Light and fluffy scones

This recipe produces light and fluffy buttermilk scones - they can be mixed with any sort of dried fruit, or even fresh fruit.  Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

2.75 c lour
1/3 c sugar
1 T baking powder (if you are using fresh fruit, use aluminum free baking powder)
1 t baking soda
6 ounces (170 g) cold butter
1 c buttermilk (or 1/2 c buttermilk and 1/2 c cream)
1 c of your favorite dried or fresh fruit (if using fresh, reduce total liquid amount to 3/4 c)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 170, and combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda in a small bowl
2. Combine butter and flour mixture, and mix until it is the texture of course sand - you can do this in a food processor with short bursts, or with a pastry cutter.
3. Fold in fruit and buttermilk by hand - combine until dough just comes together.
4. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead gently to make a ball - then roll it out into an approximately 1/2" thick circle and cut into 8-10 triangles (you can also make the scones into little balls or whatever shape you want - just don't overwork the dough).
5. Bake on ungreased baking sheet for 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned.

Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread

Originally, I had this recipe posted as an adapted version of a recipe from Cook's Illustrated. However, I am revising this recipe in favor of a simpler, wheatier version based on a recipe from 101 Cookbooks called "Irish Mum's Brown Bread". The only thing to note is that my bread required significantly more liquid, perhaps because I was using coarse wheat flour or thick buttermilk. In any case, follow your intuition about the right texture for the batter - it should be like a thick quick-bread.

Ingredients

3 c coarse-ground whole wheat flour

1 c white bread flour

1 t salt

4 T butter, melted

2-3 T honey (use more if you want your bread sweet)

2 c buttermilk

1 egg

extra warm water

Instructions

1) Heat the oven to 400 degrees and adjust a rack to the center position. Combine flours, salt, baking soda in a large mixing bowl.

2) Mix buttermilk and melted butter. Then add egg and honey.

3) Work the liquid into the flour mixture until the dough comes together in large clumps. Add extra water as needed until the dough is roughly the consistency of a thick brownie mix.

4) Pour the batter into a prepared pan (either a loaf tin or a pyrex dish) and bake for 50 minutes. Resist the urge to take the bread out early, even if it is browning on top, or else the middle of the bread will not be fully cooked.

Carmelized Onion and Goat Cheese Cornbread

This cornbread takes a bit of time, but it is absolutely delicious. The texture is a bit heavier and more cake-like than traditional versions. Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen.

Ingredients

1 c polenta (coarse cornmeal)

2 c buttermilk

1 large onion, diced

1 3/4 c all-purpose flour

1.5 T baking powder

1/4 t baking soda

1 t salt

6 oz soft goat cheese (at room temperature)

2 T honey

1/4 c sugar

3 large eggs (at room temperature)

2 T butter, melted

Instructions

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare the onions: heat a large saute pan to medium, heat 1-2 T oil, then add the onions and cook until they are well-caramelized. Season with salt and set aside.

2) Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.

3) In a large mixing bowl, beat the goat cheese until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time and scraping down the bowl between each.
4) Combine the cornmeal and buttermilk and let sit 5-10 minutes.

5) Add the melted butter, honey, sugar and cornmeal/buttermilk mixture and mix until smooth.

6) Add the flour mixture and stir until combined.

7) Prepare a 9x13 inch baking pan, pour in the batter and spread it evenly, then sprinkle the caramelized onion over the top. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the cornbread is firm and springing.

Allow the bread to cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before slicing it into squares or wedges. Serve immediately.