Chocolate Scones

2.5 c flour
3 tbsp cocoa powder
.5 c + 2 tbsp sugar
1.5 tsp baking powder
.5 tsp baking soda
.25 tsp salt
1.25 sticks (10 tbsp) butter
1 c (5 oz) semisweet chocolate
1 egg
.5 c heavy cream
*heat oven to 375 degrees. mix dry ingredients and cut in butter coarsely. fold in chocolate. whisk together wet ingredients and fold into dry mixture. turn out dough and shape into rectangle. divide dough and bake 25-30min.


too many scones!! next time i'll be sure to halve the recipe. and i didn't like how the dough turned out. i was afraid of overmixing so the second the dough kinda held on its own, i quit trying to force it to come together. the dough was really crumbly but i had so much faith! i believed in the recipe until the very end when i opened the oven. i didn't like the chocolate chips in the finished scones either -- they just got in the way. i'm thinking of either making the chips smaller or melting the chocolate next time.

Halloween Lunch

In honor of Halloween, everything on today's Lunch Menu was orange!! It was also 100% vegetarian! Tomato Basil Soup, Sweet Potato Fries, and clementines for dessert!

Sweet Potato Fries

1 small sweet potato
1 tbsp olive oil
salt (2 pinches)
*heat oven to 450 degrees. cut sweet potato into uniform fry pieces. arrange on baking sheet lined w/parchment paper. top with olive oil and salt. bake for 15 min flipping fries halfway, then broil for 5 min.

Tomato Basil Soup

8-10 tomatoes on the vine
15-18 basil leaves
1.5 tbsp butter (unsalted)
3 c ck broth
3 c tomato juice (Campbell's)
.5+ cup heavy cream
salt & pepper to taste
italian cheese blend for topping
*peel and core tomatos. heat oil along with butter. place tomatos and basil in blender and puree to desired consistency. add tomatos to pan and cook 10min. add broth and tomato juice and simmer 20 min. add salt, pepper, and cream. turn off heat. serve with shredded cheese and add'l pepper on top.

Squash Soup (Tsai Gua Tang)

4-5 c squash (peeled & cut into large chunks)
3 cloves garlic (sliced)
1 tbsp satay powder
.5 tsp white pepper
salt to taste
2 c water
*heat oil on medium and saute garlic. add squash, satay powder, white pepper & salt. stir to coat squash and slowly add water. cover and simmer on medium for 7 min.

I got to make this soup with my mom! I didn't think to take a picture of this at the time so that's kinda upsetting but this is a brothy soup and it's really tasty! The squash gives the soup a really distinct taste and the satay powder added a lot of flavor.

Cherry Slab Pie

Pate Brisee (prepare 1 day ahead)
6 c (2 lbs) frozen cherries 1.25 c sugar
.25 c cornstarch
.25 tsp salt
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp heavy cream
.25 c sanding sugar (for sparkle)
*375 degree oven. mix all ingredients except pate brisee. roll larger piece of pate brisee to 18"x13" rectangle (enough to hang over rim) and place on baking sheet. pour cheery mixture on top. roll 2nd piece of pate brisee into 16"x11" rectangle and place on top. fold bottom crust up and pinch with top crust. prick all over with fork. optional: brush top with heavy cream and sprinkle with sanding sugar. bake for 40-55min (top should be golden brown and filling bubbling). cool for 45 min before serving.
**15"x10" slab pie

It turned out so pretty and it smells so good! Several mishaps happened along the way, and I've learned from it so all is well. I didn't roll out the bottom crust large enough to hang over the sides of the rim so I had to do some creative side pinching. Unfortunately, that didn't really work as you can see. The filling found it's way out of the crust -- but it's still tasty :) I almost forgot to prick the top crust but I was nosy enough to check the pie 5 min after sticking it in the oven to see a ginormous bubble dome in the middle of the oven. So I had to attack it to deflate it -- haha!

Texas Chili

.25 c canola oil
4 lbs ground beef
1 onion pepper
7 cloves garlic, 6 jalapenos
2 tbsp cilantro (fresh), 2 tbsp oregano
1 tsp asian white, 1 tbsp tumeric, 2 tsp nutmeg, 1 tbsp paprika
2.5 tbsp cumin, 4.5 tbsp chili powder
3 tbsp ketchup, 4 tbsp asian chili sauce
3 tbsp salt, pepper to taste
2 c beef broth, 2 c beer
4 tbsp flour, 1 tsp cornstarch
*heat oil in pan. brown beef and drain fat. add rest of flavorings, beef broth, and beer. let simmer 20 min. once all ingredients have softened, add flour and cornstarch to thicken.

Here it is! My first chili! I love the consistency and the taste of it! It's stewy and it tastes smoky with a lingering spicyness in your mouth. It's not hot enough to need a drink of milk, but you can taste the heat and you'll want to have another bite. Wish me luck! I hope I win tomorrow!!