Ham and Cheese Puffs

I'm sorry. I don't think I have any witty anecdotes for you today. I'm out. I'm not used to this three times a week thing. My brain insists that I'm done. I got nothin'.

Well, except when I was typing up Bossman's 45 pages of secure document storage box labels (don't ask me what he was doing at the time. Trust me, you don't want to know. >_<) and I came across one labeled "BS Summary" and that amused me for like 15 minutes straight.

That's all I got. Nothing more to say.

...

Zombie unicorns.

...

I'm really done now.

The first time I made these ham and cheese puffs was before Hurricane Sandy. Because I deal with impending doom by baking. I'm so gonna be one of the first people to die in the zombie apocalypse, aren't I?

Anyway, I baked them on that Saturday, and then they were gone by the next day. Because these are happy little 2-bite puffs of airy scrumdillyumptiousness. (That's a technical term)

They're airy like a popover, but savory like a biscuit. Then you've got the salty ham and the gooey cheese. They taste homey and comforting, but at the same time, they seem all fancy and delicate. Then you take a bite and it's like you've got a choir of angels singing on your tastebuds.

These are great for a brunch, or they work well as an hors d'oeuvre. You can be fancy and make them with prosciutto (which is fantabulous), or you can whip them up as a way to use up that leftover Easter ham. Seriously, they work for any occasion. Picnics, weddings, tea parties, sports gatherings, they are extremely versatile. You've got no reason not to make them.

Unless you're vegan. Then I can't help you.

Ham and Cheese Puffs {Printable Version}
Yield: 30 puffs

Ingredients
½ cup milk
½ cup water
½ cup butter
¼ tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
¼ tsp. ground mustard
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs
2/3 cup finely chopped cooked ham
1 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
½ tsp. dried rosemary

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, heat the milk, water, butter, pepper, and mustard until the butter is fully melted. Increase the heat to high and heat until boiling. Stir in flour and reduce heat to low. Beat about 1 minute, until the mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat and allow to cool about 5 minutes. Add the eggs 1 at a time, stirring well after each addition until smooth and glossy. Stir in ham, ¾ cup of cheese, and the rosemary.

Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpat mats. Drop the dough onto the prepared cookie sheets by the tablespoonful, leaving about 2 inches between each. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 375°F and bake 7-10 minutes more until puffed and golden. Let cool slightly before serving.

Recipe adapted slightly from Gold Medal Best Baking Recipes magazine

Sfogliatelle Scones

So, the insomnia monster hit me yesterday, and I was completely out of sorts. I kept forgetting 1) that it was already April, 2) that they'd moved the first session of Camp NaNoWriMo to April, 3) that I wanted to change up my updating schedule because of my Doctor Who series, and 4) that today was Tuesday, one of the days I had pegged for updating.

I also misspelled study as "studay" about 4 times in a row. Insomnia monster does funny things to my cognitive function.

So that's why this is getting posted a little later than usual. But it's a day earlier than usual, so I get a pass, right? Right.

The first time I made these scones, my momma insisted that they tasted like sfogliatelle (Pronouned sfwi-a-delle or sfoy-a-delle, depending on where you're from. I pronounce it the first way), which is one of her favorite pastries in the world. Sfogliatelle are these super flaky pastries, with with an orange-ricotta filling.

Source

The combination of the orange zest, almond meal, and ricotta in these scones give them their sfogliatelle flavor, but the addition of oats makes them okay to eat for breakfast. I consider that a win.

So does my momma.

Sfogliatelle Scones {Printable Version}
Yield: 12 scones

Ingredients
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup almond meal*
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
¾ cup cold butter, diced
½ cup ricotta
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 tsp. orange zest
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. almond extract
2 cups uncooked quick or old-fashioned oats**
2 tbsp. milk or cream
¼ cup sugar
½ tsp. orange zest

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, almond meal, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender (or rub it in with your fingertips) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a separate bowl, mix together the ricotta, buttermilk, egg, zest, and extracts. Add the wet ingredients and the oats to the flour mixture, and mix until the dough comes together (it will be slightly sticky). Turn out the dough on to a lightly floured surface and knead gently about 10 times. On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat mat, shape the dough into 2 even 6-inch rounds. Using a sharp knife, cut each round into 6 wedges, but do not separate them. Brush the tops with milk or cream. Mix together the ¼ cup sugar and ½ tsp. zest, and sprinkle evenly over the scones. Bake 15-20 minutes, until the tops and edges are golden brown. Remove the scones from the cookie sheet and place on a wire cooling rack, carefully separating them. Best served warm.

*Or use 3 cups all-purpose flour

**I used quick oats. Old-fashioned oats will add a more distinctive texture.

Recipe by Kim