Royally Burnt Scones

My oven is slowly killing my baking soul....

Why you ask?

These were supposed to be my lightly browned scones that i was going to eat while watching the Royal Wedding. Needless to say, I didn't end up eating these scones, but I figured I would share my ongoing frustration with my oven. It's a nightmare! Not only is it the smallest oven I've ever seen, but it over-cooks everything! You think I would have gotten the hang of using it after 9 years, and up until Friday I thought I had, but no...not true. I like to think this was a crazy fluke (maybe the oven was a bit moody that day), but this still makes me question my baking skills.

Anyway...enough with this sad talk about my evil oven and on to the good stuff.

Scones that were actually edible! I've never had scones before this, but after having them with a nice cup of tea, this recipe is definitely staying in by box for a rainy day.

I don't quite remember where I found the recipe for these, so I don't know where the credit goes. Just know that they are delicious(even yummier when the jam and whip cream is added).

Deliciously Plain Scones
(you can always add dry fruit to recipe)

Ingredients:
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/4 cup of granulated sugar
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup of heavy cream
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 415 degrees.

In a bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt). Cut the butter into small pieces and distribute over dry ingredients. With a pastry blender, mix in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In another bowl, stir the cream, egg and vanilla together. Add the cream mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until combined.

Pat dough into a 1/2 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Use a floured round biscuit cutter, or a glass, to cut out rounds and place on a lightly buttered baking sheet. Gather scraps together and repeat until all the dough is used.

Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool. Scones can be served warm or cooled completely (make sure to store in an airtight container).

Easter Pops

It's become a tradition for me to make the dessert for my family's Easter dinner and this year, I decided to mix things up a bit. Enter...CAKE POPS!

I'd like to say these were a blast to make, but that would be a flat out lie. Now, don't let this discourage you from trying these out yourself, just know that your first time may be a bit difficult.

I can tell you mine was full pops that didnt want to stay on their sticks and candy coating that stuck to me more than the pops. But dont worry, once you get the hang of it, its really a piece of cake.

I have to say, I love these little things. Even though they can be a bit time consuming, it's totally worth it!

I got the idea to make these pops from this cute little book I picked up a couple month ago. It's been sitting on my shelf collecting dust (like mosts of my cooking books,sad story...I know), but after making these once I know it will never be dusty again.

If anyone is interested in attempting these, I recomend picking up this book. It has all the information you need...and then some!

Cake Pops by Bakerella