Cinnamon Scones

Do you ever want to just do something different? I feel like that ALL the time! I decided to delve into the world of scones. I’ll never look back now! They are seriously SO delicious and so fast and easy in the morning. They can even be a great after-school snack or we’ve even had them for dessert. They’re so versatile.

 And for some reason, when I make them I feel a little more sophisticated…maybe a little British! Ha! Actually, recently my husband has been drinking lemon herbal tea with local honey for his allergies. Last time I made these, he curled up on the couch with his tea and scone and thoroughly enjoyed it, while I sat by and giggled to tears.

The possibilities of different combinations for scones is endless. My next scone adventure…White Chocolate Raspberry. Can’t wait! 

For the scones: 1 1/2 cups flour + more for cutting board
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into 1/2" cubes
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (sour cream can be substituted)
1 egg
1/2 cup cinnamon chips

For the glaze: 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons milk

Preheat the oven to 350F. Cover a cookie sheet with nonstick spray, parchment paper or nonstick pad.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tarter, salt and cinnamon).

Cut in butter, using a pastry cutter or fork until the butter is the size of peas.
In a separate bowl, whisk together egg and yogurt. Add to the dry mixture and mix until just combined.

Turn dough out onto floured cutting board. Knead a few times to bring the dough together, and shape into a ball. Gently press down to make the dough into a disc, approximately 8-9" in diameter. Use a sharp knife to cut (like a pizza) into eight triangles.

Transfer scones to the prepared baking sheet, making sure to space about 2" apart (they will increase in size as they bake). Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

While the scones are cooling, make the glaze by whisking all ingredients together until smooth. Drizzle over completely-cooled scones just before serving and allow the glaze to dry slightly before serving.

Makes eight scones, or four large scones if you prefer. Store the un-glazed scones in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. Keep the glaze refrigerated. Or, store the prepared scones in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months.

*From Buttercream Fanatic 

BYU Brownies

These are MY take on the BYU Brownie. I’m not much of a mint fan, but these are delicious! I use my homemade brownies with a mint buttercream, topped with a chocolate ganache. These are a total hit!

For the Brownie:

In a bowl, combine and stir until thickened: 3/4 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup melted butter
1/2 cup boiling water

Add in order listed:
2 cups sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/3 cup melted butter
1 tsp vanilla

Then add:
1 1/3 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt

Stir in a little less than 1 cup chocolate chips. (no more or brownies may fall apart when cut)
Pour into greased 9x13 inch cake pan. Bake 30-35 minutes in a 350 degree oven, or until brownies begin to pull away from sides or toothpick inserted comes out clean. Do not over bake. Cool in pan.

For the Mint Icing:

5 Tbsp. margarine
dash of salt
3 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
2 1/3 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. mint extract
1-2 drops green food coloring

Soften margarine. Add salt, corn syrup, and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add mint extract and food coloring. Mix. Add milk gradually until the consistency is a little thinner than cake frosting.
Spread mint icing over cooled brownies. Place brownies in the freezer for a short time to stiffen the icing. Remove from the freezer and add a layer of chocolate ganache.

Chocolate Ganache:

2 cups chocolate chips
4T heavy whipping cream

Combine together and put in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 20 second increments, stirring in between, until it’s smooth. Remove brownie pan from the freezer and pour on ganache. Allow ganache to cool and set and cut into squares. Enjoy!

*Icing from BYU Magazine

Mississippi Roast

I’m always game for a new roast recipe that I can do in the crock pot. This might be my new favorite!! It’s SO delicious, moist and flavorful. 5 simple ingredients and you’re set for the perfect Sunday dinner!

1 3-pound chuck roast
1 1-ounce packet of dry ranch seasoning mix
1 1-ounce packet of dry au jus gravy mix
6 tbsp. butter
¼ cup water
5-6 pepperoncini

Add ¼ cup of water into the insert of your slow cooker then place the chuck roast on top. Sprinkle the dry ranch seasoning mix on top of the chuck roast, then sprinkle the dry au jus mix on top, then place 6 tbsp. of butter on top of the roast, and finally 5-6 pepperoncini around the roast.

Cook on low for 8 hours. Shred and serve with gravy.

*You can serve this with a side of mashed potatoes and vegetables, or serve it on top of white/brown rice, or make a sandwich out of it. The gravy can get pretty salty by itself so I’d go light on the salt for the side dishes that you’re serving with this roast.

* From Table For Two

Andes Mint Cookies

This is a fun dessert to do with the kids for St. Patrick’s Day. They loved that they were green and Justin loved them cause they were mint. I love that these cookies don’t require a mixer and the butter is melted. I never like to stray from my favorite cookie recipe, but this was way too interesting to skip.

We’ve made them several times with just vanilla and chocolate chips and they are SO good!! The cornstarch is also an interesting mix. It’s also a good cookie recipe to make with kids because they can stir at all stages.

They make a great, fluffy cookie…just how I like it.

2 1/4 cups flour
1 t baking soda
1 1/2 t cornstarch
1/2 t salt
3/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar, loosely packed
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1/4 t peppermint extract
1 small bag Andes Mints, chopped

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt.
In a different medium size bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together until no brown sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the egg, then the egg yolk. Finally, whisk in the peppermint extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be very soft, yet thick. Fold in the chopped Andes Mints. They may not stick to the dough because of the melted butter, but do your best to have them evenly dispersed among the dough.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop 1T of the dough and roll it into a ball and put on the cookie sheet. After the cookie sheet is filled, place in the fridge for about 5-10 minutes. This helps the cookies stay fluffy instead of going flat.

Put in oven and bake for about 8-9 minutes. They will look underdone, but resist the urge to bake them longer. Remove from the oven and let sit for about 5 minutes then move to a cooling rack. Enjoy!!

*Adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction

German Chocolate Cookies

Justin loves all things German Chocolate, so I’m always on the hunt for a variety of that. These cookies are delicious and sure to satisfy a German Chocolate craving without having to make an entire giant cake.

Cookies:
1 box German Chocolate cake
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil

Frosting:
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 t vanilla
1-1/3 cups Coconut Flakes
1 cup chopped pecans


For the cookies:
In a medium bowl, stir together the cake mix, eggs and and oil until moist. Mixture will be thick. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of batter onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets. (You can make them bigger, but I like to keep them bite-sized and plus it makes more. If you make them bigger, you’ll only get about 12-15 cookie sandwiches. If you make them smaller, you get about 20-25.) Bake at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes depending on the size. They’re ready to come out when the tops start to crack.
Let them sit for a few minutes on the cookie sheet before removing them to a cooling rack.


For the Frosting:
To start, spread the coconut flakes and pecans onto a cookie sheet and put in a 350 degree oven. Stirring every few minutes, let them toast in the oven until they are slightly browned and very fragrant, making sure not to burn them (about 5-8 minutes.) Remove and set aside.
Stir together sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks and butter in medium saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbly - about 10-12 minutes. Remove everything from heat; stir in vanilla, coconut and pecans. Cool to room temperature.

Valentines Day Pancakes

I wanted to make a special Valentines Breakfast for my family. So I went on the hunt for an EASY recipe. I knew I wanted Red Velvet, but didn’t want to make a whole “from scratch” thing. This was the perfect recipe!

They are made using a box Red Velvet cake. They were SO fluffy, moist and delicious! I was going to top them with a regular cream cheese drizzle, but decided to amp it up with a Nutella. SO DELICIOUS!! And the perfect Valentines treat for the family! Next time you want to show your family that you really love them…make these:)

Red Velvet Pancakes:

1 1/4 cups flour
2 cups red velvet cake mix
1 T sugar
3/4 t baking powder
pinch of salt
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1-2 cups milk (I used closer to 2)

Whisk together all ingredients except for 1 cup milk.
Add remaining milk 1/4 cup at a time until you’ve reached your desired “pancake consistency” (thinner batter for thinner pancakes, thicker batter for thicker pancakes.)
Pour pancake batter 1/4 cup at a time onto a preheated (about 300º) and buttered griddle or skillet.
When bubbles form on top, flip and cook for another minute or two on the other side.

*Pancakes from somethingswanky.com


Nutella Cream Cheese Drizzle:

1 t vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
4 T Nutella
4 T cream cheese
milk as needed

Put cream cheese and Nutella in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for about 20 seconds to soften. Once you can stir with a spoon (it will be thick), add powdered sugar and vanilla. Add milk little by little while whisking until you’ve reached your desired consistency. Drizzle over pancakes. You don’t need a lot. Now ENJOY your special day!!!

* Drizzle from anyonita-nibbles.co.uk

Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

These are an easy, fun dinner. I also love that I can make them for dinner and then put them in Bryce’s lunch for school. I’m contemplating making them and freezing them individually for lunches. I love having different options for school lunches. They were a hit and I will definitely be making them again.

1 1/2 C warm water
2 T sugar
1 T yeast
1/2 t salt
4-4 1/2 C flour
1 pound deli ham, sliced thin
2 C cheddar cheese, shredded


Pour 1 1/2 C warm water into your stand mixer and preheat your oven to 170 degrees. Add sugar and yeast. Turn the mixer on low for about 30 seconds allowing the ingredients to combine. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes, or until it gets all bubbly .Add salt and flour. Turn the mixer on to low and let the flour mix in. Add the rest of the flour (2 1/2 cups worth) one cup at a time. When the dough pulls itself away from the side of the bowl, you have enough flour.


Turn the mixer to medium speed and allow it to knead for 5 minutes.


Spray your counter with cooking spray, divide the dough into two equal parts and allow them to rest on the counter for 10 minutes. Don’t skip this step. If you don’t let the dough rest it won’t roll out nicely. After the dough has rested roll it out into a large rectangle. Cover it with half of the ham and sprinkle it with 1 cup of cheddar cheese.


Roll the dough up starting at the longer end.Spray a large knife with cooking spray and slice the roll into 12 rounds. Place each pinwheel into a greased 9x13 pan barely touching. Repeat steps above with the other half of the dough. If you run out of space, you might have to use an additional 8x8 pan.

Place pans into your warm 170 degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until they start to rise just a bit. You don’t want them to get super puffy, you just want the dough to have the chance to expand a little.
Turn the oven up to 350 degrees (don’t take the pans out of the oven) and let the pinwheels bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown along the top and bottom.


Take the pans out of the oven and let the pinwheels rest for about 5 minutes. Enjoy!!


*From jamiecooksitup.net