Low Carb Blueberry Scones ~ adapted from Brian Speaks.com

Scones are best served with a hot beverage, typically black tea. While there's nothing that can compare with a traditional scone, these are an excellent substitute for a lower carb option. 

3 c almond flour
2 large eggs
1/4 c honey
1/3 c melted butter or coconut oil
1 c frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 350. Grease baking sheet with coconut oil or line with sil-pat.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs well. Add melted butter while stirring constantly then add honey and mix very well. Stir in almond flour and gently fold in frozen blueberries. Drop batter evenly onto baking sheet making approximately 10 scones, flattening the tops slightly with your fingers.

Bake 20 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before removing from baking sheet. Serve warm with lots of butter. These are best eaten the day they are made, but will reheat fairly well in a 400 degree oven for 8 minutes. Store any extra scones loosely covered at room temperature for 3 days maximum.

Yield 10 scones.
Information per scone: Calories: 325. Carbs 16g. Protein 9g.

Low Carb Dinner Roll ~ adapted from Hey Keto Mama

1 c mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 c cream cheese
1 c almond flour
1/4 c ground flax seed
1 egg
1/2 t baking soda

Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment or silpat.

In medium bowl, microwave cheeses 1 minute, stirring halfway through. Add egg and stir vigorously until egg is completely incorporated (1-2 minutes). Add almond flour, flax, and baking soda. Mix well, dough will be sticky.

Divide dough into 6 balls, place on baking sheet and flatten tops slightly. Bake 10-12 minutes until golden. Cool 5 minutes minimum before serving. Store tightly covered in refrigerator. Yield 6 rolls.

Total carbs: 5g

Honey Banana Bread ~ adapted from A Pinch Of Joy

1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
1/2 c honey
2 eggs
3 overripe bananas, mashed
2 c all purpose unbleached flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease 2 9x5 loaf pans or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

In medium bowl, mix applesauce and honey together. Add eggs and mashed bananas and stir well. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add dry ingredients to wet and stir just until combined. Do not over mix.

Divide between prepared pans and bake 30-35 minutes or until top springs back when touched. Makes 16 slices, 8 per loaf.

Chef's Note: Using 2 baking pans reduces the baking time by half, as most banana bread recipes bake for an hour. Using honey in place of refined sugar and applesauce in place of oil cuts the calories to 121 per slice.

French Toast

1 loaf homemade bread, 1 day old
6 eggs
1/2 c milk
1 t vanilla
1/4 t cinnamon
4 T oil, canola or vegetable
4 T butter

Heat 1 T oil and 1 T butter in medium cast iron skillet over medium low heat. Combine eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon in large, flat bottom container. Slice bread into 1/2 inch slices and place in egg mixture, 2 pieces at a time. Soak bread 30 seconds per side. Place in preheated skillet and cook until golden brown. Repeat with remaining bread, adding oil to skillet as needed. Serves 6.


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Panettone French Toast

1 Loaf Panettone Italian cake
4 Large eggs
1/4 c whole milk
Ground cinnamon, optional
Orange marmalade
4 T Butter

Cut four 1/2 inch thick slices from Panettone cake, then cut slices in half.

Melt butter in 10 inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Beat eggs with milk and add cinnamon, if desired. Dredge slices of cake in egg mixture and place in heated skillet. Cook over medium heat until egg is browned and cooked through. Turn slices over and repeat until done.

Top with marmalade and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Chocolate Crescent Rolls

1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls, recommended: Pillsbury
1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
Powdered sugar, for garnish

Heat oven to 350°. Separate dough into 8 triangles. Evenly divide chocolate chips between triangle dough. Roll up, starting at shortest side of triangle, rolling to opposite point. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

Bavarian Soft Pretzels ~ adapted from Alton Brown

1 1/2 c warm water (110° to 115°)
I T sugar
2 t kosher salt
1 package active dry yeast
22 oz unbleached all purpose flour (approximately 4 1/2 c)
2 oz butter, melted
vegetable oil (for bowl)
10 c water
2/3 c baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 T water
coarse salt

Combine water, sugar and kosher salt in bowl of standing mixer. Sprinkle yeast on top and let rest 5 minutes. Add flour and melted butter, and using dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until combined. Increase speed to medium and knead until dough is smooth and pulls away from bowl. Transfer to large bowl greased with vegetable oil, turn to coat, cover with plastic wrap and set in warm place approximately 50 minutes or until double in size.

Preheat oven to 450°. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set sheets aside.

Bring 10 c water and baking soda to rolling bowl in large stock pot or roasting pan. While waiting for water to boil, turn dough out onto lightly oiled surface and divide equally into eighths. Roll out each section into a 24 inch rope. Form rope into pretzel shape and place on parchment lined sheet.

Gently place pretzels one at a time into boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove with large spatula or wire web and return to lined sheet. Brush each pretzel with egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with coarse salt (to taste). Bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to rack and let cool 5 minutes before serving. Yield 8 pretzels.

Pumpkin Bread ~ adapted from Food Network

3 c sugar
1 c vegetable oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1-15 oz can solid pack pumpkin (NOT pie filling)
3 1/2 c flour
2 t salt
2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1 t nutmeg
1 t allspice
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t cloves
2/3 c water

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour 2 ~ 9 x 5 loaf pans and set aside.

In bowl of mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix together sugar and oil. Add eggs and pumpkin and mix just until combined. Whisk together dry ingredients in separate bowl. Alternately add dry ingredients and water into wet mixture, starting and ending with dry. Mix just until combined.

Divide batter between prepared loaf pans and bake 50-60 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes, remove from pans and cool.

Easy Cornbread

1 & 1/4 c flour
3/4 c yellow corn meal
1/4 c sugar
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 c milk
1/4 c oil
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 400°. Grease 8x8 pan and set aside. Mix dry ingredients in small bowl. Add milk, oil and egg and stir just until incorporated (lumps will remain). Pour into prepared pan and bake immediately in preheated oven 25 minutes or until golden and center is set. Makes 9 3-inch squares.

Clearman's Garlic Cheese Toast

4 slices extra-sourdough bread, recommended: Francisco
4 T butter, melted
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
1/4 t garlic powder

Preheat broiler.

Combine melted butter, cheese, and garlic powder in small bowl. Mix well. Arrange sourdough slices closely on baking sheet and, using a pastry brush, evenly distribute butter mixture on top side of bread.

Place under heated broiler and toast 5 minutes or until golden brown and cheese is crunchy, rotating slices as needed for even browning. Serve immediately. Makes 4 slices (but only serves 2).

Bunratty Farmhouse Scones

In my eager anticipation for the arrival of Saint Patrick's Day next week, I will be posting some of my favorite Irish recipes. Erin go bragh!



Bunratty Farmhouse Scones

3 1/3 c flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
1 T sugar
1/4 c (1/2 stick) cold butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 c raisins
1 c buttermilk (or sour milk)
2 eggs, beaten
2 T half and half
Condiments: clotted cream, butter and jam.

Preheat oven to 400°. Lightly butter heavy large baking sheet, or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine first 5 ingredient in large bowl, stir to blend. Using pastry cutter, work in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add raisins. Gradually stir in milk then add eggs. Mix just until dough forms.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and roll into 1-inch-thick circle. Using 2-inch-diameter biscuit cutter, cut scones into rounds. Transfer scones to prepared baking sheet, brush tops of scones with half and half.

Bake at 400° until tops are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve scones warm with butter, jam and clotted cream. (And tea with milk and sugar, of course!) Yield, 18-20 scones.

Chef's Note: Since my children don't particularly like raisins, I have adapted a method for white chocolate and cranberry scones. Substitute 1/2 c white chocolate chips in place of raisins and continue with recipe. Just after mixing until dough forms, divide dough in half. Add 1/4 c dried cranberries to one half of recipe and continue to baking as directed.

Dan's Favorite Bread Pudding

1 c sugar
5 eggs ~ beaten
2 c milk
2 t vanilla extract
1/2 t cinnamon
dash nutmeg
3 c cubed Italian bread ~ allow to stale overnight
1/4 c (1/2 stick) cold butter

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 13 x 9 baking dish.

Mix together sugar, eggs and milk in a medium bowl. Add vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix well. Pour over cubed bread in large bowl and let stand 10 minutes.

Pour bread mixture into prepared pan and dot top with cold butter. Bake in preheated oven 40 minutes or until set. Serve warm with whipped cream, if desired. Serves 8.

Sister Schubert's Parker House Yeast Rolls

Today is one of those rare Arizona days cool enough to enjoy warm soup and my hubby specifically requested I make Toscana Soup. I, eager to oblige, set about to make the soup but I wanted homemade bread to have as well. Since I wasn't home all morning to prepare fresh bread, I decided to try some frozen rolls that I had purchased at the recommendation of my sister in law.

One large pot of soup and one empty roll tin later, I confidently proclaim Sister Schubert's Parker House yeast rolls are the best frozen rolls I have ever had the pleasure of re-heating, and right out of the oven they remind me of the homemade refrigerator rolls I had as a child for Sunday afternoon dinner at my Grandmother Turner's house. Warm, buttery, yeasty, soft... in one word, amazing.

If you are preparing a holiday meal soon I suggest you leave the bread making to Sister Schubert and spend your time preparing another dish from scratch... she's got these down to perfection. And be sure to purchase double what you expect to eat, there won't be any leftover.

Rosemary and Sea Salt Focaccia

1 package active dry yeast, approximately 2 1/4 t
1 2/3 c lukewarm water (105 to 115°F)
4 c unbleached all-purpose flour plus additional 2 T, sifted
2 t table salt
1/4 c plus 3 T extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 T fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 t coarse sea salt

Stir together water and yeast in bowl of standing mixer and let rest until creamy, about 5 minutes. Add 4 c flour, 1/4 cup oil, and table salt and beat with paddle attachment at medium speed until a dough forms. Replace paddle with dough hook and knead at medium high speed until smooth and sticky, 3 to 4 minutes.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead in additional 1 to 2 T flour. Knead dough 1 minute (dough will be slightly sticky). Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and turn dough to coat with oil. Cover and let rise at room temperature until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Shape dough evenly into rectangle on oiled baking stone or cookie sheet, leaving 2 inch from edge. Cover and let rise at room temperature until doubled, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Stir together rosemary and remaining ~3 T olive oil. Press shallow indentations into dough with fingertips, brush top and sides of loaf with rosemary and oil, allowing to pool in indentations. Sprinkle sea salt evenly over focaccia and bake in middle of oven until golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

Immediately remove from pan or stone, cool and slice. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Chef's Note: Because I live in an especially dry climate (hello 5% humidity!), the flour used here is significantly less than called for in the original recipe. Flour may be increased up to 5 c total, depending on level of local humidity.