A healthy relationship with food starts in the kitchen (and garden!), so the earlier we can get our kids involved with cooking, the better! When our new Cuisinart food processor, sheet pan, and matching mommy-daughter aprons (see below) arrived in the mail, our daughter Emery excitedly announced she was going to make us "a treat." Since she's just shy of three-years-old I figured it was a good idea to help her with this endeavor. We decided on a delicious Lemon-Poppy Seed Scones recipe (below) and headed to the store to get our ingredients.
We donned our matching mommy-daughter aprons and got started. Helping little ones measure easy things like flour and sugar helps them build confidence in the kitchen, but be prepared for a bit of a mess! And it's never too early to help teach how to crack an egg, just use a separate bowl so you can easily fish out the inevitable bits of shell. Watch them carefully around sharp items and educate them on potential kitchen dangers, but carefully letting them drop bits of cold butter down the top of a pulsing food processor will be one of the highlights of their day. After gently patting out our scone dough, Emery helped sprinkle sugar (with many finger licks) on top of our beautiful scones.
Nothing tastes better than food made with your own hands! Enjoy these scones with butter or clotted cream and jam along with your little one(s). Happy baking!
Lemon-Poppy Seed Scones
This recipe is courtesy of Sur la Table.
These tender scones are flaky and just slightly sweet. Make sure your butter and cream are cold, and handle the dough just enough to bring it together and pat it in shape. The food processor method used in this recipe ensure that your scones will be flaky and tender. If you don't have a food processor, you can make the scones by hand. Makes 8 scones.
2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (1-3/4 ounces) granulated sugar
1/4 cup poppy seeds
2 large lemons, finely zested
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup (8 ounces) chilled heavy whipping cream
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon brown sugar, preferably turbinado or raw sugar
Preheat oven to 425º ad position oven rack in the center. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, place the flour, sugar, poppy seeds, lemon zest, baking powder and salt and process for 10 seconds to blend well. Add the cold butter pieces and pulse five times at 1 second intervals, or until the butter into cut into medium pieces. Add the cream and pulse another 20 times, or until the dough holds together in small, thick clumps. Use a spatula to scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently squeeze the clumps together until they form a cohesive dough.
Pat the dough into a circle 7 inches in diameter and about 1-inch thick. Use a chef's knife to cut the dough into 8 equal wedges and transfer to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
Brush the tops with a thin coating of the lightly beaten egg (you will not use all of the egg). Sprinkle evenly with sugar. Bake the scones for 17-20 minutes, until firm to the touch and golden brown. Transfer to a rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
What we used in our fun baking expedition:
Our matching Mother-Daughter "Fat Cat Vintage-Inspired Aprons"
Kids on sale now for $11.99 (reg $30)
Adults on sale now for $19.99 (reg. $35)
Cuisinart® 7-Cup Food Processor in Metallic Red
$109
This food processor is just the right size! Features include an on/off/pulse blue LED control touchpad, a powerful motor, stainless steel attachments such as a chopping/mixing/kneading blade with blade lock feature and a reversible slicing/shredding disc. It's perfect for soups, sauces and salsas, too!
Chicago Metallic® Commercial II Half Sheet Pan, 12" x 16¾"
$18.95
This wide, shallow rectangular jelly roll pan is traditionally used for baking sponge cakes to be iced or saturated and then rolled up or stacked. The pan also bakes savory soufflé rolls and bar cookies.
Editorial disclosure: Foodista received this product as part of the Sur la Table Associate's Program. The opinions stated are 100% accurate.
Comments
June 18, 2013
Those matching aprons are beyond cute.