Thalia makes scones

"Thalia...Come on and let's make some scones!"

"OK, Mimi..."
We first preheated the oven to 400 degrees...
A project was going on in the living room...wiring up the stereo to the TV. Erica was supervising...
"Mimi, I'm going to wash my hands first," Thalia told me.

"Good decision!"
First, Thalia measured 2 cups of flour...
and dumped them in the bowl.
She measured 1/2 cup of dark brown sugar...(FYI, regular brown sugar works just as well). I showed her how you have to pack it down.
Just like this...1/2 cup of packed dark brown sugar...dump it in with the flour.
Next, Thalia added 2 teaspoons of baking powder...we use non-aluminum baking powder here, but any baking powder will do. I guess there's research that using aluminum contributes to alzheimers...so non-aluminum baking powder it is!
Then 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda was added...
I showed Thalia how there's a little scraper inside the box so you can level out the teaspoon!
Add 1/4 teaspoon salt. You don't want to measure the salt over the flour mixture incase you spill it...too much salt would RUIN the scones!
Joshua took a picture of his baby girl and her Mimi making his FAVORITE SCONES!
1/4 cup of unsalted butter comes next. I showed Thalia how it helps to cut the butter into some chunks before adding it into the flour...it makes it easier to cut up smaller...'pea size'...
See? Thalia cut it in 3 strips, then 3 strips across...

Math question: how many pieces of butter do you have now?
Once the butter is dumped into the flour mix, you take 2 knives and cut it scissor-fashion until the butter is 'pea size' or smaller...
If you don't want to use the two-knife method, you can use one of these do-dads...not sure what they're called. I don't know why I don't use it...I just always use two knives. I think I hate to clean them...knives are easier to clean...
Ok, there you go. That's what it should look like now...
On a saucer, using a fork, mash up some banana...actually you have to grab a banana and peel it first...

Just mash and mash it...you really want to make sure your bananas are ripe...
Good job on the banana mashing, Thalia!
You need 3/4 cup of mashed banana. With our bananas, it took 1 1/2 bananas to get 3/4 cup.
This is banana #2 being mashed and scooped into the measuring cup.
Yep, looking good! Now put that banana in a DIFFERENT BOWL than the flour. Don't mix them together...YET!
To the banana, add an egg...
3/4 cup of banana + 1 egg = the beginning of some delicious scones!
To that, add 2 tablespoons of buttermilk. Be sure and shake the buttermilk up before you measure it.
Also add 1 teaspoon of vanilla... ummmmm, I love the smell of vanilla!
3/4 cup of banana + 1 egg + 2 Tablespoons buttermilk + 1 teaspoon of vanilla = well, nothing yet!
Whip that up together...notice Thalia's blurred hand...she was doing a great job of whipping it up!
NOW, dump that mixture into the flour mix...
Get all of it...
Flour mixture + egg/banana mixture = almost there!
Pose for Papa with the camera at the same time as you add about 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips...
Now, mix it all up. It's going to seem a bit dry...but it's not. Just keep mixing. You'll end up with a lot of it clumped together and some dry bits of the flour mixture beneath the dough. Just take your fork and mash some of the moister dough into it... you can also just take your hands and pick the dough up and start kneading it a bit. If it sticks to your hands, just put a little flour on your hands so it doesn't stick so much.
Grab a cookie sheet and spray the middle with some PAM...
Grab that dough and pat it onto the cookie sheet...
You want the circle of the dough to be about 8 1/2 inches in diameter when you get through patting it...
Take a serrated knife and score it into 8 wedges. If you cut all the way through, fine. If you don't cut all the way through, fine. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. I think Thalia DID cut all the way through.
Scoring the dough...

Now, put it in the oven, the 400 degree oven... and set your time for 20 minutes. The recipe says 19-21 minutes...my oven cooks a little low, so I usually aim for the middle...
When the buzzer goes off, you'll already be hungry from the smell...oh my! Look at those scones...they look perfect!
Grab 2 hotpads to take them out of the oven. You definitely don't want to burn yourself and spoil your scone-eating-experience...
Now you can re-cut them with your serrated knife - actually, any knife will do at this point....
Find the largest piece, grab a cup of coffee or a glass of milk...or whatever you want..

and enjoy!

These are exceptional. They've been Joshua's absolute favorite for...as long as I can remember!

Here's the recipe in a more succinct form:
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Banana-Chocolate Chip Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled
3/4 cup mashed ripe banana
1 large egg
2 Tablespoons buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup (or a little more) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 10" diameter circle in the center of a baking sheet.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut the butter into 1/2" cubes and add to flour mixture. With a pastry blender (Oh yeah, couldn't remember earlier in this post what it was called!) or two knives, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, stir together the banana, egg, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the banana mixture and stir to combine. Stir in the chips. The dough will be sticky.

Spread the dough into an 8 1/2" diameter circle in the center of the prepared baking sheet. With a serrated knife, cut into 8 wedges. Bake for 19-21 minutes, or until lightly browned and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of a scone comes out clean.

Remove the baking sheet to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes. (Well, this is often a step not followed when some are trying to patiently wait and their patience is waning...)

Makes 8 scones!

Buttermilk Biscuits

One thing my mom, my husband, and Joshua all have in common...is their extreme love of my biscuits. Others like them too, but these three can about eat their weight in biscuits. I've made them...well, forever, I guess.
This is my favorite bowl to make them in. It's wide enough and large enough so I have plenty of room...I've used other bowls, but I just like this one the best. It's my 'go to' bowl.
For a single batch, 10-12 biscuits, start by dumping in 2 cups of flour. I always use unbleached...and it's organic flour, but I've made it with just regular ole Gold Medal Unbleached flour for years...

Pour in one cup, then pour in another...
There, 2 cups of flour...
Now the baking powder. I usually put in about a tablespoon...I've put in 2 teaspoons before, but I usually put in a tablespoon...and to be honest, I can't tell any difference.

Now put in 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda...
Just dump it in...

Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt...
I usually kind of stir this up...not much, but just to mix it up a little...
Now you need 1/3 cup of butter... not margarine, butter. I always use unsalted. Once upon a time, I used to use margarine, but I don't recommend it anymore. The butter needs to be cold...don't let it sit out before you use it.
I start with one knife and cut the cube in some chunks...
This will just make it a little easier in a minute...
Now grab a second knife and cut the butter into ... well, pea size, I guess.
Cut, cut, cut...kind of like scissors...only you're using knives.
I have one of those one handed things for cutting the butter up, but I prefer two knives...
It works better for me...
Here's what it looks like... you can see a few small chunks of butter...
I guess 'pea size' is about an accurate description...
Whew...sometimes my hands are tired and I need a little break at this point.
Now you need 1 cup of buttermilk. Just dump it in...
I trade my knives in for a spoon at this point.
Stir it up. You're still going to have a little unincorporated flour, but that's ok. You'll get it all up in a minute. Just stir until it's mostly together.

At this point, I usually put some flour on my hands, and knead it for a minute in the bowl. Not a literal minute, but just to get those loose pieces of flour incorporated.
Take a piece of wax paper.....
Put a little flour on it...and spread it around the wax paper. See my scoop? That was Mimi's.
Now dump the dough onto the floured wax paper...

Unfortunately for the readers of Cooks Corner, I forgot to take a photo of patting the dough out. I PAT it out, I don't roll it out, although that would probably work just fine.
You can see that it isn't all perfect, nope, just pat it out. Now take your biscuit cutter (this was Mimi's too) or use a glass, (I usually use a 8 oz Ball jar at my mom's)...and cut out the biscuits.
Sometimes I realize I didn't pat it out very evenly, so I'll pat a little inbetween cuts. Once I've cut out all I can, then grab the pieces of left over dough and re-pat it out....then cut out some more.
When you've cut out all you can, and there's STILL a little dough left, just stick some on top of the biscuits. These are soooo tastey when they're done! I don't grease the cookie sheet...I just stick the biscuits right on there.
You can see that they aren't all round. Doesn't make any difference. They'll taste just the same.
Plus, if you're trying not to eat too much, you can eat an extra one that's not a full biscuit. It's better on your conscious that way.
Now, put them in a preheated 450 degree oven...
I usually set the timer for 12 minutes. You can see it took me 4 seconds to grab the camera and take a picture once I put the biscuits in.
Oh yum... 12 minutes have passed...
See those little 'top knots'? One time in Texas, my mom wanted me to make an entire batch of just little top knots. I did...and they were definitely tastey. They would not take 12 minutes.
Now throw them into a tea-towel lined basket... you may notice a little lighter spot on the top biscuit? That's where a 'top knot' WAS before I ate it.
Add some butter...watch it melt for a split second...and then ....

Enjoy!