Scones, Scones and More Scones . . .

Hello, peeps. In my paid newsletter this month, I shared the good news that pre-orders are now available for my new savory easy-peasy baking book, entitled: Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes: 100 Easy-Peasy, Savory Recipes for 24/7 Deliciousness. And in said letter, not only did I mention the pre-orders, and how crazy important they are for the success of a book, but I also shared the cover photo of Salty, Cheesy. To see that cover, receive exclusive recipes from the book and learn all about what happens behind the scenes when cookbook-making, please consider becoming a paid subscriber.

In other news, Season 5 of my baking podcast, She’s My Cherry Pie, just came to a close (season 6 picks up in May) and it was an excellent season, in which I got to talk to none other than Claire Saffitz, for a second time!

We did a deep dive into chocolate souffles (the first time Claire was on the pod we chatted fruit pies) and Claire is literally the best at explaining slightly tricky baking techniques, so give it a listen if you’ve ever wanted to know every single thing that you could ever hope to understand about whipping egg whites . . . And as I mentioned in the last letter, Gemma Stafford was also on the pod in season 5 and we chatted all things Irish scones. And lo and behold that convo inspired the subject of this letter . . . 

But before I jump into scone recipes with you, I wanted to tell you about a book I just read that I adored and a TV show that I just watched (and also adored). I think I have mentioned in prior letters that my love of reading is maybe only rivaled by my love of watching television (and maybe by my love of my cat and dog . . . and I like my kids, too,  but I digress). 

So I recently read Bee Sting by Paul Murray and although it was insanely long, and has an ending that flummoxed me beyond all measure, I thought it was fantastic. It’s a family saga, as it were, that bounces from the POV of different family members throughout, as well as from past to present, but mostly takes place after the 2008 financial crisis in Ireland. Highly recommend. And in TV news, I just binge watched One Day and was completely swept up and into it. 

It basically follows a relationship of  two peeps on the same day each year from when they first meet at the end of college through to adulthood, and I was completely in love with both of the characters and 100% along for the ride. Highly recommend, if you are a TV peep who is open to a little romance. 

Alright, scone time: first up is my double ginger scone from Snackable Bakes. As you’ve come to expect, this is an easy, one-bowl bake. To portion these cuties I use a big ‘ole portion scoop (learned from my early days working at a bakery), so there’s no fussy kneading on a floured work surface, rolling out, and cutting happening here.

They also have dried currants in them - which I adore in scones and the ginger here is in the form of powdered, as well as crystallized; and I find the punchiness they each deliver to be heaven in a nutshell (or scone “shell”). Next up are my strawberry olive oil scones. 

Olive oil, as you’ve likely surmised, takes the place of butter in these scones, and yet they are equally as rich and crumbly as their butter-filled brethren, with a deliciously unique flavor all their own. These babies are not very sweet and call for heavy cream, in addition to the oil, which contributes to their richness.

Finally, I am excited to share my berry scones with you. They are inspired by these scones here and although the process of assembling them requires some resting and so seems a bit fussy, they are so worth every second.  

These are uber-buttery scones with tons of “lift,” a bit of a tang, a deliciously crusty exterior and the most perfect, not too cakey/not too dry/crumbly crumb. You will love them. Promise. Now although Provence may not be the place to go if you are craving a scone (which shouldn’t be a problem, because you now have three recipes and can make your own), it IS the place to go if you want to hang out with me from October 23rd through 29th. 

I’ll be hosting the trip in partnership with Modern Adventures and would love love love for you to join me so we can eat delish food together and drink delish wine and explore the region to our hearts’ (and stomachs’) content. All of the details are here but please reach out to me if you have any queries.

Alrighty I think that’s about it for this newsy letter. See you in two weeks.