Sourdough Scones

I've been attempting to make a sourdough version of many of my baked goods. I liked my scone recipe. Could I find a sourdough scone we liked as well? 

Sourdough Surprises had scones for their November challenge. Their recipe gave me a place to begin. I adapted it a little and after a couple tries, my family says these scones are great. 

Sourdough Scones

1  cup sourdough starter
1/4 cup honey (or sugar if you prefer)
2 cups flour (I used half whole wheat)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
6 T. cold butter
2 cups blueberries or chopped apples (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with silicone mat or parchment paper.
Mix together starter and honey. Mix together the flour, salt,  and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. I like to use the food processor but only pulse and don't over mix. Stir in fruit if desired. Add the sourdough starter and mix with a large spoon to form a soft, slightly-sticky dough.




Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide it into two pieces. Pat each piece of dough into a  round. Cut it into six wedge-shaped pieces and place the scones on the prepared baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Repeat with remaining piece of dough. Brush the tops of the scones with milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired.

Bake until the scones just start to turn golden, 12 to 15 minutes.



Look at the original scone post for ideas for many ways to adapt scones.

Giveaway - Tea and Trouble Brewing

I was only a few pages into Dorcas Smucker's latest book, Tea and Trouble Brewing. And I laughed. Out loud.

I didn't even realize it until my son walked over and asked why I was laughing. How do I explain how a description of tea drinking could make me giggle?

A few pages later I'm wiping tears - with furtive glances at my son. I don't wish to explain mom's tears in five year old's logic.

Dorcas writes about life - the laughter, the good-byes, the birthdays, the challenges, the long discussions (formerly called arguments) in a family of six children (a few of which are finding their wings and leaving the nest.)

I discovered Dorcas' blog five or so years ago, back when she had only written one book. I enjoyed her writings from the first, but it may be getting even better with the passing years. Or maybe, with time marching on in my own family, I'm more eager for some wise mother advice wrapped in candid humor.

In Tea and Trouble Brewing, Dorcas' fourth and newest book, you will travel with Dorcas as she shares about harvesting grass seed in Oregon, surviving the swine flu, joining facebook, forgetting birthdays, enduring her boy's escapades, and researching her Amish roots. Each chapter stands alone - perfect for busy moms who needs a dose of encouragement. Dorcas has an amazing ability to write about normal life, in a way that is poignant and humorous  Her books are not to be inhaled, but rather sipped chapter by chapter, rather like a cup of tea.

Deciding on my favorite chapter is difficult, if not impossible - probably race between Skipping the Garden (yes, a Mennonite can choose to not have a garden!)...

"In future springs, as the seed catalogs call my name, I hope I have the wisdom to choose to do a few things well rather than many things haphazardly. I hope I can find a way to fit a garden into the larger goals for my family. And I hope I have the discernment to know what is about growing my own vegetables and what is only about proving a point."

Or Lambs and Children...

"I hope my children are absorbing the most important point in all this — that what is true for lambs is even more true for children. They are worth all the risks and uncertainties and costs and noise and disappointments and midnight feedings. An orphan cannot be left out in the cold, the weak have as much value as the strong, and for our little flock we would do all of it all over again."

Or maybe The Ant of Marriage...

"Nature and life and Newton’s laws are not conducive toward either a clean, ant-free kitchen or a happy marriage. Both are won by fighting against natural regression. Everyone you ask will offer you their own wonderful solution, but it’s less about easy magic than about persistence, vigilance and hard work, pouncing on the destructive little beasts that come crawling out of the corners."

But the best thing about Dorcas is that she is real. She doesn't pretend to be the perfect mother or minister's wife. She admits her failures, laughs at her blunders, and gives herself, and me, the courage to accept the grace of God to pick ourselves up and try again tomorrow.

You can purchase Tea and Trouble Brewing at Amazon or directly from Dorcas. Mail a check for $15 per book (includes postage) to Dorcas Smucker, 31148 Substation Drive, Harrisburg, OR 97446



Or take advantage of a discount by ordering all four of Dorcas' books for $40, postage included, U.S. customers only. This includes not only Tea and Trouble Brewing but also Ordinary Days, Upstairs the Peasants are Revolting, and Downstairs the Queen is Knitting. Perfect idea for gift giving!

And Dorcas has given me a copy of Tea and Trouble Brewing to give to one of you! Leave a comment and you will be entered in the giveaway. Be sure to include an email address so I can contact you.

Giveaway ends one week from today. Winner will be chosen by Random.org. I was given a review copy of Tea and Trouble Brewing but all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Off the Shelf - November

What we've been reading this month.

Children's Books

Down Buttermilk Lane - Barbara Mitchell
A sweet story of an Amish family's shopping trip.


The Great Serum Race - Debbie S. Miller
The brave dog sled teams who raced to save a remote village in Alaska. The inspiration for the Idarod Dogsled Race.

No One Foot, Now the Other - Tomie de Paola
A tender look at the relationship of a young boy and his grandfather.

The Bears on Hemlock Mountain - Alice Dalgliesh
There are no bears on Hemlock Mountain - or are there? My husband's favorite that has become my sons' favorite, too.

Adult Books

I Will Carry You - Angie Smith
Angie chose to carry her baby, even though she knew it couldn't live after birth. This is the story of how God carried her through this time of grief.


On Writing Well - William Zinsser
A classic book on writing non-fiction. Excellent.

Turn Not Pale, Beloved Snail - Jacqueline Jackson
An older book for children on writing. Worth searching for to read even if you are an adult.

Tea and Trouble Brewing - Dorcas Smucker
Look for a review of this book tomorrow. Plus an opportunity to receive your own copy!

This post contains affiliate links. As always, I don't agree with everything written in all of these books.

Last Harvest

The garden looks barren these days. Since we mulched the asparagus several weeks ago, I have hardly even walked out to the garden.

But there was still one spot of green - the last of our carrot crop.

Our carrots did better than they have in several years. In fact, the past two years, I had not even been able to get any carrots to sprout. But this year they did very well. We have been eating off this row of carrots since summer, just pulling the amount we needed. 

Yesterday I decided it was time to finish the harvest. I know that some gardeners cover their carrots with straw and store them right in the garden. But I know that on a bitter, cold day, I'm not going to feel like hacking at half frozen ground for a carrot to add to my soup.



I dug the carrots out, broke off the tops, washed them, and stored them in the fridge. They should last a few more weeks. I could have pressure canned the carrots, but my family does not prefer canned carrots.

I enjoy gardening, but right now I'm thrilled to be done for the year. The garden seed catalogs are arriving already. Probably by the end of January I'll be eagerly placing seed orders and dreaming of the best garden yet.

But for now, I'll enjoy the winter sabbatical.

Counting Blessings

Special memories from the past week.

I'm not one of those crafty moms, but my children love art projects. The directions for pastels on Hodgepodge looked like something even I could manage. Fingers were messy but the results were surprisingly good.

We spent Thanksgiving in North Carolina with Ed's sister Jean. She was gracious enough to allow her three brothers and their families, along with Ed's mom, to crash her house for three days.

The men and older nephews built a handsome wood shed.

The girl cousins shared tea parties and giggles.

The boys set up camp in the woods, cutting down small trees to build their own tipi. By the sounds of the shouts, they were having the time of their life. We were blessed with perfect weather all weekend.

We ladies were, of course, head of the food department. It was fun to share the kitchen with such a great group! But we found some time for some fun too. My crafty sister-in-law, inspired from Meadow Brook Gourds, brought along some dried gourds for the ladies to turn into snowmen.

Didn't they turn out adorable?

 It was so good to spend time working, eating, laughing, and even a little crying - together. I love my in-laws!

Happy Thanksgiving!

It is a busy week. I doubt I'll be around here much. You are probably as busy as I am with shopping, cooking, and traveling. I'll leave a few links for those who ask for our favorite Thanksgiving recipes.


Easy roast turkey
Deviled Turkey rub
What to do with all those turkey leftovers
My mom's best stuffing
Sweet potato crunch
Pumpkin Pie


I hope you find time to count your blessings this Thanksgiving. When I read of the turmoil in the news I am even more grateful for the blessing of peace with God.

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.  Romans 5:1-2

Simple Scones with Variations

I've been on a scone binge recently. They are so easy to whip up and their presence is welcome at breakfast, afternoon snack, or served with soup.

Scones are basically a biscuit, though often sweetened with sugar and a little richer. Like muffins, there are many ways to adapt a scone. Often they are served as dessert with tea and cream, but they can also be made savory and served with eggs or soup.

Like biscuits and muffins, the key is to work quickly. Don't mix scones too much or they will be tough. I like to keep the dough very wet and sticky. I dump it out on a floured counter, sprinkle on more flour, fold the dough over itself with the help of a dough scraper, pat into a rough circle, and cut into wedges.

Also keep your ingredients cold. Sometimes after cutting in the butter, I freeze the flour mixture for five minutes.

Before long the aroma from the oven will be calling the rest of the household to the kitchen.

Simple Scones

2 cups flour (I use half whole wheat)
1/3 cup sugar (I use 1/4 cup honey)
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into cubes
3/4 cup milk or cream

Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, or salt. (If using honey, mix it in with the milk.) Cut butter into flour until crumbly. I like to use a food processor. Only pulse as you want the butter to be in small pea size lumps. Add milk and stir with spoon just until moistened. Turn dough onto floured counter. Pat into circle. Cut into eight wedges. Place on baking sheet. Brush tops with milk if desired. Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Variations:

Here is where it gets fun. Add anything you wish to the dough before baking. Here are some ideas to get you started.
1/4 mini chocolate chips and 1/4 cup dried cherries
1 cup chopped strawberries or 1 cup blueberries
1 cup chopped apple and 1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup dried cranberries and 1/4 cup chopped nuts
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar, 1/4 cup chopped cooked bacon, 2 T fresh chives (omit sugar or honey)
3/4 cup shredded Swiss, 3/4 cup chopped baked ham (omit sugar or honey)

You may sprinkle the scones with cinnamon sugar or sparkling sugar before baking.

After baking, you may drizzle on a vanilla glaze.

However you make your scones, they will be good!