Unusual Scones both Tender and Light

Unusual Scones? Well, I describe them this way because not everyone will have the flours I used, nor necessarily be able to replicate. I just had to put this recipe out here though, simply because these have to be the absolute lightest and most tender scones I have ever made.
 

Buckwheat Spelt Scones with Craisins & White Chocolate

I love scones. If they are rather dry, as with store-bought ones at times, I simply sip coffee or tea with them. No problem. If they crumble? No problem at all. I expect them to crumble a bit. But light? Even with all the awesome scones I have made to date, I don't think I have ever been able to describe them as "light." But these? They are light as feathers. Well, almost. But close enough.

You know how a really great pie crust has lightness, tenderness, flakiness? I would not go so far as to say these scones are flaky, exactly, but the tenderness and lightness is truly beyond amazing to me. Do they crumble? Oh yes. Not horribly. They just need a light hand, because they are that tender. 

One thing I did differently than usual, and I don't know how much difference this may have made: I used Kerrygold unsalted butter, instead of Land O'Lakes, as I usually do. I know European butters have less water content, and I had some Kerrygold on hand because I had made croissants recently and wanted the best butter possible.

(Oh, and Happy St. Paddy's Day to all my readers!)

So What are these Scones Made of, Anyway?

This morning I was thinking of making scones. My initial thought was to grind some whole Kamut grain and use that whole meal flour, since it is so light colored, it doesn't feel or taste like you are eating a whole grain. And then I thought about some organic white spelt flour in my freezer and went that direction instead. 

Buckwheat Spelt Scones
with Craisins & White Chocolate

But - I really didn't want just white flour scones. Granted, spelt is an alternative wheat, sometimes tolerated better than our modern-day wheat. But this spelt flour was not whole grain. So, whether modern wheat or not, it is still white flour. Empty carbs. And I sat there a few minutes looking around the kitchen wondering what I could add to the spelt flour to make these less "empty-carb." And I thought, "Buckwheat!" Buckwheat (read more about buckwheat here) is not a grain at all, not is is in any way related to wheat. Nor is it a grass. In actuality, it is a seed encased by its fruit, and related to rhubarb. I digress.

I happen to love the flavor of buckwheat. I have eaten it as a breakfast "cereal" instead of oatmeal. I often grind it in my grain grinder and make pancakes or waffles. Or even just soak the buckwheat with other seeds to make waffles or pancakes without added flour of any kind. I know buckwheat may not fall into everyone's favorite category, but it is in mine. 
 

A Template for Really Great Scones

I used a very similar base template recipe to what I have been using for a couple of years now, since this template really turns out some fantastic scones. I only altered the base template a tiny bit. This is the base template for great scones:

• 2 cups flour (I play with the flour combinations a lot, but keep to 2 cups)
• 2 - 3 tablespoons sugar (depending on other flavors going in)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 5 tablespoons cold butter
• 1 cup heavy cream

The mixing is pretty much the same no matter what you are mixing. Mix the first 5 ingredients, cut in the cold butter, finishing with fingers to break down into very small bits, add cream and form into dough. Presto. 

The alterations I made were using a tablespoon less sugar, since I wanted to add white chocolate, always over-the-top sweet. I also went with 1 teaspoon of salt. The half cup of white chocolate and half cup of craisins (dried cranberries) were the flavors I chose this morning. And without further ado, here is my recipe:

Buckwheat Spelt Scones with Craisins & White Chocolate

Makes 8 scones 
 

Buckwheat Spelt Scones
with Craisins & White Chocolate

1 cup (preferably freshly ground) buckwheat flour 
1 cup white spelt flour (or substitute all-purpose flour)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
5 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
½ cup white chocolate bits, lightly chopped
½ cup craisins, lightly chopped
1 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.

Place the first 6 ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Add in the cold butter, cut into small cubes and cut in as for pie pastry. If the pieces stay too large, finish by using fingers to break up the butter into the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate and craisins, then pour the cream over all at once and stir , tossing slightly, with a fork until the mixture starts to come together in a mass. Oil or spray a counter or smooth surface with cooking spray. Turn out the dough and pat into a ball, then do a quick knead, twice, just to bring the mass together. Pat it out to an 8-inch circle. Use a large knife and cut the circle across 4 times, making 8 wedges. Use a spatula to transfer the wedges to the parchment lines baking sheet, setting them at least an inch apart.

Bake the scones for approximately 15 to 17 minutes, until set and golden. Serve warm. 


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Method to my Gelatin Madness

I wrote my previous blog after using sheet gelatin for the first time, with its attendant "how to substitute" problems popping up like moles in the "Whac-a-Mole" arcade game! I tell you, it was no easy task to calculate. I could wish, fervently, that it would be more standardized. But alas...

The reason for all this gelatin frenzy

I got an idea into my head. I wanted to try making a White Chocolate Mousse that was easy. My Chocolate Mousse recipe is as easy as recipes come, and it is the creamiest mousse, ever. If you love chocolate and a good, creamy mouthfeel, then look no further. But since white chocolate does not come in an equivalent unsweetened powder like unsweetened cocoa powder, there comes the consideration of having to melt the white chocolate. When to add it in? And how much gelatin to use? 

White Chocolate Mousse Tarts

And then, I remembered that I had bought sheet gelatin, and that is when all my gelatin questions arose. Believe you me, it was a real process, and this old brain of mine was stumped for quite a while, trying to figure out the equivalent for powdered gelatin. Since there is no straight and direct substitute, being that there are four grades of gelatin (see my "All You Need to Know About Gelatin" blog), with similar, but not exact gelling power, none of these are a direct swap for a packet of powdered gelatin. Woe is me!😧 And even after all my calculations and cogitations, I still am having fits with adjusting a recipe.

However, I will gamely forge ahead with the two recipes I made, and hope you might be able to have yours come out at least as well as mine did. Which was pretty near perfect. 

A note on using Frangelico. I chose Frangelico to give flavor to the mousse. I intended to use Grand Marnier, but had none in my cabinet. Any light colored liqueur will work fine. Just do not use too much liqueur in the recipe, as alcohol can inhibit gelling properties of the gelatin.

Recipe One

Wilton 12-cavity nonstick mini tart pan

My first recipe came after having made some individual Cherry Custard Tarts for a Valentine treat. They came out very nicely, except that the custard was just not totally set. Fine for individual tarts, but if you were to substitute the individual tart tins for one larger tin, the custard would just have oozed all over. A slice would not have worked. What could I make as a substitute?

Here is where I thought of a White Chocolate Mousse, and where all the gelatin frenzy began. First though, I opted to make little tart shells to fill with the White Chocolate Mousse. I had just bought a couple of fluted tart tins. I made a pastry and lined the tins, blind baking them.
 

Line tart wells - prick dough all over - blind bake shells

Ultimately, it must have been dumb luck, because my first recipe for White Chocolate Mousse came out so perfectly that I could have cried. And I almost did! It was excellent. Perfect flavor. Perfect texture. However, my calculations for the amounts were off, and I had about ⅓ more mousse than I needed. Still, the mousse would have been just perfect set into a 9-inch tart shell and topped with fruit.

My first White Chocolate Mousse recipe:

(Would probably have filled 36 mini tart wells) 

The extra mousse in little shot glasses

1½ sheets Platinum gelatin (2.55 grams)
3 tablespoons cold water
3 tablespoons Frangelico liqueur (or use cold water)
8 ounces white chocolate, in small chunks
1¼ cups heavy whipping cream
1¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ cup mascarpone cream

Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water to completely cover and allow to "bloom" for 7 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, place the white chocolate pieces into the top pan of a double boiler set over (not touching) simmering water. Allow the chocolate to melt, slowly, stirring often. In a small saucepan, heat the 3 tablespoons of water and the 3 tablespoons of Frangelico (or just use 6 tablespoons water) and bring to a simmer. Lift out the gelatin sheets from their water and gently squeeze off any excess water, then add these sheets to the small saucepan, stirring, off the heat, until totally dissolved. Pour this gelatin mixture into the melted white chocolate. Stir or whisk, combining the two mixtures, then once all is incorporated, set the pan aside to come to room temperature. 

In a large mixing bowl, Beat the heavy cream with the vanilla, until soft peaks form. Add in the mascarpone, then beat to evenly distribute, and until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Pour the white chocolate mixture all around the outer edge of the whipped cream, then fold it in, until no streaks remain. At this point, the mixture is of soft piping consistency. Pipe into little tart shells or small glasses or bowls. Refrigerate for 5 to 8 hours.

I topped the tarts (and these little shot glasses full) with a half maraschino cherry and crushed pistachios.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A couple of days passed. I sat with my recipe and tried to come up with a recipe that would be approximately ⅓ less the amount of this first recipe. Many of the ingredients immediately lent themselves to ⅓-less, such as 3 tablespoons Frangelico to 2 tablespoons. One and one-half Platinum gelatin sheets were reduced to 1 Platinum sheet. I went from 8 ounces white chocolate to 6 ounces. Not quite ⅓ less, but close. I dropped the 1¼ cups of heavy cream to ¾ cup, but kept the mascarpone amount the same. This reduced the initial 1½ cups of cream (1¼ cups heavy cream + ¼ cup mascarpone) down to 1 cup (¾ cup heavy cream + ¼ cup mascarpone). All in all, it seemed great.

I went about making it the same as before. But this time, once I added the Frangelico/gelatin mixture to the white chocolate, it started trying to thicken immediately. I was afraid to leave it to cool down for long, so I immediately began whipping the heavy cream, then added in the mascarpone and then folded in the white chocolate and gelatin mixture. It was already setting. I did pipe it into cups again, but it was visibly not the simple, creamy mixture the first recipe yielded. Not to say it was set and rubbery. It was still smooth and creamy. It just didn't have the lovely smooth LOOK of the first one. Flavor? The same. Texture while eating? Smooth and silky. Ultimately? No big deal. Just work quickly!

White Chocolate Mini Tarts 

Makes 24 fluted 2-inch tarts, or one 9-inch tart*

White Chocolate Mini Tarts

PASTRY:
½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick / 4 ounces)
6 ounces cream cheese 
2 cups all-purpose flour

MOUSSE:
1 sheet (1.7 grams) Platinum gelatin
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons Frangelico 
6 ounces white chocolate, in chunks
¾ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup mascarpone cheese

Preheat oven to375 degrees. Cut together the first three ingredients for the pastry, until it comes together in a ball. Roll and cut out 3-inch rounds and fit them into the wells of mini tart tins. Alternately, fit the pastry into a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Prick the shells all over with a fork. Bake the shell(s) for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until nicely golden. *If using a larger tart tin, Line the shell with foil, then with some beans or rice. Bake initially for 12 minutes, then remove the foil and beans and bake for another 12 to 15 minutes, until the bottom in nicely golden. Set aside to cool completely.

Place the gelatin sheet into a bowl. Break in half if needed. Pour about 1 to 1½ cups of cold water over the sheets and allow to fully hydrate, or "bloom," for at least 7 to 10 minutes.

Bring a pan of water to a simmer and place another pan over this hot water (a double boiler, or makeshift, using a bowl over hot water). Add the white chocolate bits to the upper pan and allow to melt.

White chocolate mixture - folding into whipped cream - piped into shells

Set the 2 tablespoons water and two tablespoons Frangelico into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Lift the gelatin sheets out of the soaking water, squeeze gently to remove excess water, then add them to the hot liquids in the saucepan. Stir to completely dissolve. Add this mixture to the melted white chocolate and stir to completely combine, using a whisk if needed. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

Ateco large open star
 tip 829

In a large bowl, beat the heavy cream and vanilla extract with a hand mixer until soft peaks form. Add in the mascarpone, beating until the mixture is combines and holds stiff peaks. Pour the white chocolate mixture all around the edges of the whipped cream. Gently fold the mixtures together until no streaks remain. Pipe into the mini tart shells using a star tip (I used Ateco 829), or just spoon in small amounts. 

If filling a 9-inch tart shell, pour in the mixture and smooth the top.

Adorn with fresh fruit, or maraschino cherries, and chopped nuts if desired. 



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

A Beautiful and Delicious Valentine Treat

Okay, so I made these way prior to Valentine's Day, in order to be able to put the recipe here. But these were truly delightful, no matter when. And I had to make something beautiful to put on the pretty heart shaped plates I had just bought. And so these Cherry Custard Tarts were born.

Cherry Custard Tarts

I had also bought individual tart pans with removable bottoms, and wanted to use those, for ease of removal from the pans. As it happens, while it might seem like a lot of work, it isn't as bad as all that, and if you are making these for your beloved, it is worth a little bit of effort. 

Cherry Custard Tarts

My one and only complaint is that the custard wasn't quite as firm as I had hoped, but it was certainly firm enough to do what it needed to do - stay inside the shell. All the flavors were just perfect. Sweet, but not too sweet. The Kirsch in the custard and in the strained preserves gave just that hint of something more, without jumping out and screaming, "Taste me!" And they were pretty. They were so very pretty setting on the heart shaped plates. And I was so pleased to serve these to my husband, albeit a little prior to Valentine's Day.

I made little tart shells using my usual Never Fail Pie Pastry, but any favorite pie pastry for a 9 or 10-inch pie will work. Whenever I make this pie pastry, as it makes enough for 3 or 4 pies, I always freeze extra individual portions, so they are available whenever needed. I made these as individual tarts with a 4-inch base, but if making it in a larger, single 9 or 10-inch tart pan, you might want to use a different filling, as this one worked fine in small tarts, but would not hold to slice and serve a larger slice. 

I would have preferred to use a can of cherries in syrup, but this was not available, so instead I used a can of cherry pie filling and fished out the cherries. Looking back, this might have been for the best, as the cherries were very small, and looked much nicer on these small tarts than would larger cherries. I wanted to "glaze" the tart with strained cherry preserves with a little Kirsch, so once the cherries were in place it was drizzled over top. Once cooled, this glaze holds everything in place. And then of course, I put a pretty piped dollop of Mascarpone Whipped Cream to top it all off. 

I tried something I had never done before, when baking the tart shells. I truly hate blind baking shells, as they always shrink so much. I line the shells, fill them with beans or rice or what-have-you, and they still shrink. And they still bubble up once the foil is removed and the final baking is done. So, while watching "The Great British Baking Show," I noticed that they never trim a crust before baking. I gathered it was to prevent this kind of shrinkage, and then they trim the shell once it is finished baking. I tried this out. But, I do not believe it really prevented shrinkage. The pastry shrinks a bit, regardless of how it is placed in the pan, and if it can't shrink downwards, then the bottom shrinks upwards. This is what happened, and once I trimmed the baked shells, they all sat themselves well down, at least ⅛-inch. With little tarts, this is a significant amount. So, I am not sure it made any real difference at all.

Cherry Custard Tarts

Cherry Custard Tarts

Makes four (4-inch) tarts 

Pastry for one 9 - 10-inch pie

CUSTARD:
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
pinch salt
1 cup whole milk
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ teaspoons Kirsch (cherry liqueur), optional
1½ tablespoons unsalted butter in small cubes
2 ounces good quality white chocolate, chopped

FOR TOPPINGS:
1 can cherries in syrup, or cherry pie filling
1 jar cherry preserves
1 tablespoon Kirsch, optional

MASCARPONE WHIPPED CREAM:
¼ cup whipping or heavy cream
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
2 ounces mascarpone (about ¼ cup)
1 teaspoon Kirsch, optional

Milk mixture; egg yolks; cooking milk mixture; boiling the mixture

MAKE CUSTARD: In a mixing bowl, combine the butter and white chocolate; set aside. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks; set aside, but keep nearby. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, all-purpose flour and salt. Whisk in the milk until smooth and set on the stove on medium heat. Whisking constantly, allow the mixture to come to a boil, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low and continue whisking for 3 minutes more. Leave burner on and remove the pan from the burner. 

milk into egg - whisk and repeat - egg mixture into pan - whisk thoroughly

Off the heat, add a small ladle of the hot liquid into the whisked eggs, then whisk briskly to incorporate. Repeat this twice more, then pour all the egg mixture back into the hot saucepan. Whisk, then return to the burner, whisking for about 1 to 2 minutes. Do not allow the mixture to boil. Remove from the burner and immediately empty the saucepan into the bowl with the butter and white chocolate. Add the vanilla and Kirsch and stir, until the chocolate is completely melted. Cover the custard with a piece of plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the custard, to prevent a skin forming. Set aside to cool completely. If not using once cooled, refrigerate until needed.

white chocolate and butter in bowl - pour in hot mixture - add flavors - whisk and cover

MAKE TART SHELLS: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Divide the pastry into 4 equal pieces. Roll each into an 8 or 9-inch diameter circle. Fit gently into the tart pans, pressing into all the ridges and corners without stretching and leave the overhang in place. Cut four pieces of aluminum foil and gently press into the pastry, fitting into the corners. Fill with dried beans, or rice, or other pie weights. Set the tart shells onto a baking sheet with rim and bake them for 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges begin to turn golden. Remove from oven, leaving oven on. Remove the foil and beans (rice, weights) from each shell and prick the bottoms of each tart shell, then return to the oven for 6 to 8 minutes more, until the bottoms are also golden. Remove from oven.

 

cut pastry circles - line tart pans - fit foil - add beans and bake

As soon as the shells are cool enough, with a knife trim the edges flush with the top of the tart pans. Discard the trimmings. Allow the shells to cool completely. Once cooled, divide the cooled custard between each of the shells. 

Tart shells baked; filled with custard; cherries and preserves; mascarpone whipped cream

TOPPINGS: If using cherry pie filling, remove at least 12 cherries for each of the tarts, placing the cherries all around the edges. In a small saucepan, heat about ½-cup of the cherry preserves with the tablespoon of Kirsch until just boiling. Strain the preserves through a strainer, pressing to extract as much as possible. Drizzle this heated mixture over the cherries at the edges of the tarts, then into the center, smoothing gently to cover evenly. Chill the tarts for at least an hour or two.

MASCARPONE WHIPPED CREAM: In a small mixing bowl, with a hand mixer, beat the whipping cream until just set. Add the confectioners' sugar and the mascarpone cheese and beat just until all incorporated, and the mixture holds shape. Place a dollop onto each tart before serving, or pipe on with a large star tip.

Remove the rims of the tart pans, then gently slide the tart off the base and onto a plate, to serve.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Wonderful Cran Raspberry White Chocolate Scones

"Pat-a-Cake, Pat-a-Cake . . ." is what popped in my mind as I was readying my scones for the oven this morning.

Cran-Raspberry White Chocolate Scones

Happy New Year's Everyone! Perusing Facebook early this AM, I got a reminder of a post I had shared one year ago for Red Berry and White Chocolate Scones. The recipe was found on a site called www.orgasmicchef.com, though the recipe itself was from a guest poster - another blogger whose site is called www.notquitenigella.com. The recipe had things I just love: raspberries, fresh cranberries and white chocolate. The fact that these things were made into scones was a no-brainer. So last year I shared the recipe on FB when it came around, and then managed to forget all about it. 

Till this morning. When I shared the recipe again. But this time the difference was that I actually had fresh cranberries in the fridge, frozen whole raspberries in the freezer and white "chocolate" baking chips in the pantry!

Just because I find a recipe that sounds amazing, does not mean I follow the recipe. I seem to have a built-in need to tinker. Tweak. The only part of the recipe that I followed (sort of) is with the amounts for the three ingredients   already mentioned. Even those were altered a tiny bit. When the first issue of BAKE from scratch magazine came out and it featured scones (which I just love), I was hooked. Their method was quite different from what I had done previously in my recipes for scones, and I liked the way they came out. And yes, I actually did follow (some of) the recipes in that magazine - just to see how they came out. They sort of have a basic main ingredient list and then flavors are added. There is some variation in the basic ingredients, mainly if there is a need to compensate for a moist addition or dry addition. And then there is method . . . . . !

The magazine calls for:

• starting in a food processor, 
• then moving the mixture to a bowl to add in the add-ins, 
• and then to a cake tin to form the circle, 
• then they are turned out onto the counter to cut them apart. 

😧

I mean, really??? And that's not counting the measuring cups and things and the knife or bench scraper for cutting, etc.

Pat out then cut and onto pan to bake

I once remarked to my sister-in-law that you can always tell when a person has "staff" to help out with washing the pots, pans, bowls and things. They will tend to use every piece of equipment in the kitchen, just because they can - and then the "help" will clean up afterwards. I am a "one-woman-show" here, and I try to utilize the least amount of things I would otherwise have to wash afterwards. I mix my scones up in a bowl, cut the butter in with a pastry blender. I pat it out on the counter top [at this point is where the "Pat-a-Cake, Pat-a-Cake . . ." popped into my head] to form the round 8-inch circle. In the end I have one bowl, a pastry blender, a knife and the counter to clean. Oh, and maybe a measuring cup and spoon. 

Cran-Raspberry White Chocolate Scones

Anyway, back to making these scones. I opted to use the basics from the "BAKE from scratch" magazine, mainly:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons salt (which I find way too much, personally)
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup heavy cream

A friend had given me some fresh raspberries over the summer, which she had frozen individually on a sheet, then packaged. I'd not yet gotten around to using them, so today was the day. I had some fresh cranberries in the fridge, also which I had not gotten around to using. I had no actual white chocolate, but I had white baking chips, so those would have to do for now. And all I can say is Wow! The scones were fantastic. That said, they were still a little soft in the middles even after the 15 minutes at 425 degrees. I might have to lower the temp and let them go a little longer next time - but for now I have absolutely no problem with how they came out.

Here is my recipe:

Cran-Raspberry White Chocolate Scones

Makes 8 scones 

Cran-Raspberry White Chocolate Scones

¾ cup individually frozen raspberries
¼ cup chopped fresh cranberries
½ cup white chocolate in small chunks (or white baking chips)
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
1¼ teaspoons salt
5 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
1 cup + 1 tablespoons heavy cream

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place a piece of parchment on a baking sheet. Set aside.

Measure out the chopped cranberries and set aside. Measure out the frozen raspberries. Cut them in half if preferred. Set aside. Measure out the white chocolate and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar and salt. Stir to combine. With a heavy pastry cutter, or two knives or fingers, cut in the cold butter. If doing this with fingers, cut the butter into little cubes, then work quickly so as not to heat the butter too much. 

Mix in the reserved cranberries, raspberries and white chocolate. Stir to distribute. Do not mix too much. With a fork, toss the mixture lightly while drizzling in the heavy cream. Once the cream is all added, continue tossing and scraping sides until most of the mixture is moistened. Do not beat. Spray a clean counter top with cooking spray and turn out the scone mixture. Press and pat the mixture together ["Pat-a-Cake, Pat-a-Cake . . ."] to form an 8-inch circle. Use a long knife and cut across the circle four times, creating 8 scones. Using the knife, separate and lift each scone to the parchment lined baking sheet, setting them at least 1-inch apart.

Bake the scones for 15 minutes, until browned and set. 



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Two Fabulous New Cheesecakes

Happy April Fool's Day! Though there is no "fooling" around with these excellent recipes!

Cheesecakes are terribly rich. This is what makes them so exceptionally tasty, of course. So when I was asked to make two cheesecakes for Easter dinner I was surprised. Finding that there were to be three others besides, just blew me away. Granted, there were over 30 family and extended family there... so I was asked to make a cherry cheesecake and a blueberry cheesecake. In general, I prefer plain, unadorned cheesecake. Skip the cherry topping dripping down the sides. Skip any flavorings inside. 

Cherry Swirl and Blueberry White Chocolate Cheesecakes

That hasn't stopped me from occasionally making a really spectacularly flavored cheesecake. Check out either my Chestnut Cheesecake or my Dulce de Leche Turtle Cheesecake, in case you might wonder. So, when asked for cherry and blueberry cheesecakes, well, these are ones I had never attempted. 

I have a basic cheesecake I really love, and usually use that as a base recipe, changing or adding as needed, and that is what I did with these two new cheesecakes. The question was, how was I to incorporate these flavors best?

So I went online.

Cherries are definitely not in season, so obviously something canned would be needed for those. I didn't want to make a white cheesecake and open a can of pie filling to top it. So, how to go about this project? As for the blueberries, I had eaten some delicious fresh blueberries lately (I know, they are not in season either, but the ones sold locally are really good just now!), so I wondered if adding fresh blueberries to the batter would work or not?
 

Straight from the oven: Cherry Swirl left and Blueberry White Chocolate right

For the Cherry, what was most commonly found was precisely what I imagined: pie filling poured over a plain cheesecake. This was SO not what I wanted! And then I found someplace that used a can of cherry pie filling, pureed in the blender and swirled into the cheesecake. Aha! So this is where I went with the cherry version. I used my base recipe, and swirled in the pureed pie filling. I also opted to use chocolate graham crackers for the crust, since chocolate and cherry go so well together. The only thing I would do differently is to fish out the cherries in the pie filling, and use must less of the "filling" part. I felt the mixture was far too runny when pureed all together. It left some of the cheesecake very thin and prone to falling apart. In general, from a flavor and texture standpoint, it was fabulous.

A Note on the Crusts, and Gluten-Free Options

This time I opted to make the cheesecake crusts using graham cracker crumbs and gingersnap cookies, which are not gluten free. The Almond Crust I used for my Chestnut Cheesecake recipe is completely gluten free, and makes an excellent crust option. The remainder of the recipe is gluten free in and of itself.   

Cherry Swirl Cheesecake with Chocolate Crumb Crust

Makes one 9-inch cheesecake

CRUST:
1½ cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs (about 6 ounces)

Cherry Swirl Cheesecake

½ cup finely ground walnuts
2 tablespoons sugar
pinch of salt  
4 tablespoons melted, unsalted butter
3.5- to 4-ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped finely

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the crumbs, nuts, sugar and salt in a bowl. Pour in the melted butter and stir together quickly with a fork. Press this mixture into the bottom and halfway up the sides of a 9-inch spring form pan. Bake the crust for about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and spread the chopped chocolate into the bottom of the hot crust. It will melt quickly. Allow to cool completely. Reset oven to 325 degrees.

CHEESECAKE:
3 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling

Have ready a larger baking pan that will easily accommodate the 9-inch spring form pan. Have a kettle of water at a simmer. Cut a sheet of aluminum foil that will cover the bottom and sides of the spring form pan (this is more easily accomplished if done before the pan is filled with the crust, then set the formed foil aside for later). Set the pan onto the foil and bring up the foil, encasing and waterproofing the pan. Set aside.

Set the cream cheese into a mixer bowl. On lowest speed possibly, mix the cream cheese until no lumps remain. Do not beat at high speed. In a small bowl combine and stir together the sugar, cornstarch and salt and then add this to the cream cheese, beating gently to combine. Once well mixed, add the sour cream until incorporated, then begin adding the eggs, one at a time, incorporating each thoroughly before adding the next. Add in the vanilla extract to combine.

Separately, scoop out the cherries from the pie filling into a blender container. No need to strain them, just do not use all the excess filling "liquid" from the can. Puree the cherries.

Pour half the cheesecake batter into the foil-wrapped pan. Spoon half of the cherry puree in mounds over the cheesecake batter. Carefully pour in the remaining cheesecake batter, then top with small mounds of the remaining cherry puree. Shake the pan, or rap sharply on the counter to settle the mixture. Use a spatula or knife to swirl the cherry mixture into the cheesecake batter, using figure-8 motions. Do not over-mix. Set the pan into the larger baking pan and place in the oven on middle rack. Carefully pour the simmering water into the larger pan, creating a water bath for the foil-encased spring form pan. Bake the cheesecake for 50 to 60 minutes. The center should be jiggly. Turn the oven off, leaving the cheesecake in the hot oven for 20 minutes more. Remove. Cool completely, then wrap well and refrigerate for 24 hours before serving.

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For the Blueberry cheesecake, and my idea of using fresh blueberries - I looked and looked and finally found one recipe by Tyler Florence, who used fresh blueberries. That was good enough for me. I read no further. I used my base recipe, and opted to melt 4 ounces of white chocolate to fold into the batter, adding in the fresh blueberries. For this cheesecake crust I used half regular graham crackers and half gingersnaps. According to personal taste, either using all graham crackers or all gingersnaps would work fine. This is my version:

Blueberry White Chocolate Cheesecake

Makes one 9-inch spring form pan 

Blueberry White Chocolate Cheesecake

CRUST:
¾ cup graham cracker crumbs (about 3 ounces)

¾ cup gingersnap crumbs (about 3 ounces)
½ cup almond meal

2 tablespoons sugar
pinch of salt  
4 tablespoons melted, unsalted butter


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the two kinds of crumbs, almond meal, sugar and salt in a bowl. Pour in the melted butter and stir together quickly with a fork. Press this mixture into the bottom and halfway up the sides of a 9-inch spring form pan. Bake the crust for about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Reset the oven to 325 degrees.

CHEESECAKE:
3 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4.4-ounces good quality white chocolate, melted, cooled
1 quart fresh blueberries
1 jar "All-Fruit Blueberry Jam"

Have ready a larger baking pan that will easily accommodate the 9-inch spring form pan. Have a kettle of water at a simmer. Cut a sheet of aluminum foil that will cover the bottom and sides of the spring form pan (this is more easily accomplished if done before the pan is filled with the crust, then set the formed foil aside for later). Set the pan onto the foil and bring up the foil, encasing and waterproofing the pan. Set aside.

What I used

Set the cream cheese into a mixer bowl. On lowest speed possibly, mix the cream cheese until no lumps remain. Do not beat at high speed. In a small bowl combine and stir together the sugar, cornstarch and salt and then add this to the cream cheese, beating gently to combine. Once well mixed, add the sour cream until incorporated, then using a whisk, begin adding the eggs, one at a time, incorporating each thoroughly before adding the next. Add in the vanilla extract to combine, along with the cooled white chocolate (I used Lindt Classic White Chocolate, 4-ounce bar - see right).


Pour half the cheesecake batter into the foil-wrapped pan. Sprinkle half the fresh blueberries over the cheesecake batter. Carefully pour in the remaining cheesecake batter, spreading evenly to edges to cover the blueberries. Top with the remaining fresh blueberries, then using a spatula, gently "trowel" over them to just submerge into the batter. Shake the pan, or rap sharply on the counter to settle the mixture. Set the pan into the larger baking pan and place in the oven on middle rack. Carefully pour the simmering water into the larger pan, creating a water bath for the foil-encased spring form pan. Bake the cheesecake for 50 to 60 minutes. The center should be jiggly. Turn the oven off, leaving the cheesecake in the hot oven for 20 minutes more. Remove from oven. 

Melt the Blueberry Jam, then pour this evenly over the top of the warm cheesecake. Cool the cheesecake completely, then wrap well and refrigerate for 24 hours before serving.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.