Black Currant Scones

The Lowdown:

I am definitely not a breakfast person. I am definitely not a baking person. In fact, the amount of times I've that eaten a breakfast-style meal (other than the odd omlette) and/or baked can probably be counted using my fingers. Baking to me lacks creativity. Breakfast to me lacks about everything I like. More often than not I'll have a sandwich or last night's leftovers for breakfast. Breakfast and I are not best friends. Perhaps we are merely acquaintances that say hello as we pass by each other, but avoid the unpleasant small-talk.

However, with every rule there is always an exception. Like when a parent "counts to three," but then they add the halves and quarters of seconds to extend the amount of time. If you ask me, it's a great way to teach fractions. But in reality we all know that parents only do it because they have no idea what they'd actually do if they ever reached three. My exception to baking is the scone (pronounced skon). Similarly, my exception to my lack of interest in breakfast is the scone.

Scones and I go way back. No, we didn't ride tandem bicycles together; and when we are seperated I don't get the blues. But the thought of me using somebody else's recipe may strike a bit of discussion with my father. Every Sunday, and most holidays, usually started with scones. Our scones to be exact. That is, until I discovered that I could make a lot of poor decisions on a Saturday night and wake up hungover on a Sunday morning, making me unable to operate an oven. Either way, it was the easiest recipe to find, because the cookbook opened to that page on its own. Not that it mattered, I knew it off by heart. Even still, when I go to visit, we usually end up making them. By we, I mean my little brother, because that's about all he contributes to in the kitchen.

So, a big thanks for {Sweetly} Serendipity's Black Cherry Scones envoking that same feeling that I can almost remember from all those years back. Oh right, I almost forgot to mention. This week, Kristy and I are both re-creating a recipe from the same blog (normally we choose our own separate blog). Obviously, {Sweetly} Serendipity was the blog chosen. You forced me to bake this week Kristy. You win this time. Next time, I think I choose a goat only blog. Oh, how I love power.

The Playlist:

1 cup Flour
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking powder
1/8 tsp Baking soda
4 tbsp Shortening (or butter)
1/4 cup Milk
1/4 cup Sour cream
1 cup Black currants

The Skinny:

1. Preheat oven to 400*.
2. Mix dry goods together in a large mixing bowl. Add shortening and, using a pastry cutter, cut the shortening into the flour mixture until it is the size of rice grains.
3. Mix the sour cream and milk together in a small bowl then add to the flour mixture. Turn using a wooden spoon until a solid ball forms. Add the currants and gently mix them into the dough.
4. Flour a surface and push the ball into a 1.5" thick pizza dough shape. Cut into desired number of pieces (I made 8), then place on a parchment papered baking sheet.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Featured on: Premeditated Leftovers, Chef in Training, 33 Shades of Green, 

Stay Rad - h

Chipotle Pork Black Currant Burgers

The Lowdown:

With summer in full swing, and me spending the majority of my time off at the beach, I've been "forced" to reduce the amount of time I spend in the kitchen. By forced, I mean gladly spending time in the sun and not indoors. Despite the rest of the city's constant complaints on our summer thus far, I've found it to be quite nice. I'm sorry, three weeks of straight sun without all the hassles of forest fires shouldn't be complaint-worthy in anyones' books. Not to mention, we've been getting the cool ocean breeze that picks up in the late afternoon so you can actually sleep at night. To all you summer nay-sayers, STFU (to put it nicely). To everyone else, heck-yes BBQ season is still in effect! Well, not for me it isn't. My anti-fun committee... Err, I mean my strata council wont allow BBQs because they don't like the smell. Yeah, that's right -- the smell. Not because it's a fire hazard. Not because the building is not fit for propane to be escorted through the elevator. Not because there are no patios. The smell. Thanks anti-fun committee for robbing us of our summer once again.

As the saying goes, "when God gives you lemons; make lemonade." So when you're given black currants; make burgers? No, I'm pretty sure that is not how the saying would go if there were one. Call me rebellious, but I really don't care. I do what I want... Well, I do what I want, if my girlfriend agrees to it. But still, I do what I want most of the time! Yeah, so manly. I wanted burgers. I had black currants (thanks to my late night shopping habits). Ta-da, enough said. I'm making chipotle, black currant burgers because I want to (and my girlfriend is at work so she can't stop me)! Watch out world, I'm outa control.

Now, off to set up a BBQ illegally on my patio and cook these burgers the way they were meant to be cooked. Just kidding, my girlfriend said no. Now I shall rephrase my past statement, now off to cook these burgers the way they were meant to be cooked... on a Paderno, non-stick frying pan? Drats! Foiled again! You may have won the battle strata council; but the war is far from over! (Now if only I had an evil cat to pet as I devised my dastardly plan).

The Playlist:

1 lb Pork, ground
1 Egg
1/4 cup Brown rice flour*
1 cup Black currants, fresh
2 Chipotle pepper, dried/ground
1/2 Onion, finely chopped
4 cloves Garlic, minced
Salt & Pepper, to taste

*Substituted for bread crumbs to make gluten-free (and because I was out of bread crumbs).

The Skinny:

1. You all know how to make burgers, so do that.
2. Damn you strata council. 

 Stay Rad -h


Featured on: Chef in Training, Premediated Leftovers, 33 Shades of Green, Carole's Chatter,