Morning Madness

Welcome back beeotches,

Today a melt in your mouth pure joy treat.  One of my favorite sinful carboholic foods.  Who can resist something so wonderful as a triumphant, triangular, treat...a sumptuously, simple, surprise...a delectable, divine, deliciousness...Ok enough.

It's a scone for goodness sacs!

This is probably one of the best scone recipes you will ever eat.  I have adapted this recipe from Ina Gartens scone recipe and added a few of my own twists to it.  She uses a technique for the butter that I believe to be crucial in any biscuit or pie dough recipe...hello...she freezes it first...duh it stays colder.  At first I thought why in the world would you do that, and then the end result, flakey, fabulous, fun for your mouth JOY!

Fresh organic berries

I so love Sunday mornings up with the sun while the dogs sleep in, (typically under the covers), drinking a steaming cup of Starbucks Pikes Place and devouring a warm frosting drizzled scone.  Enjoying the sun coming up over the hills.  Feeling the warmth of the sun as the brisk winter air still warrants a blanket . 

The basics

(Anyone ready for the recipe yet?)  

Frozen grated butter, GENIUS!

I like to cut them and separate them slightly before baking.

Baked to golden perfection!!!


I modified the recipe from Ina Garten's Cranberry Orange Scones recipe. The resulting scones are moist and sweet. The strawberries and blackberries cooked down adding a sweet jam like taste.  Substitute your favorite fruit in place of the berries and enjoy your own Sumptuous Sunday. 

 Strawberry/Blackberry Scones

Adapted from Ina Garten's recipe

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
• 1 stick cold unsalted butter, grated
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup cold heavy cream
• 1/2 cup diced strawberries
• 1/2 cup blackberries
• (or fruit of choice)
• 1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water or milk, for egg wash
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 4 teaspoons freshly squeezed orange juice

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix 2 cups of flour, 1/2 cup sugar, the baking powder, salt and orange zest. Add the cold butter and mix at the lowest speed. Combine the egg and heavy cream and, with the mixer on low speed, slowly pour into the flour and butter mixture. Mix until just blended. The dough will look lumpy.  Add the strawberries to the dough, and mix on low speed until blended.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead it into a ball. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 3/4-inch thick. You should see small bits of butter in the dough. Keep moving the dough on the floured board so it doesn't stick. Flour a 3-inch round plain or fluted cutter and cut circles of dough. Place the scones on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Collect the scraps neatly, roll them out, and cut more circles.Brush the tops of the scones with egg wash and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the insides are fully baked. The scones will be firm to the touch.Allow the scones to cool for 15 minutes and then whisk together the confectioners' sugar and orange juice, and drizzle over the scones.


Dont forget to follow me!

Welcome fellow beeotches!

My kitchen my rules!  

Actually, not true, cooking is way more fun when you have someone to do it with, and......there's wine involved.

Take for instance my friend Christine, Honey is what most people call her, we went to culinary school together & we can be in the kitchen and know exactly what the other is doing.  Most of the time she takes the recipe and puts an amazing twist on it, and that usually means bourbon is involved...haha

Jessica, aka pour snob, is the one that pushes me too my flavor limits.  Gotta match the flavor to the wine when cooking with Jess.  We do a lot of tasting when we cook together.....of the wine that is.  (By the way Jessica makes the best chili ever! ok, ok, and mac and cheese "with" bacon).

Debbie, the ultimate sous chef, she preps, she cooks, she cleans, and she is always up for taste testing.  If it has Frank's in it even better...

Kris, she has the most patience, she quietly waits for me to ask "can you try this for me, I think it might be missing something..." and she gladly agrees.

When no one else is around I always have the boys.....Stewart, Mason, and Duke.  If something hits the floor they let me know how it tastes, either by jumping up for more or leaving it right where it fell.  For those of you who know Duke, he has been known to do some counter surfing whether it's good or not, he's a lab, he can't help himself.  Usually they just lay under the table staring at me with big sad "I'm so hungry" eyes.

I really am passionate about cooking and trying new recipes no matter where it comes from, my creation or a twist on someone else's.  I typically take a recipe and twist and turn it until it is all mine, well kinda.  I believe it is a true complement to someone if I try their recipe, as it is when someone wants to try one of mine.

Chef Tim McGrath continues to help me be a better chef by pushing me to try new techniques and ingredients.  He always says "It's all about the sauce", well my hollandaise still needs some work let me tell ya. I refuse to give up, I will not break it again!!!  (and I promise I won't buy it from Trader Joe's anymore).

My goal is to get all of you to push your flavor limits, get out of your comfort zone and try new spices and flavor profiles.  So give it a shot and try a new recipe today!  Have fun trying new flavors, adding new spices, using different techniques, and I will bring you new ideas to continue your journey along with me.

Xo
Tracey

Stuffed Burgers 
makes 8 burgers

   1     lb ground beef
1/4     lb ground pork
1/2     medium onion diced
   2     T Tuscan seasoning ( mine comes from Penzey's Spices in Santa Monica)
   1     head roasted garlic
1/4     c  pancetta diced
1/2     c cremini mushrooms diced
1/2     c sharp cheddar ( or whatever you like)
1/8     c gorgonzola
1/8     c goat cheese
salt & pepper to taste

In a medium pan over med high heat saute pancetta until crisp .  Remove the pancetta and reserve the fat. Return the pan to the heat and add1-2 T of pancetta oil and the onion and cook until light brown or however you like them.  Remove the onion.  Add 1-2 T of pancetta oil back to the pan and saute the mushrooms until tender and slightly brown.  Let cool.

Once the above has cooled take 2/3 of the onion mixture the mushrooms and the pancetta and mix them together.  Add the cheeses to this and mix together.

In a separate bowl mix together the pork and the beef with the 1/3 onion, 2 T of Tuscan seasoning and the entire head of roasted garlic.  Mix thoroughly.  This will make 8 6oz meat patties.

To stuff the patties I flatten one side of the pattie and fill it with 1 or more T of cheese and pancetta mixture.  I then fold over the other half and pinch it together real good so that it doesn't come apart when you grill them.

Grill to your liking, we like them medium rare at my house, about 2-3 min each side on a smoking hot BBQ.  Serve them with your liking of fixings...the usual, lettuce, tomato, extra grilled onion if you like, and whatever dresses your buns...

We ate these with a beautiful Roblar Nebiolo.  They were FABULOUS!!

Enjoy.  Please let me know how you liked them & click the follow me button on my blog to get regular updates & just see what I am making a drinking!! ( the wine selection constantly changes...)

Have a great holiday weekend everyone!