TPS Kitchen: Raisin Scones

Seeing all these women collecting teacups and saucers made me hanker for some scones. I don't know where to get some decent ones here so I just made them myself. I used Ina Garten's recipe, with some modifications. I think my modifications led to a cakey scone rather than a flaky one.


Ingredients
    2 cups flour
    1 tbsp sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
    1 tbsp baking powder
    1 tsp salt
    half a bar of butter, frozen and grated (using a frozen grater)
    2 eggs, lightly beaten
    1/2 cup cold sour cream
    1/2 cup raisins
    1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons milk or water, for egg wash
    Makes ~20 two-inch-diameter scones

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Ina recommended using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, which I don't have. I just used my rubber spatula. Pwede naman, nakakapagod nga lang. Blend in the cold butter. Combine the eggs and sour cream and add to the flour/butter mixture. Combine until just blended.

2. Add the raisins.

3. Place the dough onto a floured surface. Flour your hands and the rolling pin and roll the dough out to 3/4-inch to 1-inch thick. Cut into circles with a cookie cutter.

4. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the scones with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.

5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the outsides are crisp and the insides are done.

*Nigel! Bring me my tea! And some clotted cream and jam.*

Little Bars Of Happiness And Sunshine

I admit, in the ignorance of my youth, I turned up my nose on lemon bars and other lemon-based desserts. I mean, it's a baked treat, for goodness' sake, why muck it up with tartness? [Silly me, what's sugar for?!] I remember buying a tiny bar in the office cafeteria, you know, try-try lang. Boy, was it SOOOO GOOD!!! So good that I bought four or five more. Okay, fine, aaminin ko na, seven bars! Seven more bars of  happiness and sunshine! But it was pretty expensive for something that was smaller than a matchbox. Fifteen pesos, if I remember it right. I saw a recipe in a local daily and tried it. It was by Crukitchen, and it was so easy to bake, and delicious, of course.

Crukitchen Lemon Bars

2 c all-purpose flour
1 c powdered sugar
1 c butter, melted
4 medium eggs
2 c white granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
¼ c all-purpose flour
½ c lemon juice
Additional powdered sugar for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan and line with waxed paper. Grease waxed paper. (Or use nonstick baking paper.)
2. Combine flour, powdered sugar and butter in a bowl. Mix until very smooth and evenly yellow in color. Pat into prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until slightly golden.
3. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, white sugar, baking powder, flour and lemon juice until fluffy. Pour over the hot crust.
4. Return crust to oven and bake for 20-25 minutes more or until light golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack. Dust the top with powdered sugar then cut into bars.