PW's Vanilla Bean Scones

So it's no secret that I'm obsessed with Pioneer Woman's recipes.  A while back she made her version of Starbucks vanilla bean scones.... and they are wonderful.  They are super easy and not too sweet.  

Here are the ingredients you will need:

Flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, unsalted butter, one egg, heavy cream and two vanilla beans. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Start by scraping out the inside of two vanilla beans.  Put the vanilla bean "caviar" in 3/4 cups of heavy cream to soak for 10-15 min.  You can also chop up the remaining vanilla bean and soak it in the cream to get as much flavor out of it as possible.  

Stir together and set aside... it's getting "yummy".

Stir together your sugar, baking powder and salt.... then add to your flour and stir them all together.

Cut up two chilled sticks of butter and add them to the flour.  Use a pastry cutter and cut the butter into the flour.

Take your time and cut it until it resembles crumbs...

Mix one beaten egg and vanilla cream together...

... and make sure you scrape all that GOOD STUFF out ...

Add the egg and cream mixture to the flour and mix gently with a fork until it comes together.  The mixture will be pretty crumbly... and that is good...

Turn dough onto a floured work surface and work into a rectangle with your hands.  Use a rolling pin to roll out dough to 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick.  Use a knife to trim off edges and make a straight edge.

 With your knife, cut lines vertically and horizontally... you will have squares.  Then cut again diagonally across the squares to make small triangles. 

Transfer to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or baking mat.  Bake for 18 minutes or until right before they turn golden.  Allow them to cool completely.  

Again, scrape out one vanilla bean and allow the "caviar" to soak in milk.  Then, mix the milk/vanilla into the powdered sugar and whisk together.  Dunk each scone in the glaze and allow it to set completely.  

These will keep for several days... but mine were gone by the NEXT day!  ;)

This post is linked to:  Hearth & Soul Volume 16

Swedish Tea Ring

My mother-in-law has makes this tea ring and it's SO good. I was given the recipe and finally had the chance to make it. It's a little time consuming, but worth it. Give it a try!!!

Here are the ingredients you will need:

2 packages yeast, water, shortening, sugar, salt, eggs, milk, all purpose flour, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nuts

(note to self: ignore the unfinished window trim and backsplash in this photo)


Start by scalding the milk so it will have time to cool while you prepare other ingredients.

In a mixing bowl, add shortening, sugar and salt. Then add to scalded milk. Cool to a lukewarm temperature.

This needs time to cool so you can add the yeast! And by the way... DISSOLVE the yeast before you add it... which I DIDN'T do the first time...


Add the dissolved yeast, beaten eggs, and about half of the flour. Beat well. Add the rest of the flour and beat until dough is soft.


Turn out on a floured work surface and kneed until satiny. It will literally be a little shiny and pliable.


Put dough in a greased bowl, turn to grease top and cover until doubled in size.


When doubled in size, punch down and turn out on floured work space again. Split dough in half and shape into rectangles about 1/4 inch thick. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts.


Shape into rings and place on a greased baking sheet. Cut dough with scissors at one inch intervals... ALMOST through rings. Turn slices slightly, cover and let them rise until doubled.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. But be careful... don't let the inside get too dry!!!

Cover with coffee cake icing and enjoy!!

Recipe:

2 pkgs yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk, scalded
5 cups all purpose flour
melted butter
brown sugar
cinnamon
nuts

Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 min.


This post is linked to: Hearth & Soul Volume 15

Happy Wednesday!!

This is what I want to be like when I am old. I will have to learn to play the piano... but this is what I want to be like nevertheless....

Boog Man

You might be a little boy...

But you are still my baby.

Buffing the Red Oak Floors

We are finally a couple of weeks away from moving in. We're going to start moving some furniture in this weekend and getting the bedrooms ready to live in. It feels so good to be at this point... seeing real results, having things clean, moving out all of the trash and using the house as a house.... not a construction site. I'm so excited to have our BIG kitchen to cook and bake in, our new bathrooms to use just as we planned them... and finally, are big yard for Grady to run and play in all day.
This past weekend we got on our hands and knees and did some of the final floor cleaning. Apparently our floors have been refinished before.... you can see some of the marks that previous owners left in the wood while sanding, etc. But who knows how long ago that was. All I know... is that we needed a good polishing when we bought the place.... but now six months later, tons of trash, dust, pieces of tile scattered all over the wood... and anything else you can imagine... the floors looked downright damaged. We even had tons of stripped paint and chemicals all over the hardwood. Thank goodness.... thank goodness.... all of the spots came up.... and thank goodness.... due to some old fashioned elbow grease, floor wax and a buffer.... this is how our floors turned out.
The look incredible. They are so slick and shiny... we literally almost slide while walking barefooted throughout the house. Grady will be hilarious in there. I'll have to get him socks with tread on the bottom! HA

Guest Room

Grady's Room

Master Bedroom

We also buffed the hallway and den, but I didn't take pictures of those rooms.

Some of the rooms still need to be painted. The walls are going to get banged up anyway.... so some areas we'll just do after we've got it all in. :)