Dayrecipe Food Community

Unlike oven-baked versions, griddle-cooked scones get a wonderful golden crust, which is a delicious contrast to the soft, tender interior.

Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 35 min

Makes 8 scones.

INGREDIENTS

• 2cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting
• 1teaspoon baking soda
• 1teaspoon cream of tartar
• 3/4teaspoon salt
• 3/4cup well-shaken buttermilk
• 1/2stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, meltedspecial equipment:a well-seasoned cast-iron griddle or skillet
• accompaniments:softened butter and jam

DIRECTIONS Sift together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt into a bowl. Stir together buttermilk and butter in a small bowl with a fork, then add to dry ingredients and stir just until a soft dough forms.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half and knead each half 3 or 4 times. Pat each half into a 6-inch round (1/2 inch thick), then cut each round into 4 wedges.

Heat griddle over low heat until hot. Working in 2 batches if griddle is small, lightly dust both sides of each scone with flour, shaking off excess, and cook scones over low heat, undisturbed, 3 minutes. Increase heat to moderately low and cook until scones are puffed and undersides are golden brown, about 5 minutes more. Turn scones over and cook until golden brown and cooked through (watch scones closely and adjust heat as needed so they cook through but do not burn), 7 to 8 minutes (cut one scone open to check for doneness).

Transfer to a rack and cool to warm, 3 to 4 minutes.

Makes 8 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• crust
• 1cup all purpose flour
• 1/4cup powdered sugar
• pinch of salt
• 6tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 4teaspoons (or more) chilled whipping cream1egg white, beaten to blendfilling
• 3/4cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3/4cup whipping cream
• 4large egg yolks
• 2large eggs
• 1/2cup fresh lemon juice
• 1tablespoon (packed) finely grated lemon peellemon slices (optional)

DIRECTIONS For crust:
Combine flour, sugar, and salt in processor; blend 5 seconds. Using on/off turns, blend in butter until coarse meal forms. Add 4 teaspoons cream. Using on/off turns, blend until moist clumps form, adding more cream by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap and chill at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll out dough on floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Fold overhang in, pressing to form double-thick sides. Bake crust until golden, pressing with back of fork if crust bubbles, about 18 minutes (small cracks may appear). Brush inside of hot crust twice with egg white. Maintain oven temperature.

For filling:
Whisk 3/4 cup sugar, cream, yolks, and eggs in bowl to blend well. Mix in lemon juice and lemon peel. Pour filling into warm crust. Bake until filling is slightly puffed at edges and set in center, about 30 minutes. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

Preheat broiler. Place tart on baking sheet. Cover edge of crust with foil to prevent burning. Sprinkle tart with 2 tablespoons sugar. Broil tart until sugar melts and caramelizes, turning sheet for even browning, about 2 minutes. Transfer tart to rack. Cool until topping is crisp, about 1 hour.

Push tart pan bottom up, releasing tart. Place on platter, garnish with lemon slices, if desired, and serve.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr

Makes 32 hors d’oeuvres.

INGREDIENTS

• 4teaspoons minced garlic
• 1tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1tablespoon mirin*
• 2teaspoons soy sauce
• 1/2teaspoon salt
• 3/4lb medium shrimp in shell (31 to 35 per lb), peeled, deveined, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1(9- by 4-inch) white pullman loaf, unsliced

DIRECTIONS Cook garlic and ginger in oil in an 8- to 9-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until softened and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add mirin, soy sauce, and salt (omit salt if making ahead; see cooks’ note, below) and simmer, stirring, 15 seconds. Transfer marinade to a bowl and cool to room temperature.

Add shrimp and cilantro, tossing to coat, and marinate, covered and chilled, 1 hour.

Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 350°F.

Turn bread loaf on its side and evenly cut crust from bottom of loaf using a long serrated knife, discarding crust, then cut a 3/8-inch-thick slice from bottom and trim crust from sides of slice. Put slice on a baking sheet (reserve rest of loaf for another use) and bake, turning over once, until dry but not colored, 8 minutes total. Remove bread from oven but leave on baking sheet.

Immediately increase oven temperature to 475°F.

Spread top of hot toast with all of shrimp mixture, packing it down into a thick even layer and covering surface entirely. Make sure oven temperature has reached 475°F, then bake shrimp toast until topping is cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer with a large flat spatula to a rack to cool 5 minutes, then transfer to a cutting board.

Halve shrimp toast crosswise with a very sharp knife, then cut each half lengthwise into fourths, making 8 strips total. Cut each strip into 4 pieces. Serve toasts warm or at room temperature.

Cooks’ note:
Shrimp can be marinated (without salt in marinade) up to 4 hours. Stir in salt before proceeding.

*Available at Asian markets and some supermarkets.

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 4 hr (includes cooling)

Makes 3 to 4 dozen cookies.

INGREDIENTS

• for crust
• ingredients for basic butter cookies for caramel pecan topping
• 1 1/2cups sugar
• 1cup heavy cream
• 3/4stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 1teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2teaspoon salt
• 2cups pecans (1/2 lb), toasted, cooled, and coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS Make crust:
Grease a 13- by 9-inch metal baking pan, then line with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on both ends, and grease foil.

Follow recipe for basic butter cookies to make dough (do not chill), then press dough evenly onto bottom of baking pan, using plastic wrap on top to prevent dough from sticking to your fingers, and chill until firm, about 20 minutes.

While crust chills, put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.

Bake crust until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 20 minutes. (Leave oven on.)

Make topping while crust cools:
Cook sugar in a 2 1/2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until sugar is melted to a deep golden caramel. Tilt pan and carefully pour in cream (caramel will harden and steam vigorously). Cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until caramel is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in butter, vanilla, salt, and pecans.

Immediately spread topping over cooled crust and bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack, about 2 hours.

Run a heavy knife under hot water, then wipe dry and cut confection into 2-inch triangles, diamonds, or squares.

Cooks’ note:
Cookies keep, layered between sheets of wax paper or parchment, in an airtight container at room temperature 1 week.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

INGREDIENTS