Pumpkin Cranberry Scones - Product Review: King Arthur Flour Harvest Pumpkin Whole Grain Scone Mix

I love having girl time with old friends.

There is just something about a test of time friend that comforts you.  You may not have seen each other for a while but when  you come together it's as if a day hasn't passed. Do you have friends like that?  Someone that you can just be girls with.  Laugh, be silly, and have fun!

Plus, they know you.  My friend Andrea is like that.  We've been friends for years.  Lately, we haven't been able to get together too often.  Life is busy.  The other day she called and we made a date to meet for brunch at a great spot down in Santa Monica, facing the beach.

We laughed and reminisced about our antics in the past. Watch out, Lucy and Ethel are together again!  We had so much fun that I didn't want the afternoon to end.  It's always such a joy to be with good friends.  And this good friend came baring gifts!

In she came with a pretty bag containing several King Arthur Flour mixes.  Ahhhh, she knows me! I adored the gift and her for thinking of me.

So this weekend I broke out one of the mixes and whipped up a batch of Pumpkin Cranberry Scones using King Arthur Flour's Harvest Pumpkin Whole Grain Scone Mix.  It was very easy to follow and only needed several ingredients such as butter, eggs, salt and milk.  I added dried cranberries because I love the flavor combination. I'm glad I did, because they came out GREAT!

The whole grains provided a nutty flavor, and it was bursting with pumpkin and spices.  They were very tender and moist and with the addition of the cranberries, WOW!  These are the perfect fall breakfast, brunch, or snack time bite.  MGG inhaled one down right off the bat.  He said these were a winner, and please can I make them again.  SOLD!

The package gives you instructions for drop scones, which is what I did as well.  It's just easier than rolling them out and they come out with that rustic look.  I got 9 pretty large scones out of the mix, and the box states you'll get 8 using a 1/3 cup measure.  I used a scoop so that would account for the extra piece of heaven!

Overall these were a hit.  I would certainly recommend this mix to anyone that wants a shortcut from making them completely from scratch.  In my opinion King Arthur has some of the best quality products out there.  I use their flour religiously, so it's no wonder that their scone mix is a winner.

You can purchase this mix here.




Pumpkin Cranberry Scones

1 17oz box of King Arthur's Harvest Pumpkin Whole Grain Scone Mix
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pats
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup dried cranberries

1. preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a baking sheet, or line with parchment paper.

2. stir together scone mix and salt, then work in butter with a pastry blender, mixing until everything is crumbly. In a separate bowl, stir together egg and milk. Add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Fold in cranberries. (If dough is too dry add a splash of milk)

3. scoop dough onto the baking sheet, using a large scoop for each scone.  Space by 2" between them. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until they're a light golden brown. Remove from oven, wait 5 minutes and serve warm.

adapted from King Arthur's Harvest Pumpkin Whole Grain Scone Mix box instructions.

Thanksgiving Leftovers: Turkey Tex-Mex Quesadilla

Hi everyone!  I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving spent with loved ones.

Now, what are you gonna do with all that leftover turkey?  Well you could have the classic leftover Thanksgiving sandwich!  Or you can make my Turkey and Havarti sandwich, or how about some Turkey and Wild Rice Soup?

Each of these dishes are perfect for using up that turkey, but today I have a new version.  A Tex-Mex version of a quesadilla.  I wanted some spice in my life so I opted for a little spicy jack cheese, some green chiles and a whole lot of turkey and refried beans!

This was the perfect quick meal.  Of course you could use chicken in this dish but once you spice up the turkey meat, you or your kids would never know that you are eating turkey...again!

That's the beauty of using your leftovers in completely different flavor profiles.  It gives your ingredients a whole new perspective, plus it tastes sooooo good!

Hope you enjoy this variation on a quesadilla.  It's easy to prepare and your meal will be on the table in less than 30 minutes.

Enjoy!




Turkey Tex-Mex Quesadilla

serves 1-2
1/4 - 1/3 cup refried beans, zesty jalapeno (from a 16 oz can)
2 Tablespoons of green chiles (from a 4 oz can)
1/2 cup cooked turkey meat, shredded
1 1/2 Tablespoons of taco seasoning
1/4 cup water
2  flour tortillas, fajita size
1/4 cup of jalapeno jack cheese
1/4 cup of cheddar cheese

In a small sauce pan over low heat add the refried beans. Add the green chilies and stir.  Cook 2-3 minutes until heated through.  (Can also use the microwave for this step).  In a medium skillet over medium heat add the turkey and sprinkle with the taco seasoning.  Stir about 4 minutes to heat through and incorporated the spices. Add water and continue to stir about 3 minutes until sauce is formed and water evaporates.

To assemble:  On one flour tortilla spread the refried bean mixture.  Top with the turkey meat.  Top with both cheeses and then place another flour tortilla on top.  In a clean skillet over medium heat place the quesadilla.  Cook covered for 1-2 minutes per side.  Remove to a cutting board and cut into triangles.  Serve with sour cream and a dollop of salsa if desired.

Beyond Pumpkin Pie: Gluten-Free Pecan Tassies

It's true...not everyone likes pumpkin pie.

I'm not sure who these people are....not me for sure, but I know they are out there!

I think they might prefer something different this Thanksgiving so I wanted to share with you an dessert that we just made in a Williams-Sonoma cooking class which would be a great alternative.

These wonderful little bites or tassies are reminiscent of a pecan pie. Yes, they are delicious and very easy to make. They are the perfect bite of something sweet for those that don't like pumpkin, or had to much to eat during Thanksgiving!

Another plus is that they are gluten-free, and they take a little help from pecan pie mix in a jar.  Couldn't get much easier than this!

Enjoy this alternative for dessert this holiday season!

Gluten-Free Pecan Tassies

Ingredients:

9 oz. (280 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
24 Tbs. (3 sticks) (12 oz./375 g) unsalted butter, at room
temperature
3 cups (15 oz./470 g) Cup4Cup Gluten-Free Flour
Pinch of salt
3 eggs
1 jar (1 lb. 12 oz./875 g) San Saba Pecan Pie In-a-Jar
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) (2 oz./60 g) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup (4 oz./125 g) coarsely chopped pecans

Directions:

Place the cream cheese, butter, flour and salt in a large bowl. Using your hands, work the ingredients together until they form a uniform dough. Divide the dough in half and shape into two disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Position racks in the lower and top thirds of an oven and preheat to 350ºF (180ºC). Spray two mini muffin pans with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until uniformly combined. Add the pie filling and melted butter and stir until combined. Stir in the chopped pecans and set the filling aside.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide each disk into 24 balls, each about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter. Place 1 ball of dough into each mini muffin well. Using your thumb and fingers, press the dough into the bottom of each well and press along the sides until the dough reaches the top.

Carefully spoon filling into dough, about 1 heaping Tbs. per well, stirring the filling occasionally to make sure the pecan pieces are evenly distributed.

Bake until the dough is golden brown and the top of filling looks sugary and crunchy, about 30 minutes, rotating the muffin pans 180 degrees and from top to bottom about halfway through baking. Allow the tassies to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then, using a small offset spatula, carefully transfer the tassies to a wire rack. Let cool completely before serving. Makes about 4 dozen tassies.

Source:  pictures and recipes are from Williams-Sonoma