SoupSpoon

Raspberry Cream Scones

Every week we take a sabbath where we rest, do one thing at a time, and enjoy allowing our minds to table talks about money, production, or work. Yesterday we sabbathed and today I am so much more grateful for rest and the work it naturally inspires me to do. It often feels that one could never take a day where you log out of your computer, do not check your email, even step away from your phone if that is what it takes, turn off the washer, and just be. I promise that if you give it a try you will be at first horrified at how dependent you unconsciously became on those things, and secondly you will be utterly grateful for the mandated break. Sit around the table awhile longer... There is just no place you should be instead.

As we started our day, I slowly made a batch of scones while sipping on my green smoothie Stephen made me. These scones are incredibly simple and perfectly delicious. Only two teaspoons of sugar, they surprised me with how simply sweet they are and how moist. The most disappointing scone to me is one in which you have to choke down each dry little crumb. These are like biscuits with raspberries. Perfect.

I followed Fannie Farmer's recipe and then added about 1 cup of frozen raspberries. I imagine these would be delicious plain or with fresh or frozen blueberries as well.

We made a batch, filled our mugs with decaf, and then picked at them until lunch.

Somewhere in there we decided to take a picture, and I thought you might enjoy it. Here we are at twenty weeks pregnant.

We are more ecstatic about this little child than we can truly express to anyone. I pray this child knows that, always.

Raspberry Cream Scones makes 12

From Fannie Farmer

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup unsalted butter, really cold and cut into small dice

2 eggs

1/2 cup heavy cream (I ended up needing over 3/4 cup)

1 cup frozen raspberries

1. Heat oven to 450. Sift together, flour, powder, sugar, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or two forks like you would for biscuits or pie crust.

2. In another little bowl crack the two eggs. Reserve a bit of the egg white in a separate bowl to brush the tops of the scones with before baking. Beat the rest of the two eggs together and fold into flour / butter mixture.

3. Fold in the heavy cream unti the dough can hold together. It will not be 'wet' but the dough should be soft and flexible but firm enough to hold together.

4. Knead in the bowl a few times.

5. Roll out onto floured surface until 3/4 inch thick. Cut into squares. Brush with egg white (mixed with 1 teaspoon water), sprinkle with a bit more sugar, and then bake for 15-18 minutes. Enjoy!

I wish I had a picture

Deciding how to log into this space and follow the post on announcing our baby (!) has not been an easy decision to make. How do I jump right into the next recipe when I am still so eager to be shouting the news from the top of the page? Nevertheless, another post needs to be made, and so here I am trying to whisk it into shape.

The recipes I want to tell you about are french toast and beef stew, but another really good reason for my stalling to tell you is that I do not have a good picture. To be honest I have no pictures of the final products. Telling you about them is nothing without a picture to really tell you. So I have stalled, acted like it was okay to be silent, and then daily miss talking with you.

I find this to be one of the hardest parts of this blog, to be honest. I end up with the prettiest plates when the sunlight is not very good, the kitchen lights make my plate look dull, or my arm is so busy stirring I can't take a second to snap a shot. I often try really hard to make it work, which typically involves Stephen's help holding lamps in just the right place, but alas this is a lot of work when you are hungry and the plate is slowly growing cold as I focus and manipulate each morsel.

Of course I could buy a black umbrella shade light thing that real photographers use, and maybe when I have a precious little baby face around I will decide it is finally worth the cost, but as of yet, I have always talked myself out of it by saying, "This works just fine..."

If I had a picture, I would tell you about the most comfortable bowl of the simplest beef stew that was perfect in the middle of a cold icy night. Or I would describe the french toast that takes no measuring and is ready by the time your husband hops out of the shower.

Today, though, I will just have to pause to say hello. Then when I get a pot of stew made in the middle of a picture perfect sunny afternoon, I will take a few, just as well as I can, and then we can have a full discussion about salty potatoes and perfectly tender fall-apart meat.