Apricot and White Chocolate Scones

I know the Olympics are over but I found so many scone recipes that I wanted to try I just had to make them.  I have noticed that the scone recipes have not had the interest that I had hoped.  I think if you tried them you would enjoy them.

I think what caught my attention in this recipe was the apricots and white chocolate.  I really like apricots. They remind my of my grandmother.

Add 1 3/4 c all purpose flour to a bowl.

Add 1/4 c sugar.

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

In a separate bowl add 1/3 c half and half cream and 1 egg.

Then slice up 1/3 c cold butter.

Now it is time to work out those arm muscles by cutting the butter into the flour mixture.  You want it incorporated really well into the mixture.  You will see small rounds of the butter.

Then add the liquid ingredients.  Now is the time to preheat the oven to 400.

Add the 1/3 c chopped dried apricots.  I added a little extra.  You can add some to the top of the scones if you like.  I just had mine inside.

Also add the 1/3 c white chocolate chips.

Mix well.

Gather the dough into a ball and flatten it out on a floured surface.

You want the dough a little thicker than when you roll out cookie dough. When cut out place in a preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes. Check the bottoms to make sure they are not getting too brown.

I used a biscuit cutter to make rounds.  Most scones are in a pie shape but I have yet to make them that shape.

Melt some white chocolate chips in a zip top bag.

Cut the corner off and use the bag to drizzle white chocolate on top of the scones.  Or at least that was the idea.

The bag broke so they are more covered instead of drizzled.  The best laid plans....


Apricot and White Chocolate Scones Recipe

1 3/4 c all purpose flour
1/4 c sugar
2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1/3 c chilled butter cut into pieces
1/3 c chopped dried apricots
1/3 c white chocolate chips + 1/3 c for the top melted
1 egg
1/3 c half and half cream

Beefy Noodle Casserole

I am sharing with you today a recipe that has been in our family for as long as I can remember.  My mother made this for years, and I took this recipe with me to college as well.  I have been making it at my house and sharing it with friends for a long time too.  One of the really nice things about this recipe is that it "freezes beautifully".  If you remember that line from Steele Magnolias.  The original recipe makes a lot so it is great to cook about half for dinner and freeze half for another day or to share with a friend.

Nothing special in this recipe.  Elbow macaroni, ground beef, tomatoes and mushroom soup.  Bind it all together with some cheese and how can that be bad.

Chop your onion and then saute it in a little bit of olive oil.

Then brown your ground beef with the onion.

While the ground beef and onion are cooking, cook your elbow mac according to the pkg directions.

Drain your ground beef well.

Drain your macaroni well too.

I have this big bowl that I use mainly for this recipe.  Dump your macaroni in the bowl.  It will be hot so be careful.

Add one can of cream of mushroom soup.  I always use Healthy request version of the Campbell's soups.  They just don't seem as salty.

Add a small can of tomatoes.  These just happen to be ones that my mother canned but you can use store bought tomatoes about 2 cups.

Mix all those up well.  Make sure the pasta is coated well.

Add about a teaspoon of seasoning salt.  Pepper to taste.

Dump the ground beef and onion mixture to the noodle mixture.

Stir well.

Add a cup or so of cheese.  You can use any cheese that you like and as much as you like.  You are also going to add some to the top of the casserole during the cooking stage.

Transfer to a sprayed casserole dish.  Then place in a preheated 350 oven for about 20-25 minutes.  If you make this ahead of time and let it sit for a while before you cook you might need to cook a little longer but if everything is still really hot not as long.

Take it out of the oven.  It will be a little brown on top.

Now add the wonderful cheese on top.  Cover it good.  Place it back in the oven for about 5 minutes or so until the cheese is nice and bubbly.  I like to turn on the broil for a minute or two to get it a little brown.

Fresh out of the oven.

I always serve this with black eyed peas because my mother did.  It is good reheated for leftovers.

I just had to share a picture of my blue bird that I saw this morning at my bird bath.  They are so pretty and they like to nest in my blue bird box but I don't usually get a nice close up of them.

Beefy Noodle Casserole Recipe

1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion chopped
1 box elbow macaroni cooked per pkg directions
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 small can or 2 c tomatoes
cheese
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
pepper to taste

Brown ground beef and onion in a little olive oil.  Drain well.  Cook pasta, drain well.  Mix pasta, cream of mushroom soup, tomatoes, seasoning salt and pepper.  Add the ground beef and onions.  Add one cup cheese.  Mix well.  Place in a sprayed casserole dish.  Place in a preheated 350 oven for 20-25 minutes.  Remove and add cheese to cover.  Place back in oven for 5-6 minutes until golden and bubbly.

Paula Deen's Hoecakes

Hoecakes have been around since the mid 1700's.  Sometimes they are called Johnnycakes.  The term originated with workers cooking on the metal part of their hoes.  They are made from a cornmeal mixture.  Now that we have had our history lesson I will proceed.  I have been wanting to make hoecakes for my Daddy.  He loves Paula Deens hoecakes.  We were cooking bbq for Labor Day so I thought I would make them to go with our bbq.

Hoecakes have cornmeal and buttermilk in them which are two ingredients I don't always keep.  I had a little left over buttermilk from another recipe so that was another reason to make them today.

Start with 1 cup self rising flour and 1 cup self rising cornmeal.

Add 1 tablespoon sugar to the meal mixture.

In another bowl add 3/4 c buttermilk

Add 1/3 c plus 1 Tablespoon water

Also add 1/4 c oil or bacon grease.  I did not have bacon grease so used oil.  Bacon grease would have probably added additional flavoring.

Add two eggs to the liquids and whisk together.

The liquids are all mixed together.

Mix the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients and whisk together.

Heat over medium heat about a 1/2 inch of oil or melted butter.

When the oil is hot add the hoecakes. I used my 1/8 c measure to dip them out with.  I got in a hurry with them and flipped them before they were ready and they spread out a little so be patient with them.

 My first two cakes. Drain them on a paper towel.  They could be a little bigger.

The entire stack of them.  You have to watch them and not let them burn.   As I continued to cook them I turned the heat down some.  I think next time I might use my griddle to cook them and not have all the oil.  Daddy liked them and ate some with honey.  I guess honey goes well with Hoecakes.  Paula serves it with hers.

Hoecake recipe

1 c self rising flour

1 c self rising cornmeal

2 eggs

1 tablespoon sugar

3/4 c buttermilk

1/3c plus 1 tablespoon water

1/4 c oil or bacon grease

oil, butter for frying