A Visit to King Arthur Flour

So I'm driving down I-89 in Vermont on my way back to Maine, not in any particular hurry.
I'm not sure what made me think of it, but all of a sudden I thought about King Arthur Flour. I get their catalog and circle all the baking items I'm sure I can't live without. I've ordered many of them. I read their blog - excellent recipes and baking tips. I use their flours all the time. But I have never been to the King Arthur Store. A quick check on Google maps tells me it's only 10 minutes out of my way. Best part? I am all alone so there's no one to get antsy about shopping and make me rush through the experience. I am a total genius to have thought of this.

Before you even walk in the door, there's plaques telling about the history of King Arthur. Did you know they are America's oldest flour company, founded in 1790? They started out in Boston but moved to Vermont in 1984. And their headquarters is called Camelot.
Cool.

Walk through the doors and you are in baker's heaven. All of your baking dreams can come true.

Specialty sugars, candied citrus peel, pizza crust flavoring, yeasts, cake decorating supplies, baking chocolate, flavored oils and extracts - it's all here.
And tools! So many spatulas, whisks, bench scrapers, pie plates, bread bowls, wooden spoons, storage containers - things you didn't even know you needed and suddenly you can't live without. I bought a gorgeous Vermont maple bread board. I'm using it as incentive to bake bread more often. And ancient grains flour so when I do bake that bread, it will be healthy.
I also picked up some candied orange peel and crystallized ginger bits, for making these brownies, one of my favorite holiday treats. (I also love to make chocolate bark with these ingredients, along with some toasted hazelnuts.)
I got a bottle of boiled cider. I plan to add it to apple pie, apple crisp and use it to make a glaze for apple scones. And a little bottle of lemon oil, to make lemon muffins and cakes just a little more lemony. Clearly a necessity.

There's a Baking Education Center on the property. I totally need a Baking Education! My dream? Take a 4-day Artisan Baking class. Stay in the lovely next-door town of Hanover NH. Who's in?

If you are anywhere in the area, take the detour. Visit King Arthur. I plan to, as often as possible.

Dreamy Creamy Scones and Tea

I wish  tea time was a tradition that endured from the days of British rule here in the colonies.

Wouldn't it be lovely to stop whatever tragically dull thing you're working on at 4 pm to enjoy a cuppa along with a biscuit, a tiny cucumber sandwich or scone? A moment to reconnect with yourself and whoever else happens to be around?

And since we're fantasizing, how about if the tea was served to you by a white-gloved butler named Nigel, on an antique silver tray, and poured from a pot of fine bone china?
I'd be up for that.

Of course all this daydreaming is due to this morning's royal wedding. Debbie-Next-Door invited my daughters and me over to watch, because she only has sons.
Debbie set up a charming little tea party for us while we admired the gown and Kate's Princess Catherine's poise. Also the hats.

The Bonus Baby breakfasted on strawberries and cream while waiting for the school bus.

And I made the scones.
I searched for a more classic English style scone and found one at Smitten Kitchen.
She always comes through in a pinch, and her photos are ab fab (that's Brit for absolutely fabulous).

These scones were even more delicious than I anticipated and I ended up eating several more than I intended. I had to go for a nice long walk afterwards.

I'm not exaggerating when I say these only took 5 minutes from start to oven. Since I don't have a butler or a cook and must make them myself, this is quite important to note.
The texture is just right - actually creamy and not the least bit dry. The degree of sweetness is also right on. I usually like a glaze on my scones, but I'm glad I didn't add one here. What I did add is some crystallized ginger and candied orange peel. The two flavors complemented each other perfectly.
Just like Will and Kate.

Dreamy Creamy Scones
adapted from Smitten Kitchen


2 cups unbleached, all purpose flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

3 Tbsps. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

5 Tbsps. chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4" cubes

1/4 cup crystallized ginger, chopped

1/4 cup candied orange peel*

1 cup heavy cream


Preheat oven to 425 and adjust rack so it's in the middle of oven.

Place flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together.
Add cubes of butter and quickly cut them in using a pastry blender, two knives or your hands, until mixture resembles coarse meal. It's fine if there are still some lumps of butter.
Stir in heavy cream with a rubber spatula or fork just until dough begins to form.
Transfer dough and all the dry, floury bits in the bowl onto the countertop and knead, using your hands, just until it comes together into a rough, sticky ball.
This should only take 10 seconds - over-handling will result in tough scones! Pat dough into an 8" circle (approximately). Using a knife or bench scraper, divide dough into 8 wedges. Transfer wedges to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone mat.
Bake 12-15 minutes or until scones are lightly browned. Cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes.
Enjoy with jam, tea or as we prefer here in the States, coffee.

* I got mine from King Arthur Flour. You could use fresh orange (or lemon) zest instead.

Baking Up a Storm: Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Another snow storm, another chance to flex my baking muscles.
Before a storm such as this, most people like to stock up on the essentials - milk, batteries, candles, canned goods, wine.
My pre-storm necessities include brown sugar, eggs, cocoa powder, chocolate chips and lots of butter. Having the essentials on hand means I can have some flexibility.
If I'm feeling like brownies, no problem.
Cookies? I'm ready.
Cake? If that's what I want.

So what was I in the mood to bake today?
Crispy, crunchy, gooey or chewy?
Lately I've been enamored of the King Arthur Flour website and catalog. Especially since I started making bread. They have a great baking blog and loads of recipes. Perhaps I could find some inspiration there.

How's that for some inspiration?

I'm almost always a chewy cookie kind of girl. But for some reason (high tide? full moon?) I was ready and willing to try something different.
And you know what? I liked it.
These cookies remind me of the 3-pack of Peggy Lawton cookies I used to get for lunch in high school, but with more personality. Does anyone else remember those cookies? A pack of them and an apple was a balanced lunch for me in those days.

I'll never give up my first love for chewy chocolate chippers, but these crispy cookies are staying in my baking repertoire. They're quite a bit easier to make than the classic Toll House kind too. The brown sugar flavor is pronounced, and they taste as if they have way more butter than they actually do.
That's a good thing.
There's one funky ingredient, and I'm not sure why it's there.
Cider vinegar.
Whatever. It's King Arthur. They know their stuff and really, who am I to question it?

Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies
from King Arthur Flour


1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 firmly packed brown sugar

2 tsps. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. espresso powder (optional - I used it and it doesn't make the cookies taste like coffee, but gives them something subtle I liked)

3/4 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. cider vinegar

1 large egg

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

16 oz. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.
Lightly grease (or line with silicone baking mats) two baking sheets.
In a large bowl, beat together the butter, oil, both sugars, vanilla, espresso powder (if using) and salt until smooth. Beat in the vinegar, egg, baking soda and  baking powder. Stir in both kinds of flour, then the chocolate chips. (At this point, I think some pecans would be awesome as well.)
The dough will appear oily and because of the quantity of chocolate chips, it won't be totally cohesive - that's ok.
Drop the dough by tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 15-17 minutes, until the cookies are uniformly golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minuted before transferring to a cooling rack.

Mmm, crunchy!