I
AM
SO
FRIED.
I am only writing today because the world NEEDS TO KNOW about cream cheese scones, and it can not wait even another day. But, seriously, I am so fried. Last week the kids (and I) were sick all week, again. This is literally our 4th week in a row being sick. As you can imagine, I spent the week taking care of the kids and the chores, barely leaving the house. Then it snowed super crazy this weekend, so we ended up cooped up in the house all weekend too. On top of the sick/cooped up factor my leg has been giving me a lot of trouble (read pain) lately as well. I’m still waiting for my MRI results to see if there is anything new we might be able to do to help. Then there was Monday again. Why, oh, why Monday do you keep coming back? Guess where I had to report first ? Yup, jury duty. Don’t get me wrong I know jury duty is important; and I do believe in doing my civic duty, but it’s pushed me over the edge to exhaustion this week.
I find jury duty to be strangely exhausting and stressful. I probably actually find jury duty disproportionately stressful to how difficult the task actually is. I’m odd in that I get stressed about odd things. Maybe it’s because there are so many arrangements to be made when you are just going to be absent from a day in your regular life? Or maybe because, once I’m actually there, there is not one single chair in the entire courthouse that I can sit on that doesn’t cause me a rather large amount of pain to sit on? I don’t know really. They only needed me for the day, so it’s over and done with, and I can’t say considering the pain aspect of things, that I’m disappointed.
Ok, thanks for listening to me complain. Really, I know none of what I mentioned is anything that terrible. I believe the phrase first world problems totally applies. I’m thankful the colds we have been dealing with are not serious illnesses. Being cooped up isn’t the end of the world. Pain sucks. But, there are worse things. Ditto with the jury duty. (I mean that there are worse things.) Actually, I’m thankful to live in a country where trial by jury is a right. Clearly, I’m just worn out here. I probably need to eat one of the awesome scones I’m actually supposed to be talking to you about and go to bed. Yep. That’s definitely it. I’m just going to say really quick, cream cheese makes an amazingly moist, tender, insanely good scone. Vanilla almond and cream cheese in the scone. Chocolate and almond drizzle on top. Come on!? You totally want to make these. I should also mention that this is a small batch recipe that yield 4 scones. Mostly because when I make a bigger batch of scones I eat them all. Ok nuf said, moving right on to the recipe because I really do need to go to bed. Night everybody.
Vanilla Almond Cream Cheese Scones– Yields 4 large scones. Adapted from The Baking Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum.
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 oz cream cheese (use a block and cut it)
- 1 and 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cups almond flour
- 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
1. Preheat the oven to 400* and line a baking pan with parchment paper, set aside.
2. In the bowl of a large stand mixer (a hand mixer will work fine as well) add the butter, cream cheese, and sugar, and cream together.
3. In a separate bowl mix together the dry ingredients: flour, almond flour, baking powder, and sea salt. Mix well so that the baking powder is distributed evenly throughout the other ingredients.
4. Add the dry ingredient mixture, the almond milk, and vanilla to the butter mixture. Mix on low until all the flour is incorporated and avery sticky dough has formed.
5. Turn the dough out on to a lightly floured counter top and shape into a flat round. Use a sharp knife and cut into fours. Place each piece spaced about two inches apart onto the prepared baking sheet. gently squeeze the sizes of each scone to seal it.
6. Bake at 400* for 18-22 minutes or until puffed and lightly browned. Cool fully on the baking sheet before glazing if desired.
Dark Chocolate Almond Drizzle– Enough for four large scones.
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 square of dark chocolate or 1/2 tablespoon semi sweet chocolate chips
- 2 teaspoons almond milk
1. In a small sauce pan over low heat melt together the powdered sugar, chocolate, and almond milk, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
2. When fully melted drizzle over the cooled scones. Allow the glaze to cool and harden before serving.
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