friends, lovers and scones

Vacation starts in 9 days and while things should be winding down, my dear sweet husband is working harder than ever. For the past 3 months, Cornelius has been in lock-down mode and despite the occasional sleeps and nutrition breaks, it's been nothing but work-work-work. Friends are always wondering how the husband is since he's been in hideout mode. Luckily, he works from home and I still get kisses and long, desperate hugs but I can't wait for these last few days to end. I want to be holding hands in the outdoors and to spend all my waking and unwaking moments with him by my side with nary a computer in sight.

When he crawled into bed at 7:30 a.m. the other morning, I knew he'd appreciate a freshly baked treat upon waking. So I went to my old standby scone which is known around here as Molly's Scone, since the basic recipe came from the always lovely Orangette. I took the recipe, threw in some freshly frozen blackberries and wrestled with the suddenly very sticky dough. The berries added extra moisture and the batter seemed to take on a life of its own, but I continued kneading as best I could and prepared the scones for baking. The results were worth the trouble. I feared leaden nuggets of purple dough but the scones were light and jammy and so delicious! It made for a perfect breakfast with strong coffee and needed hugs.

And speaking of Molly, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting her and her newly bethrothed husband, Brandon. Last week while I was fretting over pie dough, I received a phone call from the honeymooning couple who had just arrived in Vancouver and we immediately set up a Saturday morning brunch date at a local restaurant. I'm always a bit nervous meeting new people, but Molly is as friendly and lovely as you might expect (as is Brandon with his cute as a button curls!) and any fears I had about meeting them, melted away immediately. After breakfast, some poking about in shops, and the discovery that we had actual real-life friends in common, we departed ways and will definitely make plans to meet up again. Blogging, it's an amazing thing!


blackberry scones
1/2 c milk
1 egg
2 c flour
2 t baking powder
½ t salt
1/4 c cold butter, cubed
3 T white sugar
2 large handfuls of frozen blackberries

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisk the milk and the egg together until frothy and then set aside. In a large bowl, blend the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and blend the mixture with your hands until you have no lumps larger than a pea. Add the sugar and the blackberries and toss about until the blackberries are coated with the flour mixture. Add the egg mixture slowly until the dough comes together. Leave any remaining egg mixture to brush on as glaze.

2. Turn dough out onto a clean counter and knead it no more than 12 times. Pat dough into a round approximately 1/2 an inch thick, and cut into 8 wedges. Place on an ungreased baking sheet or a Silpat. Using a pastry brush, glaze wedges with remaining egg mixture. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden. Cool on a wire rack.