for a few days so I went to search for a quick and easy buttermilk recipe. I love biscuits and love when I can make biscuits and don't have to roll out any dough!

These are super quick to put together as you just whisk the dry, whisk the wet, stir together and drop onto a cookie sheet. I went with all whole wheat flour and was a bit scared as to whether they'd be too dry but they turned out really well and E was in love with them.

I forgot to say thanks to the people who shared some of their things they were grateful/happy about last week - it made me happy to read!

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Squirrelly Scones
Peppered Pear and Goat Cheese Scones
Three Seed Biscuits
Baking Powder Biscuits

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Drop Biscuits
Adapted from Pink Parsley who adapted from Cook's Illustrated

makes 9-10 biscuits

2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp sea salt
1 cup cold buttermilk
8 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 475F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter and buttermilk, stirring until small clumps are formed.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and use a rubber spatula to stir, until they are just incorporated, and the batter starts to pull away from the sides.

Use a large cookie scoop (or a greased 1/4-cup measuring cup) to scoop out the dough and drop on an ungreased baking sheet, spacing the biscuits about 1 1/2 inches apart. Each biscuit should be about 2 inches in diameter and 1 inch high.

Bake until the tops are crisp and golden-brown, 12-14 minutes.

Vegan Pumpkin Scones

I love autumn, I love winter. But I do miss having at least some natural light to take photos! I wanted to post about this pumpkin scone recipe while you guys are still (hopefully) enjoying pumpkin! I used to love the pumpkin scones from Starbucks and pumpkin scones are something I've always wanted to make but just never did. Until I saw these vegan pumpkin scones on cupcakes and kale and felt immediately inspired to make them about 10 minutes after reading her post! And they are amazing.

I don't usually put glazes on scones or cakes but in this case I followed her suggestion. The glaze is the perfect complement to the scone, which is biscuity but not super fluffy and flaky (this is a good thing). I did find the dough to be extremely dry and it was sort of difficult to form the dough into rounds. She does say that the dough will be dry, but next time I might add 1/2 tbsp more milk. My glaze was more liquidy than hers, maybe because I used a natural sugar?

And can I just confirm something with you guys - whole wheat pastry flour is the same thing as white whole wheat flour right? That's my understanding of the flour situation.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Pumpkin Ginger Molasses Cookies
Pumpkin Muffins
Pumpkin Cheesecake
All-In-One Holiday Bundt Cake

Vegan Pumpkin Scones
Adapted from cupcakes and kale

Makes 1 dozen small scones

2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp cup cold earth balance margarine
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
2 tbsp non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened almond milk) - next time I would try using 2 1/2-3 tbsp milk
5 tbsp brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 400F. In a large bowl sift together all of the dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter cut the cold earth balance into the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. In another bowl, mix the pumpkin, milk & sugar. Add this to the flour bowl and mix to combine. You'll end up with a fairly dry dough. Turn this out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 3 equal balls. Flatten each one into a round disk that's about 6 inches across and 1/2 inch thick. Using a sharp knife, cut each disk into quarters and place them on a parchment or silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15-16 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow the scones to cool and then drizzle them with spiced glaze.

Spiced Glaze
5 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp molasses
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ginger
pinch cloves
1 1/2 tbsp non-dairy milk

Mix everything together in a small bowl and drizzle onto the scones either with a spoon, or from a plastic bag with the tip cut off.

Healthy Carrot Cake Power Scuffins

These scuffins are one of my favourite muffins/scones that I've made recently. First of all, I love carrot cake. Second of all, I love the texture of these. Carrot muffins and cookies are usually quite soft. Which is nice, but I love how these scuffins are a bit more scone like, soft but denser, a bit like a cookie but not crisp. E really didn't like the coconut on top and I could go either way with it.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Pumpkin Muffins
Morning Glory Muffins
Spiced Carrot Muffins
Garden Harvest Cake

Healthy Carrot Cake Power Scuffins
Adapted from Oh She Glows

Makes 6-7 scuffins

1 cup whole grain spelt flour
1/2 tsp baking power
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp ground chia seeds + 3 tbsp water, mixed and set aside for 5 mins
1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup shredded or grated carrots (approx 2 medium)
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
Coconut, for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour through pumpkin spice). In a medium sized bowl mix together the wet ingredients (oil through carrots). Add wet to dry and mix until just incorporated. Fold in the walnuts and raisins. Scoop mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or Silpat mats. Scoop about 1/4 cup for each scuffin. With wet hands, flatten into disks. Sprinkle with coconut if using. Bake for 25 minutes at 350F.

Squirrelly Scones

I love scones and could eat them everyday. These squirrelly scones are a new and healthy favourite, with sunflower seeds, walnuts and raisins, though you can use whatever seed/nut/dried fruit combination sounds good to you. The edges of the scone were crisp after baking, though the crispness goes away after a day. But the insides are nice and soft. In short, I need to make these again soon! My freezer is incredibly full right now though. I should mention that these are not your typical flakey scones, more of a delicious scuffin.

I started my practicum on Monday and it's been incredibly exciting and interesting so far. I'm really looking forward to the next few months and all the experience I'll gain!

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Three-Seed Biscuits
Tomato Rosemary Scones
Blackberry Whole Wheat Scones
Banana Date Scones

Squirrelly Scones
Adapted from Vive le Vegan!

Makes 6-7

1 cup ground oats
1 cup spelt flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup natural cane sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tbsp ground flax
3/4 cup non dairy milk (I used plain unsweetened soy)
3 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 tbsp safflower oil

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients except the flax meal, sifting in the flour, baking powder and baking soda. In another bowl, combine the flax meal with the non dairy milk and stir. Add the maple syrup, vanilla, and oil and stir. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and mix until well combined. The mixture may be a little loose at first, but will thicken as the flour and oats absorb the liquid. Let it rest for a minute, then drop large spoonfuls of the mixture (roughly 1/2 cup each) onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20-24 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Peppered Pear and Goat Cheese Scones

I could eat scones everyday. However I try to mix them up with lots of healthy muffins. And then sometimes I try and take not so healthy scones like this one and make them healthier. Sometimes it fails, like this time. (Other times it doesn't, like with these dill cheese scones.) I didn't even change that much - I just tried to use half whole wheat flour. And the scones turned out dry.

So of course I had to make them again, the original way. And while the unbaked dough was still really crumbly and hard to form into mounds, the resulting scones were soft and moist with nice crisp edges. The flavour combination in these scones - pepper, pear, goat cheese - was wonderful. I love pepper in savoury baked goods. So while it all worked out in the end and I did like the scones, I won't likely be making them again because I don't know about you, but crumbly dough really aggravates me!

Abby's new favourite sleeping spot (the back of a couch cushion).

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Tomato Rosemary Scones
A Dilly of a Cheese Scone
Cheddar and Black Pepper Scones
Apple Cheddar Scones

Peppered Pear and Goat Cheese Scones
Adapted from Savory Baking

Makes 6 scones

2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 medium pear, peeled, cored, and diced
4 ounces goat cheese, broken into large walnut-size pieces
1/2 cup 2% plain yogurt
2 tbsp milk

Preheat the oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Put the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and stir together. Add the butter and break it into pea-size pieces with your fingertips. Sprinkle the pear pieces and crumbled goat cheese over the top of the flour mixture and gently toss together, being careful not to break the cheese into smaller pieces.

Soften the yogurt by whisking in the milk. Pour the yogurt over the flour mixture and gently blend the ingredients together with a spatula, being careful not to break up the cheese. The dough may look slightly dry, but it will produce a moist scone. Divide the dough into six equal mounds on the baking sheet, leaving about a 1inch space between each to allow for slight spreading.

Place the baking pan in the center of the oven and bake until lightly brown, about 25 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place the scones on a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Three-Seed Biscuits

I love biscuits! And I love that these ones have lots of good things in them - whole wheat flour, sunflower seeds (which are one of my favourite things yet I don't eat them very often, must fix that), flaxseeds, wheat germ, sesame seeds. That's some exciting stuff. These are good fresh, but they're also really good heated up in the toaster oven for a couple of minutes, which seems to really bring out their flakiness.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Oatmeal & Wheat Germ Raspberry Scones
Blackberry Whole Wheat Scones
Cheddar and Black Pepper Scones
Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Biscuits

Three-Seed Biscuits
Adapted from Canadian Living: The Vegetarian Collection

Makes 12

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
1 cup milk (I used 1%)
Water, for brushing
2 tbsp sesame seeds

Whisk together all-purpose and whole wheat flours, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, wheat germ, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using pastry blender, 2 knives, or your fingers to cut in butter until in coarse crumbs. Stir in milk to form soft slightly sticky dough.

With floured hands, turn out onto lightly floured surface; knead gently 10 times. Pat out to 7-inch (18 cm) square. Cut into quarters; cut each quarter into 3 strips. Place, 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart, on ungreased baking sheet. Brush tops with water; sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake in centre of 425F oven until golden, about 12 minutes. Let cool on pan on rack.

Tomato Rosemary Scones

I love savoury baked goods so it's no surprise that I really liked these tomato rosemary scones. And I was really happy to see a vegan savoury scone - whenever I think of savoury scones, they always include cheese. One of the coolest things about them is that you use a 14 oz can of tomato sauce as part of the liquid component! Fresh rosemary would be better as the dried rosemary can be a little too twiggy and hard, but I used dried as it's easier. I also used all whole wheat flour, and while I really liked the scones, next time I'd try using maybe half all purpose flour just to give them some lightness.

I'm looking forward to seeing our wedding photos tonight!! (From the official photographer.)

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Cheddar and Black Pepper Scones
Apple Cheddar Scones
Sun Dried Tomato, Feta and Oregano Muffins
Caramelized Onion, Sage and Cheddar Muffins

Tomato Rosemary Scones
Adapted from Vegan Brunch

3 cups whole wheat flour (or a combination of all purpose and whole wheat)
2 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
14 oz can tomato sauce (1 1/2 cups)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp dried rosemary

Preheat oven to 400F. Prepare a baking sheet.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and pepper.

In another bowl, whisk the oil, tomato sauce, vinegar and rosemary together.

Make a well in the center of the flour and add the wet ingredients. Gently mix, using a wooden spoon. Once the batter is loosely holding together, lightly flour a clean work surface and turn your dough onto it. Gently knead until a soft dough forms; it's important not to overmix or it will become gummy. (You should see some patches of flour.) If the dough seems sticky, add a little flour as you knead so it's easier to work with.

Divide dough in two and form each section into a 6 inch disk. Slice each disk into six pieces. Place scones on a baking sheet and bake for 14 to 16 minutes; the tops should be firm. Remove the scones from the oven and move to cooling rack.

(My dough was really sticky, and honestly if this happens to you, I would just make these drop scone style and save yourself the hassle of trying to add more flour and pat them out, cut them and move them to the baking sheet.)

Oatmeal & Wheat Germ Raspberry Scones

My mom gave me this mini scone pan, which is the kind of unique baking pan I always lust over but would not likely buy myself so it was a great gift! It was kind of strange how every scone came out perfectly triangular with straight sides. It will be fun to use this pan for something different, but I do love the craggy random edges of scones shaped by hand.

Anyway, onto the actual scones! They were so very delicious, soft, and buttery with nice crispy edges. I subbed some wheat germ in for the flour and loooooved how it made the scones a bit more crumbly. These scones are fairly plain, so if you're looking for a simple and more rustic style scone then you'll like these.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Blackberry Whole Wheat Scones
Blackberry Orange Tea Scones
Cinnamon Apple Scones
Maple Cornmeal Drop Biscuits

Oatmeal & Wheat Germ Raspberry Scones
Adapted from Baking: From My Home To Yours

Makes 12 (or 16 if using a scone pan like mine).

1 large egg
1/2 cup milk + 1/2 tbsp vinegar (or 1/2 cup buttermilk)
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/3 cups old fashioned oats
1/3 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
10 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup dried raspberries

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.

Stir together the milk and vinegar, let sit for a few minutes. Stir in the egg.

Whisk the flour, oats, wheat germ, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. Drop in the butter and, using your fingers, toss to coat the pieces of butter with flour. Quickly, working with your fingertips or a pastry blender, cut and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is pebbly. You'll have pea size pieces, pieces the size of oatmeal flakes and pieces the size of everything in between.

Pour the egg and milk mixture over the dry ingredients and stir with a fork just until the dough, which will be wet and sticky, comes together. Don't over mix the dough.

Add in the raspberries. Still in the bowl, gently knead the dough by hand, or turn it with a rubber spatula 8 to 10 times. (I then took pieces of the dough and squashed them into my scone pan, but if you don't have a scone pan then use the following instructions.) Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it in half. Working with one piece at a time, pat the dough into a rough circle that's about 5 inches in diameter, cut it into 6 wedges and place on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until their tops are golden and firmish. Transfer them to a rack to cool.

Blueberry White Chocolate Swirls with Lemon Glaze

I made these for a blogger recipe contest that BC Blueberries is hosting. And I made them just in time, as the deadline is tonight at 11:59ET! One of my favourite baked goods (and well, food in general) is cinnamon rolls, so I thought I'd try to make some variation on cinnamon rolls using blueberries.

I didn't use any spices, and instead have some vanilla in the dough, blueberries and white chocolate rolled up, and then it's all topped with a lemon glaze. These are definitely addictive and I'll have to give them away so I don't eat them all! We have some really amazing blueberries in BC and I need to get out to a local farm to buy a big box of them.

Edit: I forgot to mention how easy these are to make! No yeast, so no waiting for the dough to rise and no kneading. They're really quick to come together.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Blackberry Whole Wheat Scones
Blackberry Orange Tea Scones
Braided Lemon Bread
Plum Sour Cream Kuchen

Blueberry White Chocolate Swirls with Lemon Glaze

Makes 9 rolls

2 cups flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup blueberries, washed and patted dry (or 1 cup frozen blueberries)
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter an 8"x8" square pan.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl combine milk, oil and vanilla. Add the wet mixture to the dry, and stir just until the flour disappears and you have a nice dough.

Lightly flour a work surface. Roll out the dough to a 9"x14" rectangle. Sprinkle the white chocolate chips and blueberries, and gently press them into the dough. Starting from the long side, roll up the dough into a log. Cut it into 9 biscuits and place them in the prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, prepare the lemon glaze by mixing together the lemon juice and icing sugar.

Once the rolls are done, invert them onto a plate, and drizzle the glaze over top. Serve while warm, but also good at room temperature.

Blackberry Whole Wheat Scones

This recipe is a real gem. It's whole wheat with a small amount of sugar, not too much butter, and produces really nice scones with soft insides and crispy edges. I think this will become my go to scone recipe. I can't wait to try other add ins, both sweet and savoury.

Though I've made many scones before, I didn't realize until I'd made this scone that it's important to knead the dough before shaping it and cutting it. I'm always so paranoid about overworking scone/biscuit dough that I think I've been under mixing/kneading. All it requires is a few extra kneads and the dough stays together so well, versus the many crumbly messes I've had! So don't fear that bit of extra kneading with your scone dough.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Blackberry Orange Tea Scones
Cinnamon Apple Scones
Spiced Carrot Muffins
Whole Wheat Orange Spice Muffins

Blackberry Whole Wheat Scones
Adapted from Everybody Likes Sandwiches

I just recently made these again but didn't have any yogurt so I used milk and it worked out just fine, so use whatever you have! Also, I just want to note that while I adore these scones, they are of the healthier and heartier variety so if you're looking for a light fluffy scone to smear devonshire cream on, these are not it. (Though I have smeared devonshire cream on these scones and oh it is delicious.)

1/2 cup yogurt (I used 2% plain yogurt)
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup cold butter, cubed
1 1/2 tbsp sugar (I'll try 1 tbsp next time)
1/2 cup dried blackberries, chopped (or other chopped dried fruit)

Preheat oven to 425F. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, vanilla and egg.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Work in the butter with your hands until the mixture resembles small peas. Add in the sugar and blackberries, and stir in the yogurt/milk mixture. Mix gently with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together.

Sprinkle a clean work surface with a bit of flour and turn out the dough, kneading no more than 12 times. Pat dough into a round shape, flattening it with your palms to 1/2 inch thick and cut into 8 wedges. Place on a baking sheet covered with a Silpat or parchment. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Blackberry Orange Tea Scones

I know these scones might look like a bit of a mess, but trust me, they're yummy! So yummy in fact that my brother asked for the recipe and made them himself a few days later (and he doesn't usually bake - aside from bread). They're really soft and moist, more cakey/muffiny than sconey though. Personally I prefer my scones more scone-like but whether you call these scones or muffins, they're delicious. I found the blackberries hard to "fold" in so I had to mush them around.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Apricot Orange Scones
Orange Cream Cheese Muffins
Orange Berry Muffins
Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

Blackberry Orange Tea Scones
Adapted from Blackberries: Recipes From Powell River

Makes 18 scones

3 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, cold
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
1 orange, juice and zest
1 cup blackberries

Preheat oven to 425F. Prepare baking sheet by greasing or using a Silpat baking mat.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. In another bowl, combine egg, milk, juice and zest. Stir into dry ingredients, then fold in blackberries.

Turn onto lightly floured surface and knead 10-12 times. Pat down to 1/2" thickness, and cut into triangles. (Note: My dough was way too sticky to pat out, so I ended up treating them like drop scones and used an ice cream scoop. My brother didn't have any trouble patting them out though.) Place 1" apart on baking sheet and bake 12-15 minutes.

A Dilly of a Cheese Scone

I love scones. In fact scones might be my favourite baked good, and I don't make them nearly enough. I had some leftover dill from the orzo salad with chickpeas, dill and lemon and didn't want to waste any of the precious herb, so I made these. The original recipe uses all purpose flour (instead of whole wheat), heavy cream (instead of milk), Jarslberg cheese (instead of aged cheddar), as well as some other things I changed. I was kind of scared about how these would turn out because I changed so many things but they were really amazing. I often find whole wheat baked goods to taste distinctly whole wheat-y but these ones didn't. The dill and cheddar were the perfect combination, and I loved the crisp outsides. The only bad thing was that the dough was very wet and sticky. I tried patting the dough out to cut the scones and was not too successful with this (hence the weirdly shaped scones you see pictured) - so if your dough turns out wet like mine did I would recommend making these drop scone style! Which is much easier anyway.

My finals are next week and I can't wait to be done! More time for baking. ;) Maybe some elaborate cakes? Pastries? Chocolate babka?

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Cheddar and Black Pepper Scones
Apple Cheddar Scones
Cinnamon Apple Scones
Caramelized Onion, Sage and Cheddar Muffins

A Dilly of a Cheese Scone
Adapted from Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins & More

Makes 12 scones

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup (2/3 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes and chilled
3/4 cup (about 3 ounces) grated aged cheddar
3 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 large egg
3/4 cup milk

1. Position the racks in the middle of the oven. Heat the oven to 400F. Prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.

2. Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse 2 to 3 times to combine. Add the butter and pulse 5 times, then process for 8 seconds. Add the cheese and dill, pulsing twice to blend. Empty into a large mixing bowl.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and 3/4 cup milk. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid. Using a rubber spatula, push the crumb mixture into the well, working your way around the bowl to form a rough dough. With lightly floured hands, knead the dough three or four times in the bowl.

4. If your dough is really wet and sticky as mine was, you can make these drop scone style. If you think that you can pat your dough out and cut it into pieces, then put dough on a lightly floured work surface. Shape dough into a rectangle or square (or circle) about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 12 pieces. Place on the prepared baking sheets.

5. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. If using two baking sheets as I did, halfway through baking rotate the baking sheets. Remove from the oven and transfer scones to a cooling rack.

Cheddar and Black Pepper Scones

The Olympics are almost here! We weren't going to go to any events but then ended up buying some last minute preliminary curling tickets - one of the few tickets that were left and were relatively cheap. I'm really curious and excited to see how insanely busy it's going to be downtown Vancouver, but I'm also scared at how long it's going to take to get anywhere. The universities/colleges are closed for the two weeks (at least the main ones) so I'll have some time off and will finally catch up on people's blogs and hopefully bake up some exciting stuff! I'm thinking doughnuts, but we'll see.

Looking back over all the food I have yet to blog about, I notice that I haven't been baking much! Since Christmas I haven't baked anything sweet at all actually. I've been making lots of scones though, like these cheddar & black pepper scones. The first time I made them I used all whole wheat flour instead of all purpose, and they were so aggravatingly crumbly. I even added more yogurt than was suggested and it still wasn't enough - how can 3/4-1 cup yogurt be enough for 3 cups flour? Anyway, I persevered and made them again the next week, this time adding even more yogurt and substituting some all purpose flour. Great success! I've also made some other scones/biscuits recently, but these ones have the best texture - not too doughy, just nice and biscuity. These are my new favourite scones for sure. I'm in the mood to make lots of other kinds of savoury scones or muffins - any suggestions?

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Apple Cheddar Scones
Baking Powder Biscuits
Caramelized Onion, Sage & Cheddar Muffins
Maple Cornmeal Drop Biscuits

Cheddar and Black Pepper Scones
Adapted from The Best American Recipes 1999

Makes 12 scones

2 cups whole wheat flour (280 grams)
1 cup all purpose flour (140 grams)
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
1 1/3 to 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt (I used 2%)

Sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt and pepper into a large bowl. Cut in the butter and cheese.

Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400°F and set a rack on the upper-middle level. Grease a heavy baking sheet or line it with parchment paper.

Gently stir enough yogurt into the flour mixture to make a soft, sticky dough. Gather the dough into a ball with your hands. On a well-floured surface, roll or pat the dough into an 12-x-8-inch rectangle approximately 3/4 inch thick. Try not to handle the dough too much, and don't worry if it looks rough. Use a dough scraper or knife to cut the dough into 12 squares/rectangles. Transfer the scones to the baking sheet. (I find it easiest to cut them in squares/rectangles but feel free to cut them any way you want or use a rimmed glass or cookie/biscuit cutter to cut out circles.)

Bake the scones for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are brown on the bottom and very lightly brown on top. Don't overbake; break one open to test for doneness. Transfer to cooling racks to cool briefly and then serve as soon as possible.

Apple Cheddar Scones

I really adore scones but I don't seem to make them very often (looking back through my blog). I guess because I find them harder to make healthy and I know I'll want to eat them all! Like these apple cheddar scones. I've been really curious about the combination of apples and cheddar in baked goods (like apple and cheddar pie). These scones were super delicious and soft and perfect, though they were neither very apple-y nor very cheesy. The only bad thing was that the dried apples that were sticking out burned. I think that's unavoidable though? And for me the stoneground cornmeal added a bit too much crunch, but my boyfriend liked it.

And I have discovered (maybe you all know this and I'm a little slow) that if you freeze scones right after they cool, then when you thaw them out they maintain their crispy edges!! How insanely awesome is that. The crispy edges are one of my favourite parts. If you wait too long to freeeze them, especially if you wait until the next day (when the crispy edges are just gone period) it won't work.

If you live in Canada, don't forget to enter to win an amazing baking giveaway from Epicure Selections! The contest ends Tuesday at 1159pm PST.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Caramelized Onion, Sage and Cheddar Muffins
Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Biscuits
Cinnamon Apple Scones
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Scones

Apple Cheddar Scones
Adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours

Makes 12 scones

1 large egg
1/2 cup cold buttermilk
1/4 cup cold apple juice
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (Ashley note: I used 242 g.)
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup finely diced dried apples

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.

Stir the egg, buttermilk and apple juice together

Whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. Drop in the butter and, using your fingers, toss to coat the pieces of butter with flour. Quickly, working with your fingertips or a pastry blender, cut and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is pebbly. You’ll have pea-size pieces, pieces the size of oatmeal flakes and pieces the size of everything in between.

Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir with a fork just until the dough, which will be very wet and sticky, comes together. If there are still some dry ingredients in the bottom of the bowl, stir them in, but try not to overdo the mixing. Stir in the grated cheese and dried apple.

Still in the bowl, gently knead the dough by hand, or turn it with a rubber spatula 8 to 10 times. Then turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface, pat it into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick and, using a dough scraper or a chef’s knife, cut it into 12 roughly equal pieces; place on the baking sheet. Alternatively, you can just spoon out 12 equal mounds onto the baking sheet. (At this point, the scones can be frozen on the baking sheet, then wrapped airtight. Don’t defrost before baking – just add about 2 minutes to the baking time.)

Bake the scones for 15-20 minutes, or until their tops are golden and somewhat firm. Transfer them to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before serving, or wait for the scones to cool to room temperature.

Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Biscuits

I made these a while ago during my biscuit/scone phase. Well the biscuit/scone phase never really passes, I just figure I should eat healthier baked goods sometimes! These are basic buttermilk biscuits - though perhaps the instructions make them more complicated than they should be? But I guess this is to try and ensure flakey biscuits. I thought mine could have been flakier though, but that could be my own fault not the recipe's. They are however super buttery, and definitely tasty and comforting fresh out of the oven. Sadly, as with most biscuits, once they cool down they lose some of their magic. I like this recipe, but it's the first buttermilk biscuit I've tried so I'm going to try a few more before deciding which one's best!

Next week I start my summer job (which will hopefully be my part time during school job as well) so I will have less time for food blogging, but more time for making money! Money to buy delicious food and ingredients and I guess pay for important things too like school and our mortgage.

We got this basket full of goodies from a fancy grocery store (that my boyfriend's mom had won). As you can see, Abby has claimed it as her own. She likes chewing on it and sitting in it, but mostly she likes chewing on it.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Baking Powder Biscuits
Maple Cornmeal Drop Biscuits
Apricot Orange Scones
Caramelized Onion, Sage and Cheddar Muffins

Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Biscuits
Adapted from Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins & More

Makes 12 small biscuits.

3 1/3 cup all purpose flour, spooned in and leveled, plus additional for kneading and dusting (I used 472 g flour.)
4 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled, plus 2 tbsp melted
1 2/3 cups buttermilk

1. Position the rack in the middle of the oven. Heat the oven to 400F. Have ready a large, ungreased cookie sheet.

2. In a large bowl, thoroughly whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. Shave the chilled butter into 1/8 inch slices using a dough scraper or a sharp knife. Add the butter to the dry ingredients, one third at a time, rubbing it between your fingertips to form flake like pieces. Work gently and quickly so the butter doe snot become too warm. You should have both large and small pieces.

4. Add the buttermilk, pouring it around the edges of the bowl. Using a rubber spatula, push the mixture toward the center, working your way around the bowl to blend the buttermilk with the flakes. The mixture will be soft and resemble large curds of cottage cheese. Let stand for 2 or 3 minutes while you prepare the rolling surface.

5. Sprinkle a pastry board or other flat surface generously with flour, about 2 tablespoons. Empty the dough onto the board. The dough will be sticky. With the help of a dough scraper, lift the dough four or five times to coat it with flour. With floured hands, gently knead the dough six or eight times, or just until it forms a "skin" (thin layer of flour on the surface). It's okay if larger particles of butter are visible. Do not overwork the dough or your biscuits will not be tender. When the dough is ready, slide aside and clean the work surface.

6. Place the dough on the flat surface and pat it lightly with floured hands, shaping it into a rectangle. Roll the dough into a 10 x 14 inch rectangle, with the 10 inch side parallel to the edge of the counter. Fold the dough into thirds, like a business letter. To do this, lift the far side of the pastry cloth up and fold the top third of the dough over on itself. Press the dough to align the edges as best you can. Lift the lower edge of the dough and flip the bottom third of the dough over on itself, keeping the edges as best you can. You will now have there layers of dough. Press the top gently with your hands, then roll the dough into a 5 x 15 inch strip, with a thickness of a generous 1/2 inch.

7. Cut the dough into 12 rectangles and place on the cookie sheet inverted, about 1 1/2 inches apart. (This is my easy way of cutting biscuits. I hate rerolling dough.)

8. Brush the tops with the melted butter and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the biscuits from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes before loosening with a thin metal spatula. Serve the biscuits warm. If baking ahead, warm the biscuits for a few minutes in a 300F oven.

Cinnamon Apple Scones

It's hard for me to think about writing about these scones when it is so insanely hot out!! Okay not as hot as I'm sure it is in other places in the world, and not as humid - but it's hot for me! And my very furry cat. But anyway. The scones. Supremely extraordinarily awesome. These are the best scones I've ever made. And my boyfriend's favourite scones (and he doesn't like scones). They're definitely best on the first day, and of course best minutes out of the oven. Perfect soft moist insides, crumbly edges (oh how I love crumbly edges on biscuits/scones/muffins), flakey edges. Just really awesome. They are a bit of a pain to make - well not really, just more of a pain than regular scones - but definitely worth it. And I have to mention that it's important to peel the apples (I usually don't peel fruits/vegetables when recipes say to) otherwise you get strange chewy pieces.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Apricot Orange Scones
Baking Powder Biscuits
Pecan Sour Cream Biscuits
Orange Cream Cheese Muffins

Cinnamon Apple Scones
Adapted from Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins & More

Makes 12 scones

1 medium apple, peeled, cored, and diced into 1/4" pieces
2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus additional for kneading and rolling
6 tbsp sugar
4 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 cup plus 2 tbsp heavy cream
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk

Finishing
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 large egg beaten with 1 tsp water, for egg wash

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat mat.

2. Combine the cake and all purpose flours, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes, or until the mixture forms pea-size bits. Blend in the apple.

3. Whisk together the cream, egg and egg yolk. Remove the paddle attachment and replace with the dough hook. Add the egg/cream mixture to the flour mixture and blend on low speed JUST until a dough is formed.

4. Sprinkle a pastry board or other flat surface with about 2 tablespoons of flour. Empty the dough onto the board with the aid of a palm-size plastic bowl scraper or a rubber spatula. Dust the dough lightly with flour. With floured hands, knea six to eight times to form a "skin", then press it into a square about 8 inches. With the aid of a dough scraper, move the dough aside and clean the work surface.

5. Lay a pastry cloth on the surface and fit a rolling pin with a pastry sleeve. Rub an additional 2 tablespoons of flour into the pastry cloth and sleeve.

6. On a floured surface, roll/pat the dough into a 10x12 inch rectangle, with the 10 inch side parallel to the edge of the counter. Fold the dough into thirds like a business letter. To do this, lift the far side of the pastry cloth and fold the top third of the dough over onto itself. Press the dough to align the edges as best you can. Lift the lower edge of the pastry cloth and flip the bottom third of the dough over on itself. You will now have three layers of dough. Press the top gently with your hands, then roll into a 5 x 15 inch strip.

7. Cut the dough into 12 pieces either using a dough scraper, a knife, or a 2 inch biscuit cutter. I cut mine into triangles. When placing on the cookie sheet, invert each scone, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart. Stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Brush the tops with the egg wash, then sprinkle with the sugar/cinnamon mixture.

8. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and let cool on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes before loosening with a thin, metal spatula. Serve the scones warm. If baking ahead, warm the scones in a 300F oven.

Baking Powder Biscuits

Thank you all so much for your many suggestions for bean and lentil recipes! I will definitely try some of them out and hopefully my love for beans/lentils will grow a bit more. I shouldn't be spending much time to update my blog considering that my finals are just about to start, but food blogs are a good break from studying evaporation systems, filtration systems, and the cheese making process (admittedly the last one is more interesting).

I'm going through a little biscuit/scone obsession over here. I haven't made too many biscuits and I'm starting off slow with some baking powder biscuits and some buttermilk biscuits (that I'll be posting about soon). There are many yummy biscuits and savoury bread-like things out there that I want to try like quick and easy ricotta cheese biscuits, sun dried tomato cottage cheese muffins, cheddar and dill beer bread rolls, and three cheese and beer bread. I really haven't explored the world of savoury baked goods enough! This baking powder biscuit is really simple but I'm sure you could fancy it up by adding herbs, cheeses, or small bits of sauteed vegetables. I think I overworked my dough a bit but I'm sure I'll improve on that in my many biscuit adventures to come.

Random Abby picture.

If this sounds, you might also like:
Caramelized Onion, Sage & Cheddar Muffins
Maple Cornmeal Drop Biscuits
Pecan Sour Cream Biscuits
Whole Wheat Cheddar Scones

Baking Powder Biscuits
Adapted from The Complete Canadian Living Baking Book

Makes 12 biscuits

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
3/4 cup milk

Line baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat mat.

In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Using pastry blender, cut in butter until crumbly. Pour all but 2 tbsp of the milk over top, stirring with fork to form soft ragged dough.

Turn out onto floured surface. With lightly floured hands, knead gently until dough comes together. Pat or roll out to 1/2 inch (1 cm) thickness. Using 2 1/4 inch (5.5 cm) floured cutter, cut out rounds. Place on prepared pan. Gather up scraps and repat dough; cut out more rounds, pressing remaining scraps into final biscuit.

Brush tops with remaining milk. Bake in centre of 400F oven until golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool.

Maple Cornmeal Drop Biscuits

If I could only have two cookbooks, they would be Rebar: Modern Food Cookbook and Baking: From My Home To Yours. I know tons of Dorie Greenspan recipes have been posted online, especially due to Tuesdays with Dorie, but that in no way should deter you from wanting to own this cookbook. It's the most beautiful baking book full of photos and delicious recipes. There's something about it that makes me feel comforted and happy just looking through it.

These maple cornmeal drop biscuits were extremely easy to make. The biscuits are yummy, buttery and have slightly crispy outsides on the day you bake them. I've tried a few different cornbread recipes, hoping to come across the "right" one, and I feel like now I've found it in these biscuits. Oh and did I mention how wonderfully moist they are?

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Candied Maple Walnut Pancake Loaf
Apricot Orange Scones
Caramelized Onion, Sage and Cheddar Muffins
Pecan Sour Cream Biscuits

Maple Cornmeal Drop Biscuits
Adapted from Baking: From My Home To Yours

I baked these for 12 minutes instead of the recommended 15.

Makes 12

1 cup (121 g) all purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 stick (6 tbsp) cold unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.

In a bowl, whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Drop in the butter and, using your fingers, toss to coat the pieces of butter with flour. Quickly, working with your fingertips or a pastry blender, cut and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is pebbly. You'll have pieces the size of peas and oatmeal flakes.

Stir the milk and maple syrup together and pour over the dry ingredients. Grab a fork and toss and gently turn until the ingredients are mostly combined and you've got a very soft dough. Don't worry if the dough doesn't look evenly mixed. Scoop 12 mounds of dough onto the baking sheet.

Bake the biscuits for about 15 minutes, or until they are puffed and golden brown.

Banana-Date Scones

I've made a lot of healthy muffins in the last year and I think I'm finally getting a bit sick of them. So I went for this healthier scone recipe. At first I wasn't sure whether I liked them, and what I thought of the copious amount of dates but then I grew to really really love them. I don't know how to describe their texture (and how does one describe the texture difference between a muffin - a real muffin not a cupcake muffin - and a scone? I know there's a difference I just can't seem to get the words out.) They had a nice "bite" to them is all I can think to say. They weren't dry but also weren't cakey and soft. In any case, they were delicious and I will be making them again and again. Though next time not with dates as I do not enjoy chopping very sticky dates (yes I could add oil to the knife but I don't want to use extra oil though I guess it wouldn't be that much). So next time I'll use raisins and I'm sure it will be yummy.

I want to find a really healthy scone recipe with no fat but I don't have a lot of experience with scones. Maybe I can use yogurt as a fat replacer? I'm not sure which ingredients are absolutely necessary so they don't become a crumbly mess. With muffins I usually replace the oil/butter with applesauce but I'm not so sure that would work with scones.

Other healthy baked goods:
Applesauce-Oat Bran Muffins
Chocolate Walnut Banana Bread
Mini Pear Loaves
Pumpkin Pecan Raisin Muffins

Banana-Date Scones
Adapted from Veganomicon

My changes were to use all whole wheat flour, a bit less salt, soy milk instead of rice milk and honey instead of brown rice syrup since I didn't have any (so use brown rice syrup for a vegan version). Next time I'll use raisins instead of dates.

8 ounces dates
1 tbsp whole wheat flour
1 cup mashed, very ripe banana
2 tbsp ground flaxseeds
1/3 cup soy milk
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup honey
2 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350F and prepare two baking sheets (with Silpats, parchment paper, or oil).

Finely chop the dates, place in a small bowl, and sprinkle with 1 tbsp flour. Toss the dates to thoroughly coat with the flour, breaking apart any clumps. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flaxseeds and milk. Whisk in the mashed banana, canola oil and honey. In a separate bowl, sift together the whole wheat flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir into the banana mixture until the ingredients are just moistened; the dough will be thick yet sticky. Fold in the chopped dates and walnuts.

Use a 1/2 cup measuring cup or cookie scoop and scoop generous half-cupfuls of dough onto a baking sheet, leaving about 3 inches of space between the scones. Gently pat down the tops of the scones. Bake for 32 to 34 minutes until browned and firm. Transfer from the baking sheets to a cooling rack to completely cooling.

Whole Wheat Cheddar Scones

The last bout of baking books I ordered, I had two I knew I wanted - The Essential Baker & Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins and More. Either those two books didn't add up to $39 to get the free shipping, or I just got really enticed by this little Simply Scones cookbook. Because really, what's better than scones?? I think the brownie scones really helped win me over, but so far all I've made are the cheese scones. Cheese scones are the kind I grew up eating (and I'm undecided as to whether they have to be refrigerated).

Lisa and I have been talking about scones as she seems to be the master of making healthy and delicious scones - like Coconut, Currant and Cashew Yogurt Scones and Sour Cherry Jam Scones! And go check out how beautiful and high they are. Mine were so flat. Lisa says that you can take out the eggs without replacing them with anything and the scones should be fine, though they will be drier (correct me if I'm wrong Lisa!) My guess is that you'd need to add a bit more milk though if it seems too dry, or yogurt can act as an egg replacer. Mmm yogurt cheese scones. (Edit: Lisa says she replaces an egg with 1/4 cup soy yogurt. And that "a scone made with eggs gives you a more "cake-like" texture where as a scone made without eggs has a more "bread-like" texture".)

This is a simple scone recipe that you can modify and make whatever kind of scone sounds good to you! I think it would be good with a mix of dried fruit, such as apricots, figs and raisins. And I like that there's no sugar in it.

Edit June 21/10: While these scones were decent, for a whole wheat cheese scone I'd recommend making these instead.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Scones
Pecan Sour Cream Biscuits
Apricot Orange Scones

Whole Wheat Cheddar Scones
Adapted from Simply Scones

Makes 8 scones.

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Generous dash ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/3 cup unsalted butter, chilled
1/3 cup milk
2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 400F.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Stir in the cheese. Cut the butter into 1/2 inch cubes and distribute them over the flour mixture. With a pastry blender or two knives used scissors fashion, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, stir together the milk and 2 eggs. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir until combined.

Spread the dough into an 8 inch diameter circle in the center of the prepared baking sheet. With a serrated knife, cut into 8 wedges. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of a scone comes out clean.*

Transfer the scones to the wire rack to cool. Serve warm, or cool completely and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

*Personally it seems really weird to test a scone with a toothpick, but maybe that's just me.