Fair Warning
Yes, flavor is the most important element in food, ok? But, to me, texture is really just as key. Give me a piece of un-crunchy bread and my heart will instantly sink. And yes, I form strong opinions about restaurants based upon the bread they serve. Fair Warning – it will be very hard to win me over if you serve me a piece of “icky” bread. Beyond this, give me a scone that is sticky and soft and I’ll head for the hills – think the expression on Jane’s – (Meryl Streep’s) face when she is in the elevator with Agnes (Lake Bell) and spots her shoulder tattoo in It’s Complicated, a movie btw, that was made for people like me – who would die for Jane’s garden, house and bakery/cafe in Santa Barbara! Re-watch – a must. Love, love, love.
Yesterday I wound up having a little party for 1 in the kitchen. As the air turned cool before the sprinkles came in, I lit a fire in the kitchen fireplace and went to work.
A nice Broccoli Quiche went into the oven first as I thought of Martin Lissy, the perfectionist mason who built my fireplaces. I can never light a fire there without thinking of him. Thank you, Martin. Your work will never be forgotten here.
Martin Lissy, perfectionist
It was comforting and cozy and I was not unhappy with the day. On Sunday I had gotten some lovely Pancetta at Chelsea Market and so I decided to whip up a batch of my Fontina Chive Scones with Pancetta. Only, I could not find the recipe on my blog. Could it be that I had never published it? Well now, that’s funny!
FONTINA-CHIVE SCONES WITH PANCETTA AND APRICOT JAM –
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tblsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 tblsp unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 cup grated Italian Fontina Cheese
1/2 cup fresh snipped chives, chopped
4 1/4″slices best quality pancetta, chopped, rendered, lightly browned and drained on a paper towel
egg wash and coarse sea salt for sprinkling
best quality Apricot Jam
Preheat oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In the bowl of your food processor, whir together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and pepper. Add the butter cubes and pulse 8 times or until the butter pieces resemble small peas. Remove the mixture to a low wide bowl. Make a well in the center.
In a measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk and the eggs. Pour into the center. Working with a dough scraper, gently work the dry ingredients into the wet. When the dough just begins to hold together, add the cheese, pancetta and chives. Gently work into the dough, trying hard not to over mix.
Finish the dough by kneading slightly with your hands and roll into a log, about 9″ x 2 1/2″ in diameter. Using a dough scraper, cut the log into 8-9 equal pieces.
Place the scones on the prepared baking sheet, brush with egg wash and sprinkle lightly with coarse sea salt.
Bake for 20 minutes or until nicely browned, crusty, “nooks and cranny” like and just firm. Remove from the oven and serve warm with sweet butter and apricot jam. The apricot jam is the perfect foil for these savory scones! Enjoy!
these are almost as good as the sfogliatelle and honey breakfasts I had in Florence in September 🙁
ok, I’m crying now………