Pumpkin Scones

With Halloween around the corner, it's time to start enjoying everything pumpkin!

Pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pie, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin!  I always get excited this time of year because there are endless things to bake.  To kick off my pumpkin craving, I decided to make scones.  Scones are very easy to make and good for anytime during the day. The beauty of pumpkin is a wet ingredient and gives it's moistness quality, which is perfect for scones.  Scones can be very dry and tough.  The key is to not overmix your dough.  Over-mixing causes more gluten strands to form and you want the least amount because this will give you like a flakey texture.  Biscuits follow the same guidelines.

I searched though several recipes and this one looked very delicious.  Also, when looking for a recipe in general, utilize the items you already have or alter it to fit your needs.  For example, if it calls for 2 tablespoons of half and half, milk is just as good.  I choose this one mainly because I had heavy cream in my refrigerator and it was simple.

Pumpkin Spice Scones

• 2 cups flour
• 1/3 cup brown sugar, tightly packed
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon orange/lemon zest (optional)
• 1 stick unsalted butter, cold (4 oz or 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

1.  Sift the flour, salt and spices into a large bowl.  Mix in the brown sugar.

2.  In separate bowl, mix the pumpkin puree and the heavy cream together.

3.  Cut the cold butter into pieces.  Add the butter to the sugar/flour mixture.  Use your hands or pastry blender until you get coarse crumbs and the mixture starts to come together.

4.  Pour the cream mixture into the flour mixture.  Mix with a spatula, wooden spoon, or with your hands (use flour on your hands, this will allow you get the dough off).  Mix until it almost comes together and put it onto a floured surface.  Only knead the dough a couple times and shape into a circle or desired shape and size for cutting.  Place onto a sheet pan with parchment paper.  

5.  Bake at 375 degrees or 350 degrees in a convection oven.  Bake until firm and golden around the edges.  Allow them come to room temperature and ice you want.

Things to take in consideration:

• Cutting -  When shaping and cutting scones, there are two basic shapes you can use: rectangles or circles.  Form the desired shape and flatten to about a 3/4 inch thickness.  Use a knife to cut them into triangles.  If the dough is too sticky to cut, put the dough into the freezer for a few minutes.
• Icing -  When the scones are cooled, it's now time to ice them.  I like to keep my icing simple with powered sugar and water.  Sift the powdered sugar and add a little bit of water at a time to get the right consistency.  If you don't have pastry bags, you can use a plastic ziplock bag and cut one of the ends off.  

Enjoy!

Asian Pear Applesauce

A week ago, my mother gave me a bag of asian pears.  I don't usually buy them but I was excited to try something new.  You'll find them in salads, slaws and in baking.  An asian pear is known to be a cross between a apple and a pear.  Since I just made a crisp recently, I decided to make an applesauce.

Asian Pear Applesauce*

• 3 pounds unpeeled asian pears (about 4 cups of cubed fruit)
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons raw cane sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1.  Bring to a boil and boil for five minutes. Stir occasionally.

2.  Cover and turn heat down to low for 15-20 minutes.

3.  When the fruit is soft, mush them until you get your desired consistency.  If you want a puree, use an immersion blender.

*Reference: Pear Applesauce Recipe

Things to take in consideration:

• Fruit - You can use apples, pears or a combination of both.
• Sugar & Spices - Depending on how much sugar or spice, you can add the amount you prefer.  If you don't have raw sugar, white granulated sugar is just fine but it will be a little sweeter.

Now to do with all this applesauce...?  You can eat it of course!  You can use it to make muffins, cakes, cookies or even in mousses.

Chocolate! The NW Chocolate Festival in Seattle, WA

On Sunday, September 29, Renee and I attended the 4th annual Northwest Chocolate Festival.  The event was held at the Washington State Convention Center.   Tickets were sold for each day at $25 in advance or $30 for the day of purchase.  You could also buy tickets for the weekend for $50 in advance or $60 at the door.

It was a great turn out, the audience was overflowing in the all panels that I attended.  Various speakers from local companies gave a 45-60 minute presentation about chocolate and the topics that they were passionate about.  The majority of the speakers gave a quick explanation of how chocolate is created from bean to bar and informed us on current issues regarding cacao in the growth and distribution.  There were three rooms: the Chocolate Keynote Room, the Cacao Learning Room & the Aphrodisiac Room and two stages of panels, which were located on the top floor with all the booths of local and global businesses.

The first panel I went to was "The Dirt in Your Chocolate: How Origin (Terrior) Impact Flavor" presented by Lauren Adler from Chocolopolis in Queen Anne.  I had visited Chocolopolis in the past and I really enjoyed their selections.  These chocolatiers offer chocolates from different countries, which gives profound flavor notes depending on the region, the way the cacao beans are processed and the ingredients that are added to the chocolate.  For example, we got to try sample of chocolate that was from Madagascar and Venezuela.  Madagascar chocolate is known for their red fruit, citrus and tart notes, where as Venezuela chocolate has flavor notes of dark cherries and complex other fruits like plums.

As we sampled these chocolates, she taught us how to taste chocolate by using our senses: sight, sound, smell, taste and texture.  This enhanced my experience at the chocolate festival with these basic yet complex observances.  The next time you try chocolate, let it melt in your mouth.  Trust me, you'll  will gain more satisfaction and pleasure, after all it is an aphrodisiac.

Also, Adler mentioned that there are different types of cacao:

• Criollo (Central/South America & Mexico):  High quality but low production.
• Forastero (Central/ South America & Africa):  The most popular cacao cultivated because it grow fast.
• Trinitario (Central/ South America & Asia):  A crossbreed between Criollo & Froastero.
• Nacional (South America):  High quality smell but hard to grow.
• * USDA Cacao Genome Project (12 varieties so far, ex. Maranon Chocolate & Madecasse Chocolat):  They are using technology and research to further expand the livelihood of cacao from the destruction of humans and nature.  I hope to do more research in the future on this topic.

After that very informative panel, I met up with Renee in the Aphrodisiac Room to listen to "From Directly Sourced Cacao to Chocolate Body Care" by Erin Andrews of Indi Chocolate.  This inspiring woman spoke of her passion for Belize chocolate and how she incorporated it in her all natural body products.  Her product line consists of lotions, body scrubs and lip balms.  The most memorable product she had was her "OMG" mint chocolate body lotion.  The lotion smell was very comforting and kept my hands smooth for hours.  Indi Chocolate is located in Ballard and you can order her products online.  The 4 oz mint or orange lotion is $12 or for $3 more, you can get an 8 oz bottle of the mint for $15!

The next panel we attended was "Taste Fresh Cacao Fruit Direct From Ecuador!" a special presentation from Bill Fredericks, The Chocolate Man.  This panel was overfilling with people interested in trying this mysterious cacao fruit.  Fredericks showed us pictures of his trips in Ecuador and Mexico, where he visited different cacao farms and at a first hand experience on the cultivation of the cacao fruit and beans.  The cacao fruit only grows 20 degrees above and below the equator.  These vibrant and egg shaped fruit grow on the tree's trunk and they can contain 20-50 cacao seeds that are covered by the fruit.

Each person in the room got to try a sample of the fruit.  The white mucilaginous pulp was thin surrounding the seed and was sweet with the texture of a stringy mango.  This is an expensive fruit to transport due to quick spoilage.  It was an amazing experience to try this fruit that was specially shipped from Ecuador because it was not cheap!  After each of us had our taste, Fredericks collected our seeds for future cacao trees in Seattle. Currently in Seattle, there are trees in the Washington Park Arboretum and in the Butterfly Exhibit in the Pacific Science Center.

The Chocolate Man is located in Lake Forest Park and they offers classes, bulk chocolate, supplies and rentals.  Their hours are generally from 10 am to 8 pm during the week and 11 am to 5 pm on the weekends.


We took a break to visit from sitting and listening and walked around the top floor to check out all the booths.  There were samples every where from truffles, bars to caramels.  Some of my favorites were:

• Theo Chocolate (Fremont) - Bean to Bar Fair Trade Chocolate Company.  I highly recommend them!
• Jodee's Desserts (Greenlake) - Gluten Free Desserts.
• George Paul Chocolates (Store opening soon!)  - Hand Crafted Chocolates.  The Dark Chocolate with Habanero & Pineapple is simply divine.
• Dandelion Chocolate (San Francisco) - Bean to Bar Chocolate Company.  Pure chocolate with a little sugar from Venezuela, Madagascar, and the Dominican Republic.
• The Grenada Chocolate Company-  Tree to Bar Organic Chocolate Company made on the Island of Grenada (NE of Venezuela).
• Holy Cannoli (Belltown) - Yummy Cannoli & Stromboli
• Chocolate Shop Wine (Seattle)- Chocolate Red Wine, Creme de Cocoa, Chocolate Strawberry & Almond Roca.  Really flavorful, good in moderation.
• Hot Cakes (Ballard) - Original & Organic Take-N-Bake Molten Chocolate Cakes & Other Desserts.  One of items they sampled was Smoked Chocolate Chips.  I was very intrigued with the idea of smokey flavors and chocolate. It blew my mind.  Of course, if I could only afford a half pound for $15...

The last panel we attended was "Tanzanian Cocoa: The Reality of Farming in Africa" by Nathan Royston from Theo Chocolate.  Royston shared his travels to Tanzania and informed us on the farming of Cacao.  One of the main significant issues is the education given to the farmers.  The price of the cacao is the same no matter how the beans are fermented and roasted.  This effects the quality of the chocolate.  Many of these farmers worldwide will never get the chance to taste chocolate because it is expensive and a luxury.  Not many of us realize that we have taken for granted the consumption of chocolate because of companies such as Herseys and Nestle, they have made chocolate affordable due to the addition of sugar, milk and various cheap products.  When comparing the quality of chocolate, it is important to look at the first ingreident listed on the label because that is what you are paying for.

Theo Chocolate is located in Fremont and is it one of my favorite chocolates!  From their fair traded beans to making their own signature chocolate, Theo gives you an earthly and fruitful notes that will make you wanting more.  They use flavors such as chilies, chai spices, curry, bread, hazelnuts, sea salt and so much more.  They give one hour tours seven days a week for only $6 a person.  If you haven't done the tour yet, you should!  Plus, did I mention you get to sample chocolate!


At 4pm, I missed the showing of the U.S. premiere of "Nothing Like Chocolate".  The movie just came out this year and I have heard good things.  I watched the preview and I am intrigued.  It is about how a man name Mott, from Oregon, decides to move to an island country called Grenada (Northeast of Venezuela) to open a chocolate company. The Grenada Chocolate Company is a tree to bar and certified as organic chocolate.  In the preview, they address that there is child slavery issue in the Ivory Coast and many people and companies are striving to make chocolate more fair trade and educate farmers to improve their working conditions.  I can't wait to see it.

When I left the Chocolate Festival, I felt inspired and overwelmed with the information.  It gave me a sense of awareness of the world and gave me a boost of my passion in chocolate.  I hope that some day I will be able to visit Hawaii again or other countries, such as the Philippines or Central/South America to see these amazing fruits that have effected each and one of our lives without us even thinking about it.  I can't imagine my life without chocolate.

My First Full Circle Box & Blackberry Plout Crisp.

About three weeks ago, I enrolled in a organic produce delivery service called Full Circle.  There was a deal on living social a couple months ago and it perked my interest.  I bought one week free worth of produce for 1-2 people (the seed size box).  Without knowing that I could customize my items, I received various foods that I don't usually eat.  

My first box contained broccoli, green beans, sweet corn, arugula, gala apples and flavor queen pluots.   I opened my box and saw that my arugula was wilted, which I later found that if you are not satisfied with any of your items, they will simply give you a credit on your next purchase.  As I looked around the box, I found 3 plouts.... what are these things???  The first time I bit into one, it was overripe and it was a unpleasing mushy taste.  I instantly gagged a little and gave up on trying to eat the rest.   

Since I didn't want to throw out the rest of my fruit, I did a little research and found that they are a cross between a plum and a apricot.  On my next box, I received three more pluots and I decided that I was going to make a end of the summer crisp with the blackberries I had picked just a couple weeks before.  I have found that making crisp is the easiest and simplest way to make a delicious dessert for family and friends.  The best part of crisp is if you serve them warm with vanilla ice cream, you don't have to worry about having any leftovers.  The filling consists of three main things:  sugar, cornstarch and frozen or fresh fruit.  You can add lemon juice for a little acidity but it all depends on the fruit and the flavors you want to bring out.  

The fruit filling I made, I used what I had:

• 5 pluots, sliced
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 cup blackberries
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch  

1.  Toss all together.  Put into a oven safe baking dish and sprinkle topping.  

2.  Bake at 350 degrees or 325 in a convection oven.  The crisp will be done when the topping is golden brown and the fruit is starting to bubble around the sides of the dish.

For the topping, it is quite simple as well.  Generally, you will need butter, flour and sugar (white or brown, personally I prefer brown sugar for flavor).  You can also add oatmeal, nuts (like almonds, walnuts or pecans), spices (such as nutmeg, cinnamon), or herbs (like thyme or lavender to give your topping more flavor). 

My search for a recipe for a pluot crisp directed me to this recipe from someone else's blog:  gimmesomeoven.com.  I found the recipe to be very simple, fast and yummy.  

The crisp topping recipe:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, pecans or almonds
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) softened unsalted butter, diced

1.  Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.  Slowly add the butter and mix until the mixture becomes clumpy.

2.  Spread over fruit filling before you are ready to bake.

Some alternatives for future use, you can use this topping on top of pies or just bake the topping on a sheet pan and sprinkle on a dessert or ice cream to give crunch.