White chocolate and raspberry scones.

So back in the day (last spring), I made these scones for my sister's bridal shower brunch. And although they tasted great, making them made me feel like I was on the set of a disaster movie. When it comes to scones, you have to remember one very important thing: Do not attempt to roll the dough out, cut the wedges, and then imagine you will lift said wedges onto the baking sheet. Not gonna happen. What does happen is the inherent stickiness of the dough will proceed to stick, in copious amounts, to anything it touches, and does not come off easily. Well, thought this novice baker, I'll just add flour. Wrong-o. This only serves to make your scones heavy and and brick-like. So this time around, I was ready.

One small tweak to a great recipe (dropping the dough directly onto the baking sheet), and you've got delicious white chocolate and raspberry scones to show off to your friends. Instead of scraping "scones" off your countertop for hours.

White Chocolate Raspberry Scones

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar, plus two tablespoons for dusting--can also use raw sugar for texture
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash of cinnamon
6 tablespoons butter, cold or even frozen
1/3 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 egg
Clotted cream, for serving (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375℉.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in cold butter; another option is to grate the frozen butter which works really well. The mixture should be very crumbly. Stir in chocolate chips and raspberries. Frozen raspberries should be thawed and dried before use.

Mix together yogurt, vanilla and egg. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Be careful not to over mix.

It's not necessary to knead the dough at this point--remember the stickiness. Plus the dough was far too moist, an additional cup or so of flour would have been needed for any proper kneading to be done--remember the brickiness.

Scoop all of the dough onto a lightly greased baking sheet (or onto a Silpat-lined sheet). With lightly floured hands, use your fingers to shape the dough into a 10-inch circle, about a 1/2-inch thick. Now score the circle deeply into eight wedges, like pizza slices.

Brush some leftover yogurt or egg wash (one egg plus 1 tablespoon water) on top of the dough, then sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of sugar over the entire area.

Bake for 18 - 20 minutes, or until golden, fluffy and when a toothpick is inserted it comes out clean.

Cut into wedges following the lines you made earlier, and serve warm. I prefer clotted cream on mine, and you could even go the extra traditional route and eat the scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam. Whatever you choose, your tastebuds will thank you.

Beignets a la Cafe du Monde

My current obsession with the South hasn't abated much. In a place where the food is synonymous with the culture, I think I could definitely feel at home. Since my imagination is always bigger than my wallet, I can't exactly jet off to Cafe du Monde in New Orleans for the weekend and enjoy hot beignets absolutely rolling in powdered sugar. But I can recreate that last part in my own kitchen, and pretend I'm people watching in the French Quarter and chowing down on fried goodness. Pair this with a chicory coffee--or chicory hot chocolate for the decaffeinated populace--and you can (almost) be there with me. Warning: Do not wear black unless you want the entire world to know exactly what you've been eating that morning.

Cafe du Monde Beignets

Ingredients:

1 envelope active dry yeast
3/4 cup water (110 degrees F)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup evaporated milk
3 1/2 - 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 cup shortening
Vegetable oil for frying
Powdered sugar in a shaker or sifter

Directions

Combine the yeast, water, and sugar in the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook (you could also make this in a food processor, or the old fashioned way, by hand). Let this sit until frothy, about five minutes, then add the salt, egg, and evaporated milk. Mix on low speed, then add half of the flour until it starts to come together, then add the shortening. When the shortening is incorporated start adding the remaining flour, a little at a time until most of it is incorporated. At this time I turn the dough onto a floured bench to finish by hand, just like when I make bread; it's a touch thing. Knead the dough adding just enough flour as necessary to make a non-sticky, smooth dough. Place the dough into a large oiled bowl, loosely cover and let rise (I made mine last night and let it rise overnight in the refrigerator).

After the dough has doubled in bulk, punch it down and turn it onto a floured surface and roll out into a rectangle that is about 1/2" thick. With a very sharp knife working at a diagonal to the rectangle, cut into 2" wide strips. Now cut into diamond shapes by making diagonal cuts in the opposite direction. Place the beignets on a floured baking sheet to let rise about 40 minutes in a warm place (I place them in a barely warm oven).

When the beignets have risen, heat 2-3 inches of vegetable oil in a large saucepan to 350-360 degrees. Place 2-3 beignets into the hot oil at a time, being careful not to smash or deflate them. When they are golden brown, flip them over until golden brown on the other side (they go pretty quickly so start checking them right after they go into the oil). Remove to paper towel lined plates to drain. Serve hot topped with plenty of powdered sugar (because the dough doesn't contain much sugar, you will want a lot!). Makes about two dozen.

Welcome!

Okay, I know what some of you are thinking (yes, I KNOW): Not another food blog. But good food, especially new recipes, is just one thing you can't get enough of, right? From my own recipes to those I borrow from others, from restaurant reviews to reader requests, I want to use this blog as a forum to present food that is fresh, exciting, simple, and always delicious.

So get your lobster bibs on, because it's time to eat!