While I have done some cooking or baking from OLD cookbooks that is NOT what I mean by Heritage Cooking. This month for Secret Recipe Club my ‘Assignment’ was
Yes, Jane, I got your blog. A little intimidating – I mean YOU ARE THE HOST – but after looking through your blog I found lots of great recipes I could easily do in my little kitchen. And I knew I had to do you proud!! Hope I did!!
Jane’s Blog is The Heritage Cook. Jane says,
I learned to cook at my grandmother’s side, watching her create delicious meals and treats for our family. I love sharing the lessons she taught me. “
And share she does. Just about every post has at least one hint or tip to make kitchen time easier. What to do, what not to do, how to make it better. I learned a lot from Jane just reading through her posts and recipes. And, as is the case with most of the blogs assigned for SRC it was hard to narrow down which one or ones to try. I had six marked for sure but the month of April was completely crazy and I only had time for Three. But they were a good three.
For Breakfast one morning I made Jane’s…
For me THAT was must. I mean, look at my blog title. And even though Fall is far far away the scone that caught my attention was this one. I had made pumpkin scones before and found them very lacking in flavor. NOT THESE!!! They were wonderfully flavorful! I am so glad I made a whole batch because I want these for breakfast EVERY morning. I used butterscotch chips in them and topped them with sprinkled Turbinado sugar which gave a sweet crunchy crust to to the tops. The only change I made in Jane’s recipe was to bake them in a Convection oven with the temp lowered to about 375. They were done in about 18 minutes.
2-3/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon {I used heaping for all the spices.}
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/2 cup cold butter
1 cup to 2 cups minced crystallized ginger, cinnamon chips, or chocolate chips {I used butterscotch.}
2/3 cup canned pumpkin {I actually, accidentally, used 3/4 cups.}
2 large eggs
Coarse white sparkling sugar, for topping
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices. Work in the butter just until the mixture is unevenly crumbly; it’s OK for some larger chunks of butter to remain unincorporated. Stir in the ginger and/or chips, if you’re using them.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin and eggs till smooth. Add the pumpkin/egg to the dry ingredients and stir until all is moistened and holds together.
Line a baking sheet with parchment; if you don’t have parchment, just use it without greasing it. Sprinkle a bit of flour atop the parchment or pan. Scrape the dough onto the floured parchment or pan, and divide it in half. Round each half into a 5 to 6-inch circle. The circles should be about 3/4″ thick. Brush each circle with milk, and sprinkle with coarse white sparkling sugar or cinnamon sugar, if desired. Using a knife or bench scraper that you’ve run under cold water, slice each circle into 6 wedges. Carefully pull the wedges away from the center to separate them just a bit; there should be about 1/2″ space between them, at their outer edges.
For best texture and highest rise, place the pan of scones in the freezer for 30 minutes, uncovered. While the scones are chilling, preheat the oven to 425°F.
Bake the scones for 22 to 25 minutes, or until they’re golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean, with no wet crumbs. If you pull one of the scones away from the others, the edges should look baked through, not wet or doughy. Remove the scones from the oven, and serve warm. Wrap any leftovers airtight, and store at room temperature. Reheat very briefly in the microwave, if desired.
This past Saturday we had our annual Family Reunion. I usually take something sweet but there are usually so many gooey sweet desserts I decided on savory instead. I adapted Jane’s recipe for Creamy Herbed Potatoes Anna to the Slow Cooker and made about 1 1/2 recipes. YUM!! Lots of garlic, thyme, cream and FLAVOR!!
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
1 bunch fresh thyme
1 large white or yellow onion, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
3 lb Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes
4 oz butter, melted
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9x13x2-inch baking pan.
Heat the cream and garlic together with several sprigs of thyme in a small saucepan over medium heat until steaming, but do not let boil. Stir in a pinch of salt. Remove from the heat and let steep while you layer the potatoes and onions.
Meanwhile, if you are using Russet potatoes, peel them. The Yukons do not need to be peeled. Using a mandoline, food processor, or very sharp knife, slice the potatoes as thin as you can and slice the onions the same thickness. There is no need to put the potatoes in water.
Strip the leaves off of about 4 to 5 sprigs of thyme, depending on how much herb flavor you want in your dish.
Start layering the potatoes in the buttered pan, completely covering the bottom. Sprinkle with some of the thyme leaves, salt, and pepper. Top with some of the onions and drizzle with a little of the butter. Repeat layers until you have used all the potatoes and onions. If there is any butter left, drizzle it over the top.
Strain the cream, discarding the solids. Pour the infused cream over the top of the potatoes. Place in the hot oven and bake until potatoes are tender and golden brown on top, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 15 minutes before serving. This lets the potatoes set up and makes serving them easier.
If you want to make them in a Slow Cooker they will need to cook on HIGH for about 3 hours for doneness. I doubled the Garlic Cream sauce even though I only increased the potatoes and onions by 1/2.
And then, last night for dinner we had pork chops with Jane’s
Cheddar, Bacon, and Fresh Chive Biscuits
I am always a sucker for a good biscuit and definitely one with added ingredients – like bacon, chives, cheese!! There were light, tasty and perfect with the pork chops. More Pork!! AND I got to use some of the Chives in my first Herb Garden. It was a Win/Win/Win/Win situation!!
Now about those other recipes on my list. Definitely the
Do I really need to go on?? Thanks, Jane, for all the tasty treats and suppers of the future. I hope I did you proud!!
Now, hop over the the Secret Recipe Club Blog and join in the fun. Discover a new baker/cook/innovator every month.
