Recipes for the week of June 3 - 9, 2024

Blackberry Scones

Here are some amazing, soft and fluffy scones with juicy blackberries and blackberry icing (naturally coloured!) from teakandthyme.com

INGREDIENTS:

SCONES:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • ½ cup granulated sugar

  • 1 tbsp baking powder

  • 1 tsp salt

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed

  • 1 large egg, cold

  • ½ cup heavy cream, cold

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • 1 cup fresh (or frozen) blackberries, roughly chopped

  • 1 tbsp all-purpose flour, to coat blackberries

  • 2 tbsp heavy cream, for brushing

  • 3 tbsp coarse sugar, for sprinkling

ICING (OPTIONAL):

  • ¼ cup blackberries fresh or thawed

  • ½ cup powdered sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:

SCONES:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

  2. Cut butter into flour: Toss the cubed butter into the flour mixture to coat. Use a dough blender or press the butter pieces in between your fingers to break them down until they become small pea-sized pieces, distributed evenly throughout the flour mixture.

  3. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the egg, heavy cream, and vanilla extract.

  4. Make a well in the middle of the flour and butter mixture. Pour the egg mixture into the well and use your hands to mix the wet and dry ingredients together until it forms a soft, shaggy dough.

  5. Toss the chopped blackberries in flour until coated. Add them to the dough and very gently fold them into the dough just until they're evenly distributed. Don't overmix otherwise the blackberries will bleed into the dough.

  6. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Use your hands to press the dough together. If it's too floury and won't hold together, you can fold it onto itself 1-2 times but don't knead or overwork the dough. Press the dough into a flattened disc shape about 1" thick.

  7. Use a bench scraper or knife to cut the dough into 8 wedges. Transfer the wedges to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving about 2" in between each scone.

  8. Let the entire baking sheet chill in the fridge while you preheat the oven to 400°F.

  9. Right before baking, brush the tops of the scones with a thin layer of heavy cream. Sprinkle coarse sugar on top of the cream.

  10. Bake scones for 18-20 minutes or until the edges and tops are lightly golden brown. Let the scones cool on the baking sheet until firm enough to transfer to a wire rack or enjoy them warm.

ICING:

  1. Place the blackberries in a fine mesh sieve over a small bowl. Use the back of a spoon to mash the blackberries until the juices drip down into the bowl. Transfer 2 teaspoons of the blackberry juice to another small bowl.

  2. To the blackberry juice, add powdered sugar and mix until it becomes a thick but pourable consistency. If it's too thick, add a bit more blackberry juice. If it's too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar.

  3. Transfer the icing to a piping bag and cut the tip off. Drizzle the icing on top of the scones.

Broccolini-Carrot-Onion Stir Fry

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 bunch of broccolini, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces

  • 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into thin matchsticks

  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced

  • 2 tbsp cooking oil cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 tbsp soy sauce

  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce (optional)

  • 1 tsp sesame oil

  • Salt and pepper to taste

  • Sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Trim the broccolini and cut into bite-sized pieces, peel and slice the carrots into thin matchsticks, and thinly slice the onion.

  2. In a large skillet or wok, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat until hot.

  3. Add the minced garlic to the hot oil and sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant.

  4. Add the sliced onions and cook for about 2-3 minutes until they start to soften.

  5. Add the broccolini and carrots to the skillet. Stir-fry for about 5-7 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender-crisp.

  6. Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce (if using), and sesame oil. Stir well to coat the vegetables evenly.

  7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

  8. Serve hot, garnished with sesame seeds if desired, either on its own or over rice or noodles.

Jim Tinsky