January has been such a busy month for Robbie and me! The last few weeks have been spent packing up our apartment, and moving back into the house I grew up in. When I first got accepted to graduate school, my parents were generous enough to open their house up to us before we move again in the spring. Between wrapping champagne flutes and guessing how many books can fit in a box before it becomes to heavy to carry, I managed to make a few lists of how I wanted to enrich my life and improve the blog in 2016. Now that we're settled in, and have had a month off from blogging, I'm excited to share what I've been up to.
After Robbie, the person I've talked to the most about the blog has been one of my favorite bloggers, Brett of Fig + Bleu. Over the last few months he has been my biggest inspiration and my biggest cheerleader--sans pleated skirt. About a year ago we became friends when he shared a photo a cookbook I owned called "A Boat, A Whale & A Walrus". I commented that he had to make the scones from the book, after I had made them for Easter brunch. Now he's the friend I turn to if I have an existential crisis over a loaf of bread that just wont rise. I decided that scones would be my first recipe of the year.
These scones are actually nothing like the scones that made Brett and I friends. During the packing process, I discovered a giant unopened bag of oats. I had no idea what to do with them; I couldn't just throw it away like the bottles filled with a teaspoon of soy sauce, but I didn't want to drag it around the state either. The scones were my solution. I took an entire day to bake and cook everything I wanted before packing away all of my favorite kitchen utensils and baking pans. At the end of it, I leaned against a box brimming with cookbooks and enjoyed these scones.
Oat Date Scones with Apple Cider Curd
For the scones:
11 tbsp of butter (We used Kerrygold)
3 tbsp of maple syrup
1 large egg
1/3 c of milk + extra for brushing
1/2 c of all purpose flour
1/2 c of rolled oats
1 tbsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 c of chopped pitted dates
For the apple cider curd:
6 egg yolks
3 tbsp sugar
8 tbsp of butter
1/4 c of maple syrup
scant 1/2 c of apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Cream the butter and maple syrup together in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on medium speed. Mix in the egg and milk.
In a separate bowl mix the flour, oats, baking powder, and salt. When the eggs and milk are incorporated into the butter, turn the mixer to the lowest speed. Add the dry ingredients. Once the dough has come together, add the chopped dates.
Turn out the dough on to a floured surface. With your hands or a rolling pin, shape the dough into a 3/4 inch thick disc. Cut the disc into 8 wedges. Brush the top of each scone with milk before baking for 14 minutes, or until the edges just begin to brown.
While the scones bake start the curd. Put the butter, maple syrup, cinnmamon and ACV into a saucepan and warm over medium-low heat. In a stand mixer whisk the egg yolks and sugar together. Once the butter is fully melted, turn the heat up to medium. When the mixture comes to a boil, take it off the heat. With the mixer still whisking, slowly add the hot butter mixture to the egg yolks, tempering the yolks.
After adding the last of the butter, add everything back into the saucepan. Heat the custard over medium-low heat, whisking constantly. Slowly bring the heat up to medium, continuing to whisk. When the custard comes to a boil, remove it from the stove, and transfer it to a separate bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, with the wrap against the surface of the custard. Refrigerate until cooled and set.
Enjoy!
Pat
