I was not raised Catholic but when I was in 8th grade I had a boyfriend who was. He knew he was Catholic, he just didn't know he was my boyfriend! If truth be told, I am referring to the boyfriend of "A Carnation Instant Weekend" (Part One) notoriety. On that special weekend in November, somewhere between fantasies evoked by the perfect school dance and nightmares created by the blindsided nourishment of instant milk, another memory began to unfold. I guess you could call it a religious experience....actually it was a religious experience - literally!
Without fail, every Sunday morning, my host family would attend Mass at the local Catholic church of their parish. It had been decided I would be going with them this time and I excitedly looked forward to it, but because of all that had taken place that night, I had a difficult time falling asleep. Needless to say, by the time I was gently awakened the next morning to get ready for church I could barely open my eyes. I did, however, manage to get dressed and climb into the family van for the short ride to the church...two parents, six siblings, and a fish out of water, all dressed in their Sunday best before the sun was even up! It was all I could do to fight off the motion sickness that quickly overtook me as I bounced around in the backseat of a vehicle that was in desperate need of shocks. There had been no time for breakfast that morning and the negative effects of an empty stomach under those circumstances was becoming quite evident.
I wasn't sure what to expect that cold, dark November morning as we entered the tiny chapel, but I had come prepared. Somehow I had gotten my hands on a black lacy mantilla and I couldn't wait to cover my head with it. I had seen pictures of Jacqueline Kennedy in Life Magazine exiting a stone cathedral after attending Mass with her family and had noticed she was wearing one in several of the photos. For a fleeting moment I thought that this snapshot in time could not get better...I mean I was almost running in the same circles as presidential royalty for gosh sakes! Very quickly, however, the reality of my situation took over.
I loved being in this new world of ceremony and tradition. What I didn't love was standing during the Mass until my knees quivered and the thought of vomiting almost became a reality. Kneeling, which happened equally, was just as bad because the benches were narrow and lacked any sort of padding what-so-ever. I felt like a hung over sinner trying to balance myself on "the ledge of last chance forgiveness". It was too darn early for such calisthenics! Because at that time the Mass was routinely spoken in Latin, I didn't understand a word that was being said. My mind would wander and boredom would quickly set in. Add to this the fact that, about ten minutes in, my stomach sounded like it was growling in Latin - loudly growling and almost in unison with the priest's every word - and the whole situation became an extremely embarrassing and disillusioning hour and a half for me.
After a week or two of being home and daydreaming about my "Carnation Instant Weekend", the cold hard reality of my cultural adventure began to fade. I would again romanticize the whole Roman Catholic experience, imagining myself in a plaid parochial school uniform, being given tons of homework and a slap on the knuckles by a large, masculine looking nun. It was a very sad time in my highly imaginatively young life!!
Since the days of Catholic intrigue, going without breakfast is not an option for me. Never again do I want to sit in the morning silence of a large gathering listening to the "language of hunger" coming from my gastric instrument. Over the years breakfast has become my favorite meal, whether it is eaten in the early dawn of a work day or at the late morning brunch buffet of a special holiday. I have collected many great breakfast recipes over the years, but let's face it, many times it is not an easy task to make and partake of a suitable breakfast before leaving the house in the morning. I have found, however, that with a little preparation you can become more creative than you ever thought possible at the business of filling your stomach when time does not allow for a leisurely version of the most important meal of the day.
Breakfast breads are a great option when time is short and in this category my very favorites are scones. I love their delicate flavor and course texture. If you plan ahead you can make them the night before and a tasty triangle of goodness will be waiting on the kitchen counter right next to the coffee maker and a travel mug as you take leave of home in the first hours of a new day.
I have always paid for the indulgence of a delicious scone when occasionally stopping at a local coffee house for a treat on my way to work, never considering that such a special thing could be produced in the very confines of my own kitchen until several months ago. While having my hair cut by Emily, my stylist and a wonderful friend, the conversation turned to our common passion for good food and I told her about my love of scones. She, in turn, told me about her grandmother's scones and most graciously gave me the recipe for them. I must say they are everything Emily said they would be and more. They are by far the best scones I have ever tasted. Before I share this gem of a recipe with you I have one thing to say...Emily, you are a dear...and when you see Grammy Rose give her a big hug for me. I have you both to thank for the key to a treasure that, from time to time, will brighten my life for many years to come.
This recipe is a keeper guys. May you enjoy your breakfast in good health and may your stomach never publicly request the special goodness of a scone before you have actually had the chance to eat one!
GRAMMY ROSE'S SCONES
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp baking soda
(Mix these together in a bowl and set aside)
4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 cup(2 sticks) butter (cold)
1 egg
1/2 cup craisins or dried cranberries (may use chocolate chips, blueberries, or raisins etc. if you prefer)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and cream of tartar together in a large bowl. Cut the cold butter into small squares. Drop these little squares of fat over the dry ingredients and work the butter and flour between your fingers until thoroughly incorporated.
Beat the egg in a separate bowl and, along with the sour cream mixture, add to the dry ingredients, stirring with a wooden spoon until just moistened. Stir in the craisins. Kneed the dough lightly until smooth, being careful not to overwork it. Don't worry if you are unable to incorporate all of the loose flour that will be at the bottom of the bowl into the dough. Pat into two 3/4 inch circles on a lightly floured surface.
Cut each circle into eight wedges, like a pizza, and place on two cookies sheets lined with parchment paper. If desired, you can then brush each wedge with a little whole milk, or half and half, and sprinkle with some sanding sugar. This will give your scones a pretty appearance and a slightly sweet outer crispiness.
Bake the scones two inches apart for 12 to 15 minutes until they begin to take on a golden brown color. Keep an eye on the color of the bottom of the scones to assure that they are not becoming too dark. You may need to bake the scones longer than the allotted time frame if your triangles turn out to be thicker than 3/4 inch. If the center of one scone is soft and chewy after being removed from the oven, place them back in the oven and check at 1 to 2 minute intervals until you achieve a drier crumb but without over browning them. After they are baked to perfection place the scones on a rack until completely cooled and store in an air tight container. These scones, more than some, are so good and rich that they stand up beautifully to no accompaniment at all, but you can serve them with a dollop of Devonshire cream, lemon curd, butter, or jam if you wish. I can also imagine them covered with a nice thin layer of a vanilla or citrus glaze after the have cooled.
This recipe yields 16 scones. You can bake these scones all at one time and freeze what you don't need, as they freeze well. You can also bake half of the scones and keep the remaining dough in the fridge for use later in the week, or if you prefer, you can freeze the remaining dough until you are ready to bake more. This recipe can easily be cut in half as well.
