Posts by rachelschultz

PESTO SCONES

January 19, 2022

I make scones an embarrassing amount in the winter. There’s a dark chocolate version in my cookbook from my friend niki that is really the ultimate best. They’re crazy. And I’m crazy in love with them. So on we go with some safe and effective pesto scones for a breakfast solution. (Put a fried egg on top and serve with a few cherry toms.) Inexplicably I like savory scones cut into squares and sweet ones cut into triangles – fat, almost equilateral ones.

IF YOU DON’T THINK YOU LIKE SCONES, hang up and try again because you’re about to. (These are soft, less bone dry, more american palette ones because that’s the palette I am.) And there’s only five ingredients.

There’s a link below for the pesto recipe I like to use because it’s budget-y and uses walnuts instead of pine nuts. Another way to make it even more budget (and I like the added flavor profile) is substituting green peas for half of basil. (Or spinach for less flavor, more health.)

Walnut Pesto

PESTO SCONES
Makes 9 scones

4 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
12 tablespoons butter, cubed
1 and 1/3 cup milk
1 cup pesto (storebought or this is my favorite way to do homemade)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a stand mixer, combine flour and baking powder. Add butter to bowl, continuing to mix until butter is evenly distributed in small crumbs. Slowly pour in milk while continuing to mix. Add in pesto and mix until evenly distributed.

Roll out dough into a nine inch by nine inch rectangle. Cut into nine even size squares. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake for 17-19 minutes.

PESTO SCONES
 
Author:
Ingredients
  • 4 cups flour
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 12 tablespoons butter, cubed
  • 1 and ⅓ cup milk
  • 1 cup pesto (storebought or this is my favorite way to do homemade)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. In a stand mixer, combine flour and baking powder. Add butter to bowl, continuing to mix until butter is evenly distributed in small crumbs. Slowly pour in milk while continuing to mix. Add in pesto and mix until evenly distributed.
  3. Roll out dough into a nine inch by nine inch rectangle. Cut into nine even size squares. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet.
  4. Bake for 17-19 minutes.

 

I make scones an embarrassing amount in the winter. There’s a dark chocolate version in my cookbook from my friend niki that is really the ultimate best. They’re crazy. And I’m crazy in love with them. So on we go with some safe and effective pesto scones for a breakfast solution.

READ MORE

RAINBOW CAKE

February 18, 2019

This cake makes me so happy! I’d love it at Easter. And St. Patrick’s Day of course for those who observe? Birthdays. And just normal life. Rainbows are beautiful and children love them. Sifting the flour and using just egg whites makes such a difference. And this is like, THE DEFINITION of a thing to bake with children. Doing different layers is sweet and fun, and an art and color mixing lesson is included too. A little tip, gel food coloring is much easier to mix in than drops.

In general with the gel food coloring, a little goes a long way. Seriously for the purple I did just like a DOT of red and blue. But again, that is if you’re using gel coloring.

And for orange, you want more yellow than red. Also like most normal people, I only have two round cake pans so I do the layers in batches. Be sure to grease the pans generously!

RAINBOW CAKE
Serves 10

1 cup butter, softened
2 and 1/2 cups sugar
5 egg whites
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour, sifted
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 cups milk
Food coloring
3 batches vanilla buttercream frosting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat together butter and sugar. Slowly incorporate egg white into mixture. Add vanilla.

In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and salt. Alternate gradually adding flour mixture and milk to butter mixture.

Divide batter equally into six separate bowls. Use food coloring to dye each portion to your desired shade.

Transfer batter to a well greased 9 inch round baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Assemble cake with buttercream frosting.

RAINBOW CAKE
 
Author:
Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 2 and ½ cups sugar
  • 5 egg whites
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 3 cups flour, sifted
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 and ½ cups milk
  • Food coloring
  • 3 batches vanilla buttercream frosting
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Beat together butter and sugar. Slowly incorporate egg white into mixture. Add vanilla.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt. Alternate gradually adding flour mixture and milk to butter mixture.
  4. Divide batter equally into six separate bowls. Use food coloring to dye each portion to your desired shade.
  5. Transfer batter to a well greased 9 inch round baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Assemble cake with buttercream frosting.

Adapted from Whisk Kid.

This cake makes me so happy! I’d love it at Easter. And St. Patrick’s Day of course for those who observe? Birthdays. And just normal life. Rainbows are beautiful and children love them. Sifting the flour and using just egg whites makes such a difference. And this is like, THE DEFINITION of a thing to bake with children.

READ MORE

CARAMELIZED ONION & EGGPLANT PASTA

May 21, 2018

In my early days as a homemaker, I made this recipe the night I hosted six people for dinner – the largest group I had ever single-handedly entertained in my young cook’s life. My friend Elysia and I strategized for 20 minutes on the phone of what I should make. Pasta can feed a lot of people, which made it our winner. With many italian entrees, you could assign guests to bring along a salad or side, if you want to go potluck style gathering.

DOUBLE THE RECIPE TO SERVE TWELVE!! What hospitality possibilities. One more tip, since eggplant can be controversial I do it in large pieces so it is easy to eat around, if desired.

Caramelized Onion and Eggplant Gemelli in Skillet

Caramelized Onion & Eggplant Pasta
Serves five to six

1 eggplant, cubed
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
A dash of salt
A dash of pepper
1 onion, sliced
1 pound pasta (I use gemelli)
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 cups tomato pasta sauce
1 teaspoon red pepper flake
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded (optional)
Basil leaves

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange eggplant in an even layer on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes.

Place onions in a skillet over low heat with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Heat for 40 minutes, stirring frequently, until caramelized.

Prepare pasta al dente, according to package instructions.

Add garlic to onions. Deglaze pan with red wine vinegar.

Toss onion mixture with tomato pasta sauce, pasta and chicken (optional). Top with red pepper flake and basil.

Caramelized Onion and Eggplant Gemelli in Skillet

CARAMELIZED ONION & EGGPLANT PASTA
 
Author:
Ingredients
  • 1 eggplant, cubed
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
  • A dash of salt
  • A dash of pepper
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1 pound pasta (I use gemelli)
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 2 cups tomato pasta sauce
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flake
  • 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded (optional)
  • Basil leaves
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange eggplant in an even layer on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes.
  2. Place onions in a skillet over low heat with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Heat for 40 minutes, stirring frequently, until caramelized.
  3. Prepare pasta al dente, according to package instructions.
  4. Add garlic to onions. Deglaze pan with red wine vinegar.
  5. Toss onion mixture with tomato pasta sauce, pasta and chicken (optional). Top with red pepper flake and basil.

Adapted from Chez Panisse Vegetables.

Caramelized Onion and Eggplant Gemelli in Skillet

In my early days as a homemaker, I made this recipe the night I hosted six people for dinner – the largest group I had ever single-handedly entertained in my young cook’s life. My friend Elysia and I strategized for 20 minutes on the phone of what I should make. 

READ MORE

Copyright © Rachel Schultz 2024

PRIVACY POLICY