Cream Scones

This recipe was originally a Paula Deen recipe (can you tell I like to tweak other people's recipes?). I didn't do much to this one though as it's pretty good as is. I did add more cream and a little lemon zest. If you want a good, moist scone to go with your morning coffee, give these a try.

2 1/2 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup Sugar
2 t. Baking Powder
Zest of 1/2 small Lemon
1/2 t. Fine Sea Salt
1 stick Unsalted Butter
3 oz. Creme Cheese
2/3 cup Heavy cream, plus 1 T. for brushing
1 t. Turbinado Sugar or Sugar Crystals

1. Preheat the oven to 375 (300 for a convection oven). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest.
3. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter and cream cheese until the mixture is crumbly. Add the heavy cream, stirring just until the dry ingredients are moistened.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll or pat the dough to 1-inch thickness.
5. Cut the scones using a 2 1/2" round cookie or biscuit cutter.
6. Place scones on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with the remaining tablespoon cream and sprinkle with turbinado sugar or crystals. Bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes (14 in a convection oven).

Triple Chip Oatmeal Cookies

I found the original version of this recipe on "Brown-Eyed Baker". It's another foodie blog and the woman is a genius. I tweaked this recipe a little and made it my own. It is pretty yummy if I do say so myself. I added more vanilla, switched the chips around, added some cinnamon, and changed the flour. I hope you like it! :-)

1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 1/2 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 t. Baking Powder
1 t. Baking Soda
1/4 t. Fine Sea Salt
1 t. Ground Cinnamon
3 sticks Unsalted Butter, softened
1 1/4 cups Granulated Sugar
1 1/4 cups Light Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
4 t. Vanilla
1 1/2 cups Rolled Oats
1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 cup Milk Chocolate Chips
1/2 cup Peanut Butter Chips

1. Preheat over to 350 (or 300 for a convection oven). Line several cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the vanilla.
4. Gradually beat in the flour mixture at low speed, increasing the speed as the flour is incorporated, mixing only until the dough comes together.
5. With a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate and peanut butter chips.
6. Using a regular sized ice cream scoop, drop the cookies on the prepared cookie sheets about 2 inches apart (about 9 to a sheet). Bake until the cookies are slightly browned and set on the outside, but still soft and puffy in the middle, about 14 minutes (17 in a convection oven). Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for several minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Yield: 31-32 cookies