Sour Cherry & Chocolate Chip Scone

I love that the people always say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If that’s the case shouldn’t we be able to eat breakfast all day long-even for dinner. Especially since things like cereal, pancakes, muffins and scones are acceptable meals under this category. 

I’m still trying to sell this bit to my family, but they won’t have it. Matt is under the impression that dinner should consist of something hearty and substantial, like a meat and pasta of some sort.

I’m not convinced. But I’m willing to revisit the issue after the last scone is gone this evening.

A few notes:

• If sour cherries are not available for your area use a fruit that is.
• The dough can be made the night before and baked the next day.
• Scones are best eaten the day of but will last an extra day in a tightly sealed container

Sour Cherry and Chocolate Chip Scone

Serves 6-8 |Preparation: Line bake sheet with parchment or a silpat. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 11/2 tablespoon baking powder
• 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons of heavy cream
• 1 1/4sour cherries, pitted
• 1/4 cup *mini* chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Place flour, almond flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a food processor bowl and pulse 4 times in three second bursts to blend all dry ingredients. Add in cold butter pieces and pulse until mixture resembles wet sand. Pour heavy cream on top and pulse 3-4 times in three second bursts or until dough starts to come together. Turn dough onto floured surface then fold and gently knead sour cherries and mini chocolate chips into the dough. Place dough in the refrigerator for 30minutes to chill for easy handling.
2. Remove dough from refrigerator and place it onto a lightly flour surfaces. Shape dough into an 18x2x1 1/2 inch rectangular log (dough will be slightly sticky). Use the edge of a bench scraper or a knife to cut out triangles. Lightly brush tops with heavy cream and sprinkle raw sugar on top.
3. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until tops and bottom edge start to turn golden. Cool scones on a rack.

Nutella Pastry Pockets

Let me say these are incredible tasting! Hit the jump to Endless Simmer for my recipe write up on this easy Easter Brunch idea and to see who is sharing space with Nutella inside the light airy layers of the puff pastry.

Individual Apple Walnut French Toast Casserole

Here’s the solution . . .

Scale it down and make it in some cupcake liners. No soggy middle and this individual French Toast Casserole can be assembled overnight and ready to serve to a large crowd in one swoop.

The individual French toast in the picture is my Apple Walnut French Toast with a Walnut Graham Cracker Streusel. I simplified this recipe even further by purchasing flavored bread from my local bakery.

Hit the jump over to Endless Simmer for my recipe write up on how you can customize the individual portions to flavor it to your liking or how to make it with traditional French and Italian bread.

Coconut and Raspberry Chocolate Muffin

Okay, so you already know I love this combination based on my Coconut Raspberry Cake. And you know I love chocolate and since breakfast is my favorite meal of the day-this was no brainer!

Hit the jump on over to Endless Simmer, where I am contributor to find the recipe for these this tasty treat.

Rosa you are the winner of this giveway!  Yay for you and congrats! Enjoy your goodies.

For those that did not win, check back with me. I have another giveaway coming up next week to kick start my Holiday Giveway Series, that will include some of your favorite brands like KitchenAid, Le Creuset along with a few others.

Chocolate and Toffee Chip Scones with Pecans

Want to know the whopper on this one? This is a lighter and healthier version of a traditional scone and not just because they are mini scones either—trust me when I say they will fool even the most discerning palate.

This is also a recipe I developed for a friendly bake-off .  I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! has invited me and 9 other bloggers to participate in a holiday bake-off on Friday, November 12. The bake-off takes place in New York City at Unilever’s Test Kitchen. Not only is this an all expense paid trip, but they have also been kind enough to sponsor the giveaway package below, so you can recreate the scones in your home. 

How do you win it?

Each item you do will net you ONE chance to win (for a total of 4 chances); if you ALREADY do any of these things, they DO count! So make sure to comment for each item! You MUST leave each entry as a separate comment or only one comment will count!

1. Follow @ICBINotButter and tweet the following statement:

Win a Holiday Giveaway from @ICBINotButter and @bakersroyale Enter here: http://bit.ly/clVRNf #giveaway

2.  Leave me comment here letting me know your favorite holiday dessert.

3. Follow @bakersroyale on twitter
4. Become a fan of Bakers Royale on Facebook

Important Details:

• This giveaway is open to USA residents only and will end on Friday 11/12/10 at 11:59 pm PST.
• Winner will randomly be drawn and will be contacted via the email provided on the comment contact form. Winner will have until Monday (11/15/10) to claim their prize, or another winner will be chosen.

Disclosure: This giveaway is provided to you by I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter.

A few notes:

• You can cut the calories further by using Greek yogurt or cottage cheese. If you use cottage cheese, make sure to process it in a food processor or blender until the cottage cheese is smooth and resembles a yogurt consistency. I tried both and did blind taste test with friends and family. For the most part, no one noticed a difference between the two. I, however, preferred the Greek yogurt.
• The scones are best served the day of, but can be kept at room temperature in an air tight container for up to 2 days.
• The scones in the picture are finished with raw sugar for added texture but you can also finish them with a simple glaze or a Brown Maple Glaze.
• I used a food processor for the recipe, but if you do not have one use a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
• Also check out what the other 9 bloggers are giving away, as each giveaway has been tailored to each bake-off entry.

Alison, Ingredients Inc.
Aly, Aly-tude
Amanda, Fake Ginger
Anna, Cookie Madness
Barbara, Barbara Bakes
Liz, Hoosier Homemade
Jenn, BeanTownBaker
Sara, Average Betty
Tiffany, Eat at Home

Chocolate and Toffee Chip Scones with Pecans

Yields 12-14 scones

Step-by-Step

Ingredients:

Scones:

• 1 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup pecan flour (recipe to follow)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 6 tablespoons of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!, chilled and cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup *mini* chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup toffee bits
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of heavy cream

Pecan Flour:

• 1/2 cup pecans, toasted
• 2 tablespoon all purpose flour

Brown Maple Glaze:

• 11/2 cup confectioner sugar
• 2 tablespoon milk
• 2-3 teaspoon maple syrup

Instructions:

Scones:

1. Place flour, pecan flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt and baking powder in a food processor bowl and pulse 4 times in three second bursts to blend all dry ingredients. Add in I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter and pulse until mixture resembles wet sand. Add chocolate chips, toffee bits and chopped pecans to mixture and pulse two times to blend.
2. Transfer bowl back to food processor and pour heavy cream on top and pulse 3-4 times in three second bursts or until dough starts to come together.
3. Pour scone dough onto a lightly flour top and shape into an 18x2x1 1/2 inch rectangular log. Use the edge of a bench scraper or a knife to cutout triangles. Lightly brush tops with heavy cream and sprinkle raw sugar on top. Place scones one inch apart on a bake sheet and refrigerate for 20 minutes or covered with plastic wrap overnight.
4. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until tops and bottom edge start to turn golden. Cool scones on a cooling rack.

Pecan Flour:

1. Toast pecans on a bake sheet at 375 degrees F for 5 minutes.
2. Allow pecans to cool completely. Add cooled pecans and flour to food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until mixture resembles flour texture. *Do not over process or the mixture will turn to paste.

Note: If you do not have a food processor, finely chop pecans and use a whisk to combine pecans and flour.

Brown Maple Glaze:

1. Mix all ingredients until smooth. Let stand for 20 minutes to thicken. Drizzle on completely cooled scones.

Pluot Breakfast Squares with Crushed Honey-Butter Almonds

Pluots are a hybrid cross breed of plums and apricots. They are sweet with a bit of tart. Pretty and tasty they are the perfect fruit for this easy breakfast.

Aside from pouring cereal into a bowl, breakfast doesn’t get much faster especially if you use store bought puff pastry.

I added the crushed almonds for some extra flavor, although I made a few without them and they tasted great as well.

A few notes:

• If you don’t have pluots, use any fresh fruit you have on hand.
• If you don’t have vanilla powder, use vanilla extract.
• These are best eaten the day they are made.

Pluot Breakfast Squares with Crushed Honey Butter Almonds

Yields 8 four inch pastry squares

Ingredients:

Squares:

• 3 pluots, sliced
• 2 tablespoon honey
• ¼ nutmeg
• ½ cinnamon
• ¼  vanilla powder
• ½ sheet of puff pastry
• 1 egg, lightly whisked (for egg wash)

* Crushed Honey Butter Almonds:

• 1 cup raw almonds
• 2 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoon honey

Instructions:

Squares:

1. Defrost puff pastry according to package. Toss plouts in honey, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla powder. Set aside.  Brush puff pastry with egg wash. Arrange pluots on puff pastry. *Sprinkle crushed honey butter almond mixture around edge. Bake at 400 degrees F for 12 minutes or until puff pastry is golden.

Almonds:

1. Finely chop almonds or place almonds in a food processor and pulse three times in 2 second intervals. Spread almonds on a bake sheet and bake for five minutes at 350 degrees F.  Cool almonds completely. Melt honey and butter and toss cooled almonds in mixture.

Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Roll

A mash up of favorites, I decided to combine two flavors I love, chocolate and cinnamon into one favorite breakfast treat.

The basis of the recipe is an adaptation of Fine Cooking’s Cinnamon Roll that I made previously, but with a few more tweaks this time around. I wasn’t sure if all the spices along with the chocolate would be too busy, so I decided to omit the cloves and allspice. I did add a little nutmeg to the cinnamon and then traded in the springform pan for a muffin pan. I didn’t have any unsalted butter, so I used regular butter and omitted the salt.

The result . . . this is now the only way my family wants their cinnamon roll.

A few notes:

• For a fluffier cinnamon roll, let your rolls rest in the muffin holes for twenty minutes prior to baking.
• For a less spiced flavor, omit the nutmeg.
• Click here for the how-to pictures to making the dough for this cinnamon roll.
• These Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Rolls will keep for up to three days in an airtight container on the counter.
• Random Note: Don’t  forget to enter my Zoku Quick Pop Maker Give-away!

Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Rolls

Yields 14 rolls   Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease muffins holes or a 9 inch springform pan with bake spray.

Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Roll Assemby

Ingredients:

Dough:

• ¾ cups cottage cheese
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• ¼ sugar
• 4 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 9 oz unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder

Filling:

• 1 ½ tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 ground nutmeg
• ¾ cups chocolate chips

Glaze:

• ½ cup powder sugar
• 5 tablespoon whole milk
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla powder or vanilla extract

Instructions :

Dough:

1. Combine cottage cheese, buttermilk, sugar, melted butter and vanilla. Process until smooth, approximately 10 seconds.
2. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda and pulse in short bursts just until the dough clumps together.
3. Lightly flour your surface and place dough on top. Knead with the heel of your hand 4-5 times. With a rolling pin, roll the dough into 12×15 inch rectangle.

Filling:
1. Brush the dough with the melted butter, leaving ½ inch border unbuttered around the edges.
2. In a bowl combine all filling ingredients.
3.  Sprinkle the mixture over the buttered area. Pat flat and chocolate chips on top. 4.  Starting at a long edge roll up the dough jelly roll style. Pinch the seams and leave the ends open.
5. Cut 12 equal pieces. Set pieces cut side up, in the prepared pan. Don’t worry about the small gaps.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes.

Glaze:

1. In a bowl whisk all ingredients until smooth and pouring consistency.
2. Drizzle over Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Rolls and serve.

Low Fat Cinnamon Rolls with a Vanilla Glaze

The secret ingredient to this heroic breakfast recipe: Cottage cheese.

Let me preface, I have never had cottage cheese in my life. In fact, this was my first time having it. The thought of eating chunky curds of cheese makes my tongue recoil to the back of my throat and my jaw snap down like a bear trap.

But mix it into this dough and you have yourself an ingredient that produces a perfect dough with a tender body and a flakiness that is weighted enough to keep it from immediately disappearing on your the tongue like a snowflake.

As I have previously mentioned, I have a house of picky eaters. Cooking for them is like going before the firing squad. The repetoire of what they like is small, so their tongues are usually  aimed and ready to fire off every excuse why they can’t eat my cooking when I present something new. Luckily, not only am I stubborn, but my Teflon suit has a double armor of coating for any ego breaking bullets.

With three previous cinnamon roll versions declined after one bite, this recipe with its vanilla glaze came out a winner. My boys loved the lightness of the glaze—no smothering of white goo, no glaze made of buttermilk or cream cheese just a little bit of powder sugar, vanilla powder and milk.

A few notes:
•  The recipe I have assembled has a spice flavoring. If you don’t like that, simply omit the allspice, nutmeg and cloves.
•  I don’t recommend making this in advance. Reheating this in the oven will dry it out and reheating it in the microwave will either make it mushy or rubbery.
•  To keep the glaze form being overly tinted I used vanilla powder.  If you do not have vanilla powder, vanilla extract will work fine.

Low Fat Cinnamon Rolls with a Vanilla Glaze

Makes 12 buns
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Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease 9 inch springform pan with cooking spray.

Ingredients:

Dough:
¾ cups cottage cheese
1/3 cup buttermilk
¼ sugar
4tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
9 oz unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda

Filling:
1 ½ tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ ground allspice
¼ ground cloves
1/8 ground nutmeg
1 cup pecans (optional)

Glaze:
½ cup powder sugar
5 tablespoon whole milk
¼ teaspoon vanilla powder or vanilla extract

Instructions:

Dough:

1. Combine cottage cheese, buttermilk, sugar, melted butter and vanilla. Process until smooth, approximately 10 seconds. (See picture panel 1)
2. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda and pulse in short bursts just until the dough clumps together. (See picture panel 2 and 3)
3. Lightly flour your surface and place dough on top. Knead with the heel of your hand 4-5 times. With a rolling pin, roll the dough into 12×15 inch rectangle.

Filling:
1. Brush the dough with the melted butter, leaving ½ inch border unbuttered around the edges.
2. In a bowl combine all filling ingredients.
3.  Sprinkle the mixture over the buttered area. Pat flat and sprinkle nuts on top. (See picture panel 4)
4.  Starting at a long edge roll up the dough jelly roll style. Pinch the seams and leave the ends open.
5. Cut 12 equal pieces. Set pieces cut side up, in the prepared pan. Don’t worry about the small gaps. (See picture panel 5 and 6)
6. Bake for 20-28 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes.

Glaze:
1. In a bowl whisk all ingredients until smooth and pouring consistency.
2. Drizzle over rolls and serve.

Adapted from Fine Cooking magazine.