February's Review

Now lets see, February is a very special month for me. Not only is the shortest month of the year, but it represents all love and hearts. Most people go all the way out during this month just to let that special someone know how much they are loved. Cute ha!

In this post I want to review this heart warming month with things I have baked and special events.

Here you have a picture of the Maple Scones I made not long ago, delicious! Plus, by going back in time and taking a pick at that post you can also find other shapes I made.















My special Valentines are my husband (Alex) and my daughters (Paloma & Kyra). So my girls and I decided to go ahead and make pretty some vanilla cupcakes I had made days before the 14th.

Here is one with Red Sanding Sugar from CK Products.

This pink cupcake is also Pink Sanding Sugar topped with hard candies in heart shapes. This product is from Wilton.

Having a very talented and creative daughter isn't a surprise to me that she brings lots of arts from school to share with the family. But this very special cookie was decorated by her for none other that me (mommy dearest). She is my For Ever Valentine!

You will never imagine what happened to me!... Ok, ...I'll give it up, no need on delaying the news anyways! I won a Cupcake Apron from Carolyns Kitchen a giveaway sponsored by Cake Journal. Thanks Louise for the great idea of giving away cupcake related things, I sure love it. When I found out I was sooooo happy, let's just say that it was a jumping around the house event! Promise to take a picture with it and post about it soon.

Last but not least, during this very special month of February (Feb. 28) is my dearest first daughter (Paloma's) 8th birthday. I did bake her some cupcakes. I'll post the pictures and details later on.

Mostly what we did for her day was after church (and giving God thanks for all our blessings) we went and had some breakfast, went to Toys R Us so she could choose a present (with a budget set up, to keep it real), then we went to a Mini Golf near our house (it was so much fun, we are so short of being golfers). After that we drove to the movies and saw Princess and the Frog and finally had some dinner at her favorite restaurant.

Wow! I am tired by even writing it, yes... by the end of the day I was exhausted... Ok! by the middle of the day I was tired already. But, it was all so worth it.

The night before her birthday I was a little emotional, because she is my first born and was only 2 years old when I was diagnosed with Cancer and now (today) she is 8 years old. God has given me the best gift ever... to get to meet my daughter and grow up with her. It feels like it's my birthday too!

Note: March 1st was my husbands birthday. Happy Birthday honey!

Maple Scones

It is actually Maple-Oatmeal Scones made from a recipe gotten from Food Network Magazine. The recipe is from Ina Garten, I absolutely love her dishes. Both sweet and savory.

For this particular recipe I did make some changes that worked for my pallet, with what I like and what my family loves as well. The reason being is that I make all of this for my family, hey, I need to take care of my loved ones. Plus someone has to take care of all the tastings that goes around here! Don't judge, I know you have done it too... or maybe still do.

You can enjoy some of the pictures I took and taking advantage of the holiday (Valentine's Day) I gave a special shape to my scones. Hearts and XOX's. Hope you like and enjoy some scones!

Here goes the recipe:

Maple Scones (Maple-Oatmeal Scones)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup quick-cooking oats, plus additional for sprinkling
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
• 1/2 cup cold buttermilk
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk or water, for egg wash

For the glaze:

• 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flours, oats, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Blend the cold butter in at the lowest speed and mix until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Combine the buttermilk, maple syrup, and eggs and add quickly to the flour-and-butter mixture. Mix until just blended. The dough may be sticky.

Dump the dough out onto a well-floured surface and be sure it is combined. Flour your rolling pin and roll the dough 3/4 to 1-inch thick. You should see lumps of butter in the dough. Cut into rounds or triangles (or any other shape you like) then place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Brush the tops with egg wash. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are crisp and the insides are done.

To make the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla. When the scones are done, cool for 5 minutes, and drizzle each scone with 1 tablespoon of glaze. Ina recommends to sprinkle some uncooked oats on the top, for garnish.

Note: When putting on the glaze make sure the scone is not too warm or the glaze will melt.
Another good recommendation I can give you is that whenever you are making a recipe read the reviews (if they are available). It always help to know what others found that works better for you in the chosen recipe. It always helps me!

Cinnamon Chips

They are here...they are finally here!!!

Found the most desirable Cinnamon Chips, online in Kings Arthur Flour and I just got them yesterday. This are not your regular chips, normally we would buy chocolate chips and often find butterscotch chips in the supermarket and bakery supply stores. But this cinnamon chips really puts its own stamp in desserts like scones, muffins, cookies, cakes and even breads. If you can think about it, you can definitely bake it!

Having the cinnamon coming in the form of chips makes it pop (break up) with the heat of the oven and gives that distinctive taste that is more concentrated than when you add certain amount of cinnamon powder to a recipe. Plus it looks beautiful when you break into it (or bite into the scones, yummy!).

Here are the new pictures of the scones I made just today. This scones are a little different from the ones I made earlier this month. They don't have the sugar glaze, but they are definitely different inside. The cinnamon chips makes all the difference in the world, design wise and taste wise. It looks like dots of cinnamon inside. Make them for yourself and loved ones, enjoy!

For the recipe look at: Cinnamon Scones

Cinnamon Scone

Who doesn't have a favorite coffee shop around the neighborhood that is there ultimately favorite? Well I do and this is the best time of the year to go and visit, because there is just something whimsical about the smell there. It must be the cinnamon with nutmeg and of course the great coffee smell.

My husband and I am addicted to scones, but not just any scone, the cinnamon scone we buy at Panera Bread here in Florida. I had to make them at home, after searching on every book and magazine I could get my hands on I came to the idea of searching online (which by the way I can't believe this wasn't my first choice, it would had cut my time in half). After reading a couple of recipes I came across one found in Group Recipes.

Cinnamon Chip Scones

Preheat oven to 350°F. Set aside a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

4 tbsp white sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 stick butter (cold)

1/3 cup cream (whipping cream)

2 eggs

1/3 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup cinnamon chips

sugar and cinnamon for topping

(large sugar crystals can also be used)

Directions:

1. Mix together the flour, sugars (brown and white), baking powder and salt.

2. Cut up butter into cubes.

3. Mix butter into flour mixture until blended. Should have pea size chunks of butter.

4. Beat the eggs and cream lightly together. Then add to the dry ingredients.

5. Add cinnamon chips and oatmeal to mixture.

6. Put dough into circle, roll out.

7. Cut into triangles, number depends on size of triangles (I made eight).

8. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mixture.

9. Put on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

10. Finally, cook for 15-20 minutes or until slightly brown.

Note: I couldn't find cinnamon chips anywhere (I didn't even know such thing existed) so I had to improvise, but I am waiting for some that I ordered online at King Arthur Flour. Can't wait to get the to try the recipe the way it is meant to be made.

I also personalized it a bit by adding a glaze. I saw some recipes with this idea and thought it couldn't damage it if I added some to my scones. By the way they are delicious with or without the glaze.

Follow me on Twitter and be the first to see my new scones made with the cinnamon chips.


Now for the picture you have been waiting for: