Banana Bread Scones

Whenever I'm blogging, especially when I started, I'm constantly worrying about how it comes across. My main focus was to not sound like a negative Nancy, stupid Susan or Debbie downer. Sorry if that's your name. It's not you, it me. Most food blogs I read were so upbeat and 'yay for life and food!' That's great because I love people that are like that. People that are constantly positive. But I don't know how to write while sounding like myself. I'm not a happy-go-lucky kind of gal but I'm not an angst-filled girl either. So I got tired and gave up. 

On top of that, I was disgruntled with the whole food blog thing too. I have always loved and followed food blogs. Everyday I read through them, find new ones, discover new recipes and use it as a break for studying and writing papers that are due in less than twelve hours. Holla. But I felt that many of them had moved away from this idea of a 'blog,' something that captures what you're baking for yourself and the people around you, to baking for this internet audience. Appealing to what would appeal to them. (Something I've done so no judgement.) I missed people blogging for the sake of blogging, not on a schedule and just doing it for themselves. 

But I still read and love all the food blogs I did before. One of the top of my head, How Sweet It Is, is great at being a real 'voice.' She is able to post amazing recipes (I legit make at least one a week) nearly everyday but all while keeping 'blog' like. I'm not sure where I'm going with this. All in all, I got fed up with myself and discouraged with other blogs changing. But I can't deny change, even though I hate it, so I'll just adapt. On that happy note, here is a recipe!

I've made these countless times because I sold them at the Bakers Market for the last two years. For ten weeks, every Saturday I was up at five AM making these, bacon scones and apple scones. Scones need to be fresh. These days I'm not baking for a mass crowd so I like to make scones, shape them and freeze them then just pull them out and bake them whenever a craving hits. Even if you bake them and a few hours later you realize you can't or shouldn't eat them all, throw them in a ziploc and toast them later. 

Banana Bread Scones

Adapted from the kitchn

These have a crisp exterior, something I love on scones, and a soft but still flaky center. The original recipe from the kitchn was good but I've changed it throughout the years to work with what I like. That obviously means increasing the butter and swapping heart-healthy yogurt for whole cream. The first time I made them they were really soft and like lumps of banana bread but now they hold their shape and have a scone-like texture but still a great banana bread taste. 

These freeze great too, see above. Also, I like to make mini scones. Instead of forming one large dough ball, I cut it in half. Shape them both into 1-inch circles and cut little baby scones by cutting it into six or 8 triangles instead. They are cuter and easier to justify eating four.

7/8-1 cup very ripe bananas, mashed (2 bananas)

1/4 cup heavy cream + 1-2 tbsp heavy cream

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup (8 tbsp) cold butter, cut into little cubes

1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a one-cup measuring cup, add the two mashed bananas. Most times mine came to a scant cup, about two tablespoons short of a cup. I would then fill the rest of the cup with heavy cream. However if the banana reaches one cup it's not a big deal. Pour the banana/cream mixure into a small bowl. Then add the extra 1/4 cup of heavy cream. Mix until combined, set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt until completely combined. Add the cold butter to the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter, forks, your hands or a food processor, mix the butter until it looks like a sandy mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips. Create a little well in the center of the flour-butter mixture and add the banana mix to it. Knead this until it just comes together. I mix it with a spatula then switch to my hands to fold it together and form it into a ball. Take the dough and put it on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Pat the dough into a 1-inch thick circle. Cut the circle into 8 triangles. Space the scones out and then freeze on the baking sheet for 30 minutes in the freezer. (Or if you're a dingus like me, leave them in there all night because you forgot.) Preheat the oven to 400º. Pull the scones out of the freezer and bake them for 16-20 minutes. I check the bottom of the scones to make sure they are golden with bits of brown to know that they are done. Remove from the oven and eat them right away with butter, honey, jam, peanut butter, nutella, you name it. Makes 8 scones.

Apple Cheddar Scones

The "at the end of the day thoughts" can be trouble. One part allows you to focus on what really matters like family, love, keepin' it realz in yo life and appreciating everything that comes your way. Then there is the other part that allows you to blow stuff off because "at the end of the day" it does not really matter. But tomorrow comes and the stuff you did not do catches up brings regret alongside.

But then the ability to power through comes. The assignments are finished, showering has worked its magic and it masks the feeling of dying inside and somehow apple cheddar scones have been produced to share that feeling of relief that it is the final freaking tutorial of the semester. Wake me up when Christmas comes until then enjoy the scones. They manage to make everything seem a little better. 

Apple Cheddar Scones

Adapted from my favourite scone recipe and the idea was from a Martha pie and the genius Smitten Kitchen

Notes: These are such a killer Autumn/it-is-cold-give-me-something-comforting combo. This scone texture is my favourite. It is never dry and it is the perfect crumb. Oh and get some homemade freezer strawberry jam, toast these babies and spread that sweet love on top. 

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tbsp sugar

5 tbsp butter, chilled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 medium granny smith apples, peeled and cut into 1/2 to 3/4 inch chunks

1 cup extra old cheddar cheese, 1/2 inch cubed

3/4 cup + 2 tbsp heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 375º. Line a sheet with parchment paper or butter it. Spread out the apple chunks in a single layer. Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, just until they are looking dry and a little cooked. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool a bit.

f using a food processor: Pulse together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Sprinkle the butter over the flour mixture. Pulse about ten times until the butter has been distributed to make a grainy sand. Dump this mixture into a bowl. Mix in the apples and cheddar cheese. 

If using a old school method: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Using a pastry cutter or your hands or some knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it is a grainy sand with the odd larger pea here or there. Mix in the apples and cheddar cheese.

Now pour the cream over the mixture and mix just until getting combined. Dump out onto a lightly flour surface and knead together. I dump it onto a large sheet of parchment. Then I softly flatten it out a bit then fold it in half and softly flatten it again. Repeat again if there is still lots of dry flour bits. I then form it into a 8 inch circle. Take a knife and cut 8 wedges. Place on a buttered or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, turning the sheet halfway through. They should be golden and the bottoms should be slightly golden too. Allow to cool on the sheet for about two minutes then transfer to a wire rack.. or just dig in right then and there. Makes 8 scones.

* By the way, that photo is of little baby scones that I made for my class. Every weekend I've been making them into wedges but it always slips my mind to take a photo of them. The little baby scones were about an inch size circle and it took about 8 to 12 minutes to bake. Mini love.