Cinnamon Clove Scones with Raisins

Just about every part of the Cinnamon tree  is fragrant. I like using the Cinnamon Bark because it is the most potent and more complex than the Cinnamon Leaf. The common name of Cinnamon can also be Cassia Bark. Cassia is more readily available because it comes from China (meaning cheap cheap cheap). The Cassia Bark tends to be more potent that the Cinnamon Bark. Most of the what we see ground in the U.S. is Cassia Bark. True Cinnamon can actually be hard to find. If the country of origin is from Madagascar or Sri Lanka, then you know you have true Cinnamon. Many parts of the world bar Cassia from being labeled Cinnamon so customers know they are either getting Cassia or the Cinnamon Bark. Cinnamon Bark was discovered by Dutch spice traders in Sri Lanka.  It is a great digestive, high antimicrobial, antiseptic, astringent, and carminative properties.

Clove Bud is another plant where every part is aromatic. We also have Clove Leaf which is not as strong as the Clove Bud. Clove Bud is a native of the Molucca Islands aka Spice Islands. Before indoor plumbing people would carry around spiceballs of an orange or apple with cloves stuck all around.  It helped with the smells when you walked around the streets. Those are still used today to make spiced cider.In the third century BC one of the Han emperors in China ordered all courtesans in his court to place a few clove buds under their tongue to make their breath smell sweet. During the Byzantine time, a vessel of clove was the ultimate gift. The plant was highly coveted by the Dutch and Portuguese. They both tried  to keep it as a monopoly until the French were able to get away with a few seedlings. Clove and Cinnamon are two spices that are potent and need to be used conservatively especially using the essential oil.

Cloves are good to help tame the strong onion scent. Good in meat dishes as well with desserts. True Cinnamon is good in a lot of desserts and a great accompaniment with chocolate. Also good in a variety of meat dishes and gives beans an extra something too.

I thought I would post a recipe that is a great bread dish and good with a stew.

Dry Ingredients
3 1/2 cups flour 1/4 cup for bench flour
1/4 cup of sugar
2 Tbs. of baking powder
1 Tsp. of salt
8 Tbs. of cold butter

Wet Ingredients
1/4 cup of applesauce
1 cup of sour cream
5 drops of cinnamon essential oil
3 drops of clove essential oil
2 egg
1 cup of raisins
2 Tbs. milk

In a medium size bowl add the 3 cups of flour with the other dry ingredients. Stir together.
Cut in pieces of the butter with pastry cutter, fork, or hands until butter resembles peas in the flour mixture.

Combine wet ingredients together in a small mixing bowl. Stir until ingredients are well blended.
Add the wet ingredients a little bit at a time to flour mixture. Combine until it starts to form into a ball. (May not use all the liquid.)

Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Flour hands and knead dough a few times over a floured surface with the bench flour. Do not over work it. Roll out dough 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Use a biscuit cutter or the rim of glass to cut round shapes. Lay on greased baking sheet. Put in preheated oven at 425 degrees. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Makes 16-20 scones.

Happy Cooking!

Source: http://www.gritman.com/blog/cinnamon-clove-scones-with-raisins/

Buttermilk Lemon Verbena Pound Cake

Thinking about trying to make this for the Thanksgiving side buffet table....

~Ky

Lemon Verbena‘s ancient history goes as far back as Druids in religious ceremonies. It was considered the “Herb of Grace.” The name is  derived from ancient Celtic word “fer” meaning to drive away and “faen” for stone, the ability to expel kidney stones. Maximilian of Mexico renamed it Yerba. It is very common for Lemon Verbena to be adulterated with a cheaper lemon oils like Lemon Thyme or Litsea Cubeba. It has a nice lemon floral scent. I needs to be highly diluted if using it in a non-cooking or baking method. Even in baking or cooking one drop will usually do it.

This recipe I used for a light breakfast bread/cake for one of our classes. I used only 1/2 cup of sugar since I did not want it to be overly sweet. If you are using this for a dessert, you can increase the sugar to 1 cup.  The original recipe was created by Carolyn Weil.

For cake:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour

1 tsp. of baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, soften

1/2 cup of sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup of buttermilk

1 drop of Lemon Verbena Essential Oil (not fragrance oil)

For Syrup:

Juice of 1 lemon

3 to 4 Tbs. of confectioner’ sugar

Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray loaf pan (8x5x3″) with non stick coating.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until well blended. With an electric mixer or paddle attachment with a standing mix, beat the butter until it’s very pale and little tails have formed. Sprinkle sugar over the butter and beat until slightly fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl well. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until blended before adding the next one.

With the mixer on low, add 1/3 of the flour, mixing until almost combined; then add half the butter milk until just combined. Repeat ending with the flour. Just before all the flour is incorporated, switch to a stiff rubber spatula. Add one drop of Lemon Verbena and complete the mixing of the flour into the batter.

Scrape the batter into into the prepared pan and bake until cake is golden brown and a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs when inserted in the center, 45-50 minutes. Let the cake cool on a baking rack for about 10 minutes. As it cools, stir together the lemon juice and confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl. Carefully invert the loaf pan, tap to release the cake.  Brush the syrup on the cake while it’s still warm. Cool completely on the rack before serving.

Happy Baking!

Source: http://www.gritman.com/blog/buttermilk-lemon-verbena-pound-cake/