From Green Juice to Savory Sun-dried Tomato Scones.....
Living in New York City, baking and cooking in general has never been a huge part of my life even though my curiosity was always piqued. I definitely consider myself a "foodie" and enjoy delicious culinary creations (the spicier the better) but other than the occasional Turkey Chili, Beef Stroganoff or Coq au Vin attempt, I pretty much rely on my smoothies, supergreen soup and other healthy salad creations from various establishments.
Even though I am trying to limit my "carb" consumption to a minimum, sometimes I just have to give into the temptation (everything in moderation). But living by myself in New York, constantly on the go and rushing around the city, finding the time to bake or cook has always been my challenge.
This all changed when I arrived in Bermuda for the COVID-19 lockdown where my boyfriend Jules aka. the "yogamodelbda" lives. Suddenly I had plenty of time; no more excuses, no more rushing around, from studio to clients etc. Life literally came to a stand still - in a good way. Finally I found the time to reconnect with myself and explore activities and hobbies that I had put on hold due to my busy life in the City.
For the past 6 weeks we have been on complete lockdown with limited grocery availability. We have been assigned shopping days associated with our surname and have to show identification prior to entering the store. NO JOKE! Shopping had to be a carefully planned mission with a full meal plan crafted for the week ahead.
I might say it was definitely a little intimidating to experiment and just dive into the culinary world literally overnight, with a few mishaps (as some of you might have witnessed in the Bermuda Hot Cross Buns video ) but its all about practice. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!
I have been experimenting with a scone recipe and due to lack of certain ingredients (yeast has been unavailable in Bermuda for about 2 months) was forced to alter the recipe which fortunately made it much healthier as well.
Preheat over to 425 degrees Fahrenheit
2 cups All-Purpose Flour or 2 cups (227g)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon (14g) baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
4 tablespoons (57g) cold butter
1 cup sun-dried tomatos
1 tablespoon of Chili Pepper Flakes
3/4 cup fat free Yoghurt
I have also added pepper, spicy salt, spicy smoked paprika and fresh basil.
Optional, depending on taste. I have tried them all and they are all delicious.
1 cup (113g) very coarsely grated or diced cheddar cheese
1/3 cup (about 14g) snipped fresh chives or 1/3 cup (21g) finely diced scallion tops (the green part)
1/2 pound (227g) bacon, cooked, cooled, and crumbled (about 1 cup)
1/2 pound of sweet sautéed onions, (about 1 cup)
Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Work the butter into the flour until the mixture is unevenly crumbly, with some of the butter remaining in larger pieces.
Mix in the sun-dried tomatoes and other ingredients as you wish.....cheese, chives, onion, bacon etc. until evenly distributed.
Add 3/4 cup of fat free yoghurt, stirring to combine. Try squeezing the dough together; if it's crumbly and won't hang together, or if there are crumbs remaining in the bottom of the bowl, add some yoghurt until the dough comes together. Transfer the shaggy dough to a well-floured work surface.
Pat the dough into a smooth 7" disk about 3/4" thick. Transfer the disk to the prepared baking sheet. Use a knife or bench knife to cut the disk into 8 wedges, spreading the wedges apart a bit on the pan.
Bake the scones in the middle or upper third of the oven for 15-20 minutes, until they're golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and cool right on the pan. Serve warm, or at room temperature.
Refrigerate any leftover scones, well wrapped, for several days; reheat before serving. Freeze for longer storage.
Enjoy!!! Lets see your favorite Scones.