Cranberry Scones

I searched online for the easiest, most delicious scones recipe. I tried this one from AllRecipes.com and really like it. Scones are best served right out the oven. This recipe makes about 8 scones:

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup dried raisins or cranberries
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon milk

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large bowl. Cut in butter using a pastry blender or rubbing between your fingers until it is in pea sized lumps. Stir in the raisins/cranberries. Mix together 1/2 cup milk and sour cream in a measuring cup. Pour all at once into the dry ingredients, and stir gently until well blended. Overworking the dough results in terrible scones!
3. With floured hands, pat scone dough into balls 2 to 3 inches across, depending on what size you want. Place onto a greased baking sheet, and flatten lightly. Let the scones barely touch each other. Whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon of milk. Brush the tops of the scones with the egg wash. Let them rest for about 10 minutes.
4. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until the tops are golden brown, not deep brown. Break each scone apart, or slice in half. Serve with butter or clotted cream and a selection of jams - or even plain.

Mini Fruit Tarts

I found the recipe on www.JoyOfBaking.com, and there is even a video!

Pastry Cream Recipe:

1 1/4 cups (300 ml) milk 

1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

3 large egg yolks

1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar

2 tablespoons (20 grams) all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons (20 grams) cornstarch

Optional:1/2 tablespoon liqueur (Grand Marnier, Brandy, Kirsch) 

For lighter pastry cream - fold in 1/2 cup (120 ml) softly whipped cream to cooled pastry cream.

For Chocolate pastry cream - add 2 ounces (60 grams) of finely grated bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate to the hot pastry cream. Stir until melted.

For Coffee pastry cream - add 1/2 - 1 tablespoon instant espresso or coffee powder to the hot milk.

For Raspberry pastry cream - add 1/4 cup (60 ml) raspberry sauce to pastry cream.

instructions: 

In a medium-sized heatproof bowl, mix the sugar and egg yolks together. (Do let the mixture sit too long or you will get pieces of egg forming.) Sift the flour and cornstarch together and then add to the egg mixture, mixing until you get a smooth paste.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan bring the milk and vanilla bean just to boiling (just until milk starts to foam up.) Remove from heat and add slowly to egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent curdling. If you get a few pieces of egg (curdling) in the mixture, pour through a strainer. Remove vanilla bean, scrape out seeds, and add the seeds to the egg mixture. (The vanilla bean can be washed and dried and placed in your sugar bowl to give the sugar a vanilla flavor.) Then pour the egg mixture into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until boiling, whisking constantly. When it boils, whisk mixture constantly for another 30 - 60 seconds until it becomes thick. Remove from heat and immediately whisk in the liqueur (if using). Stir in vanilla extract if using instead of a vanilla bean. Pour into a clean bowl and immediately cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a crust from forming.  If not using right away refrigerate until needed, up to 3 days. Whisk or stir before using to get rid of any lumps that may have formed.

Makes about 1 cup (240 ml). Preparation time: 20 minutes.

I took a short-cut for the pie crust and bought already made dough. So I just rolled it out, cut circles and baked in a cupcake pan. 

I poked the bottoms with a fork:

With extra dough, I cut out little flowers/stars:

The pastry cream cooling down:

I made apricot glaze to brush onto the pie crust before pouring the pastry cream on to keep it from getting soggy:

Apricot Glaze

1/2 cup (120 grams) apricot jam or preserves

1 tablespoon water

Heat the apricot jam or preserves and water in a small saucepan over medium heat until liquid (melted). (Can also heat in the microwave.) Remove from heat and strain the jam through a fine strainer to remove any fruit lumps.

One thing I would have done differently is to pour the pastry cream into the pie crust/tart while it is warm. When the cream cooled, it became thick and sticky. I felt like I had to re-heat it, but I didn't, so the cream got lumpy.

I added strawberries, blackberries and the little flowers as decoration. They were delicious!