• Recipes,  Uncategorized

    So Many Quick Breads…

    You know how the saying goes, right? So many quick breads….so little time. And who doesn’t love a warm slice of a fresh made quick bread? That’s a rhetorical question you know. We all would! But what exactly makes a quick bread so special? Its not just in the fact that they go together easily, but their variety is without boundaries. First, let’s look back on how the quick bread all got started.

    A Quick History of the Quick Bread

    “Quick bread” most probably originated in the United States at the end of the eighteenth century. Before the creation of quick bread, baked goods were leavened either with yeast or by mixing dough with eggs.[2] “Fast bread” is an alternate name.[3]

    Early Calumet Baking Powder crate
    Early Calumet Baking Powder crate

    The discovery or rediscovery of chemical leavening agents and their widespread military, commercial, and home use in the United States dates back to 1846 with the introduction of commercial baking soda. in New York, by Church and Dwight of “Arm & Hammer” fame. This development was extended in 1856 by the introduction of commercial baking powder in Massachusetts, although perhaps the best known form of baking powder is “Calumet“, first introduced in Hammond, Indiana and West Hammond, Illinois (later Calumet City, Illinois) in 1889. Both forms of food-grade chemical leaveners are still being produced under their original names, although not within the same corporate structure.

    During the American Civil War (1861–1865), the demand for portable and quickly-made food was high, while skilled labor for traditional breadmaking was scarce. This encouraged the adoption of bread which was rapidly made and leavened with baking soda, instead of yeast.[4] 

    Common Elements of Quick Breads

    Quick breads are flour mixtures. They include many different kinds of breads which differ greatly in flavor, size and shape, and general appearance. All of them can be made quickly and served deliciously warm. They are made with a variety of fast-acting leavening agents – baking soda, baking powder and paired with salt for flavor. The Quick Bread rises with a combination with air, steam and CO2 in the fast acting leavening agent.

    Leavening agents and salt for quick breads.  Baking Powder and Baking Soda.
    Baking powder, baking soda, and salt
    • All quick breads contain most of these basic ingredients:
      • Flour- Structure
      • Leavening agents-rise and become light and porous
      • Salt- Flavor
      • Fat- Tenderness
      • Liquid- Activates the leavening agents and dissolves ingredients 6. Egg-Color, flavor and nutrients
      • Sugar-Sweetness and browning

    Type of Quick Breads

    • Pour batters: thin in consistency, these can be “poured” from the mixing bowl. They may contain equal amounts or close to equal amounts of liquid to flour ratio. Ex) waffles, pancakes, popovers.   
    • Drop batters: are fairly thick and need to be scraped from the bowl into the baking pan. They usually contain twice as much flour as liquid. Ex) Muffins, biscuits, quick loaf breads and coffee cakes. 
    • Soft dough: is thick enough to roll and shape by hand. It contains about three times as much flour as liquid. Ex) biscuits, doughnuts, scones and some coffee cakes. 
    Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread batter ready to be spread in pan
    Whole Wheat Pumpkin batter ready for the pan

    For the purpose of this post, I will be focusing on Drop Batters. But don’t worry – I have plenty of recipes for Pour and Soft Quick Breads. And Quick Breads are not always sweet. There are many amazing savory quick breads – so look forward to some of those in the future. Here are some delicious examples: Irish Soda Bread, Cheesy Beer Bread, and Rosemary Quick Bread.

    Methods For Mixing Quick Breads

    MUFFIN METHOD: Used for muffins, waffles, griddle cakes, popovers and fruit and nut breads. Mix dry ingredients (sometimes sift) in a bowl and make a well. Combine the liquid (separately). Pour liquids into the well of dry ingredients. Mix to combine ingredients until just moistened. Scrap from bowl into pan. Bake until golden brown with rounded top, slight cracking on top and no tunnels.

    BISCUIT METHOD: Sift together dry ingredients. Cut fat into the flour mixture using a pastry blender. Add liquid all at once and combine. Turn dough out and knead. Roll dough flat. Use a floured biscuit cutter to cut biscuits. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheets until golden brown with a flat top and symmetrical.

    CONVENTIONAL METHOD: Cream together fat and sugars. Add eggs. Alternate addition of dry and liquid ingredients.

    The Do’s and Don’ts of Quick Breads

    Though quick breads are easy to put together and taste delicious, there are some tips and tricks to avoid the not-so-optimal quick bread. I am no expert by any means, but here are a few of my tidbits of knowledge from my successes and failures! Hope they are helpful.

    My quick bread is sticking
    • Size and type of pan is critical. I like to use a standard 9 x 5 treated metal pan like Calphelon. Hand wash my pans – never in the dishwasher. Depending on the recipe, I might use a smaller pan.
    • Filling the pan. Only fill the pan to 2/3 of the depth of the pan. This will ensure for proper rising and even baking.
    • Prepping the pan is important. I always use a cooking spray on my pans and then line the bottom with parchment paper.
    • Cooling time is essential. My breads cool in the pan for 15 – 20 minutes. Then I run a knife around the edge and turn them out onto the cooling rack to finish. Bundt pans should cool twice the time as your loaf pan.
    Eggnog quick bread batter
    Eggnog quick bread batter
    Mixing by Hand or Mixer?
    • For me, this depends on the recipe. I frequently use my mixer but do have some recipes that just work better when mixed by hand with ingredients folded in. Don’t over mix!
      • Dry ingredients separate from liquid ingredients. For the most part, I prepare my dry ingredients in one bowl, to either add to the liquid mixture either by hand or in the mixer.
    My berries sink to the bottom!

    Dust your berries in a little flour before you fold them into your batter. This will help prevent them from sinking to the bottom. I do this at the end of my mixing right before I pour into the pan. If using frozen berries, don’t thaw – just dust the frozen ones and fold in at the end as above.

    Big holes / Tunnels / Tough Bread

    Likely overmixed the batter. Don’t let the batter sit around before you bake as well.

    The middle has sunk in and the bread is soggy

    Too much liquid in the batter, insufficient leavening, the batter stood too long before baking, or it’s underdone.

    Crack down the middle

    This is normal and nothing to worry about. And honestly, I love seeing a very rounded loaf with a nice crack down the middle.

    Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread loaves cooling on rack.
    Whole Wheat Pumpkin loaves cooling

    Bread done on the outside and not in the middle

    Generally, lower your oven temperature. Also consider, if you have too much batter in the pan – a larger pan might spread the bread out and make it able to consistently bake through.

    My bread is dry

    Again, check your oven temp. Your bread will continue to bake a little when out of the oven, so get used to testing and feeling your testing tool for moistness. I like to wrap my breads when they are warm to help prevent drying out.

    Favorite Quick Bread Recipes

    Here is a collection of some of my favorites. Check out the recipes and give them a try – I know you will enjoy them!

    Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
    This is a sweet yet slightly tart quick bread with a lemon glaze. Perfect for afternoon tea or a slice on your own.
    Check out this recipe
    Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
    Applesauce Cranberry Quick Bread
    This quick bread is a mix of spices, cranberries and applesauce in this moist quick bread made with a combination of all purpose flour and whole wheat flour. A light yet hearty bread good for any season.
    Check out this recipe
    Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread
    A quick and easy quick bread with the seasonal flavors mixed with a blend of wheat and white flours. Generally for fall but good for any season. Yields 2 loaves of a moist and delicious bread.
    Check out this recipe
    Bittersweet Chocolate Quick Bread
    A bittersweet chocolate quick bread, not overly sweet.
    Check out this recipe
    Bittersweet Chocolate Quick Bread
    Eggnog Quick Bread
    A delightful quick bread, dense and pound cake-like with a gentle flavor of eggnog and nutmeg.
    Check out this recipe
    Sliced Loaf of Christmas Eggnog Quick Bread
    Serving tea with a quick bread
    Serving tea with a quick bread
    The following resources were used in the production of this content:

  • Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
    Recipes,  Uncategorized

    A Quick and Easy Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

    Give me a spring garden party, a cup of tea and delicious slice of Lemon Poppy Seed Bread and the season comes alive. Another treat in the long line of my favorite quick breads, this quick and easy Lemon Poppy Seed Bread is a sweet and tart slice of spring. Let’s make this bread.

    Ingredients

    • All-purpose flour
    • Poppy Seed
    • Baking Powder
    • Baking Soda
    • Pinch of salt
    • Unsalted butter
    • Sugar
    • Eggs
    • Vanilla
    • Zest from two lemons
    • Lemon juice
    • Buttermilk
    • Powdered Sugar

    Preparing the dry ingredients

    In a bowl, add the flour, baking powder, poppy seeds, baking soda and pinch of salt. Using a fork, combine. Set aside.

    A quick and easy Lemon Poppy Seed Bread - dry ingredients
    Dry Ingredients

    Preparing the Liquid Ingredients

    In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Then add the eggs and vanilla, beat well.

    A Quick and Easy Lemon Poppy Seed Bread - Liquid Ingredients
    Liquid Ingredients

    Prepare the lemons for the liquid ingredients. Zest two lemons and juice one of them. Add to the liquid mixture and mix well. You will use the juice of the second lemon for the glaze.

    A Quick and Easy Lemon Poppy Seed Bread - Zesting and Juicing Lemons
    Zesting and Juicing Lemons

    Add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients. Mix well.

    A quick and easy Lemon Poppy Seed Bread - completed batter
    Lemon Poppy Seed Batter

    Baking the Bread

    Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and prepare 2 9×5 loaf pans with baking spray and lining the bottom with parchment paper. Pour the batter into the pans and place in the over for 45-55 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Don’t over bake these bread – they will come out dry.

    Allow the breads to cool for 15 minutes. Remove from pans and allow to completely cool on baking racks.

    A Quick and Easy Lemon Poppy Seed Bread - Glazing the loaves
    Glazing the Loaves

    For the glaze, which is the best part, take the powdered sugar and lemon juice from the second lemon and mix together until smooth. Take the completely cooled bread and pour over the top.

    A Quick and Easy Lemon Poppy Seed Bread - Ready for serving with a cup of tea
    Ready to serve with tea
    Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
    Print Pin
    5 from 11 votes

    Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

    This is a sweet yet slightly tart quick bread with a lemon glaze. Perfect for afternoon tea or a slice on your own.
    Course quick bread
    Keyword lemon bread, lemon flavored, lemon poppy seed, lemon poppy seed quick bread, lemon quick bread, poppy seed, quick bread

    Ingredients

    • 3 cups all purpose flour
    • 3 tbsp poppy seed
    • ½ tsp baking powder
    • ½ tsp baking soda
    • 1 pinch salt
    • 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
    • 2 cups sugar
    • 4 eggs
    • ½ tsp vanilla
    • Zest from two lemons
    • Juice of one lemon Save second lemon for glaze
    • 1 cup buttermilk
    • 1 cup powdered sugar To be used for glaze

    Instructions

    • Preheat ovent to 325°. Prepare 2 9×5 loaf pans with cooking spray, lining bottom of pan with parchment.
    • In a separate bowl, place flour, poppy seed, baking soda, baking powder, and pinch of salt. Set aside.
    • Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together until fluffy.
    • Add eggs and vanilla and beat well.
    • Add buttermilk, zest of 2 lemons, juice of one lemon and combine.
    • Combine dry ingredients with liquid. Combine until fully incorporated.
    • Pour batter into prepared pans.
    • Bake for 45 – 55 minutes until tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes before removing breads from pans. Let continue to cool on wire rack.

    Glaze

    • Combine 1 cup powdered sugar and the juice from the second lemon. Whisk until smooth. Pour over breads.
  • Beauty and the Beast Entrance Table with Rose Under Glass
    Enjoying Together,  Memories,  Recipes

    Beauty and the Beast Afternoon Tea Party

    Beauty and the Beast Afternoon Tea - Mrs Pots and Chip

    “Be our guest, be our guest…..” The tune is instantly in your head. That’s what was going through my thoughts when I was asked to host a Beauty and the Beast Afternoon Tea Party. This party was to be held in honor of the motion picture release of Beauty and the Beast in 2017 and would have 2 young ladies as well as their mothers and aunts in attendance. How fun and what a treat for these young ladies.

    I used the same planning, preparation and production steps that I used in the How To have a Valentine’s Tea Party https://teastheseason3.com/how-to-have-a-valentines-tea-party/ Here’s how it went together…..

    How to begin the planning

    As requested, this was going to be a theme afternoon tea party…..specifically Beauty and the Beast. I asked the same simple questions as I do with any tea party preparation. These are guidelines and considerations for you. The focus of the party was going to be on the two young ladies who were the guests of honor. Their aunt was the requestor of the event, so I met with her several times prior to the actual tea party. And I must admit, I pulled out the old animated movie to help get my creative juices flowing. I won’t tell you if I danced and sang as I put this one together.

    Beauty and the Beast Tile
    Beauty and the Beast Tile
    • Pick the day and time of day you want to have your tea party. If you are having an afternoon tea, this will include savories, scones and sweets. So your guests will want to come prepared to enjoy a full serving of treats. This tea was going to be prior to the movie but at lunch time, so the guests would be ready to eat.
    • Determine how long your tea party will be. My tea parties are generally 2 hours long. The hostess agreed to the same length of time for this tea party – 2 hours.
    • Determine how many guests will be coming to your party. This will impact your location and your menu development. This party was going to have 8 people, to include the 2 guests of honor. This is a nice size to prepare for.
    • Pick out your invitations. Will you use email? Text? General mail? I generally use either email or text and there are many vendors that can provide you with easy electronic invitations such as Smile Box http://www.smilebox.com or Evite http://www.evite.com. Make sure to have an RSVP and ask if there are any food allergies or food preferences (gluten free for example). These invitations were taken care of by the aunt. I took care of the menu development.
    • Outline if you are going to have any activities. There are several tea party games that you can use. My guests generally are just full of conversation and we don’t have games. In this case, the guests of honor were younger and would need to have some form of entertainment. A two hour lunch would likely be too long for them to just sit. In coordination with the aunt, activity bags were made for the young ladies that reflected the theme of the party. They were delighted.

    Menu Development

    As in many afternoon teas, there are three courses – savories, breads, and sweets. I like to have 4-5 savories (small bite size morsels, one of which is a cucumber sandwich of sorts), 2 scones accompanied by cream and lemon curd, and 4 sweets to end the tea. I generally have a different tea for each course.

    This menu needed to meet both the young ladies palette but also be able to satisfy the adults. I wanted this to be a fun and luxurious experience for all.

    I have listed each course with comments on the selections. I have included the recipes in the next section.

    Beauty and the Beast Afternoon Tea - Menu
    Beauty and the Beast Afternoon Tea Menu

    Savories

    • Cogsworth Cocktail (adjusted for the younger needs) – This was simply a Proseco Cranberry Cocktail. For the young ladies, it was seltzer water and cranberry juice. But served in a champagne flute for celebration.
    • Quiche Lorraine ala Lumiere – small bite size Quiche Lorraine
    • BLT Tower – Small stacked bacon / lettuce / tomato sandwich
    • Cucumber Sandwich with Tomato Rose
    • Gaston’s Meatball in Sweet Sauce – simple meatball, skewered with a cocktail sword and barbecue sauce
    • Vegetables with Herb Dressing – Carrots and Celery in a cup with Herb Dressing at bottom of cup. Easy for little hands.
    • Margaret’s Orchard Tea for the young guests – This is an herbal tea, served with a touch of sugar is a great first tea for littles
    • English Breakfast for the adults

    Scones

    • Mrs. Pots’ Currant Scone
    • Chip’s Cinnamon Scone
    • Lemon Curd / Devonshire Cream
    • Sparkling Sugar Plum Tea This is a delightful black tea that has an iridescence to it. Guests of all ages smile with this – it sparkles in your teacup.

    Desserts

    • The Grey StuffThis was the classic Grey Stuff.
    • Belle’s Sweetheart Cookie
    • Apple Rose
    • Fruit with Honey Dressing
    • Lemon Souffle TeaThis tea is a Rooibos tea, so is naturally decaffeinated. It has a light lemon flavor rich as a baked souffle. Pairs nicely with a dessert portion of tea.

    Prepping Ahead

    Planning and the ability to prep ahead is so critical for a smooth and successful afternoon tea. Here are some of the recipes that I was able to use and those in particular that I made ahead of time.

    Beauty and the Beast Afternoon Tea - Food Tier
    Beauty and the Beast Afternoon Food Tier – Scones and Savories

    In the top tier, you can see the scones – Mrs. Pots Currant Scone, Chip’s Cinnamon Scone. On the second tier, Gaston’s Meatball, Quiche Lorraine ala Lumiere, and BLT. On the third, Cucumber Sandwich with Tomato Rose and Vegetables and Herb Dressing.

    Setting the Stage

    Entering and Greeting Guests

    As always, you want to set the stage for your guests to begin their tea party experience. In this case, my guests were entering into the story of Belle, a book reading beauty. I wanted this to begin from the moment they would walk up to the door. I opted to make large over-sized flowers out of newspaper. And of course, the guests were greeted….asking them to “Be Our Guest” as they entered.

    Here’s the instructions to make your own newspaper flowers.

    Beauty and the Beast Afternoon Tea - Rose Under Glass
    Entrance table for guests – Rose Under Glass

    Upon entering my home, the guests were greeted with the classic dying flowers in a glass dome. Surrounded by white and black china, the fallen rose petals were a reminder of the Beast’s connection to the rose.

    Place Setting

    The place setting featured a single plate, teacup, and silverware. The napkin was rolled to resemble Lumiere and tied with a blue organza bow.

    Table Setting

    Beauty and the Beast Afternoon Tea - Table setting
    Beauty and the Beast Afternoon Tea - Table Setting

    The table setting reflected Belle’s love of books. I used three different colors of tablecloths – red, yellow, and blue. Down the center of the table I took pages of maps from old books – this provided the table runner. For the centerpieces, I used old children’s books (actually heirlooms from my father). I stacked them and then placed candles on top. Enough to give interest but not too high to block conversation. And of course, rose petals through out. The chairs were each tied with a yellow satin bow to pull in Belle’s yellow ball dress.

    Adding more to the fantasy, I took a small stool and covered it to look like the enchanted footstool. Topped with the Disney children’s book, the stool rested underneath the piano, waiting to become a puppy once again.

    Another reminder of our heroine, a tray of books and teacups graced with a pair of white gloves, told our guests Belle was around, reading and waiting for her prince charming.

    Beauty and the Beast Afternoon Tea - Belle's Books Ready for Reading
    Belle’s Books Ready for Reading

    My guests came and enjoyed, with the two young ladies coming in full Belle costumes. Finishing with the dessert course, my guests readied themselves for their premier and feasted on Belle’s Sweetheart Cookie with fruit and honey, Apple Rose pastry, and yes….as Lumiere would sing “Try the Grey Stuff, its deeelicious….if you don’t believe me – ask the deeeeshes!” And as they say, they all lived happily ever after.

    Beauty and the Beast Afternoon Tea - Dessert Plate
    Dessert Plate
  • Toffee Scones on Chintz Plate with Lace Napkin
    Recipes

    Toffee Scones – An Easy How-To Recipe

    One of my favorite scones is a Toffee Scone. Here’s an easy how-to recipe to make these delicious scones. They are always a favorite for my family and when I give an afternoon tea. They start with a basic sweet scone recipe and add toffee pieces. This scone was referenced in the recent Teas The Season post on Having A Virtual Mothers Day Tea https://teastheseason3.com/have-a-virtual-mothers-day-tea/

    Here’s Toffee Scones – An Easy How-To Recipe.

    Ingredients

    • Flour
    • Sugar
    • Baking Powder
    • Baking Soda
    • Butter
    • Egg
    • Buttermilk
    • Vanilla
    • Toffee Bits (without chocolate)

    I make this recipe in my food processor but you can make these scones by hand. Instructions for the hand method are listed in the recipe notes. Either way they are absolutely delicious.

    One of the critical things for a great scone is very cold butter. Since it is critical to make sure your butter is chilled to the last possible moment, you will want to have everything ready to combine. This recipe is laid out with that in mind.

    Assemble the Dry Ingredients

    In the bowl of your food processor, place the flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Pulse to combine.

    Assemble the Liquid Ingredients

    Measure your buttermilk into a bowl or in your measuring cup. Add the egg and vanilla and whisk with a fork to combine. Set aside.

    Toffee Scones - Liquid Ingredients. Buttermilk, Eggs and Vanilla
    Liquid Ingredients

    Measure out the Toffee Bits

    You will want to measure out your toffee bits and set aside. These little bites of goodness can be hard to find. I use Heath Toffee Bits….without the chocolate. I love English Toffee and this recipe gives me the taste of the toffee in a scone. This product is hard for me to find at times and when I do, I grab at least a couple bags and toss them into my freezer. Walmart carries them all year round https://www.walmart.com/ip/Heath-Bits-O-Brickle-English-Toffee-Baking-Bits-8-Oz/10311959

    Toffee Scones - Heath Toffee Bits
    Heath Toffee Bits

    Prepare the Butter

    You will want to prepare your butter at the last minute. Remember that you want this to be very chilled when you incorporate this into your scone. Cut the butter up into small pieces so its easy to incorporate, whether you are using your food processor or doing this with a pastry cutter.

    Toffee Scones - Chilled butter cut in pieces
    Chilled butter cut in pieces

    Putting the Scone Dough Together

    Since you have already pulsed and combined your dry ingredients, you are ready to put the whole thing together.

    The next step is incorporating the butter into the dry mixture. Place the butter in the bowl and pulse until you get pea sized pieces.

    Toffee Scones - Butter and Dry Ingredients in Food Processor
    Butter and Dry Ingredients in Food Processor

    Once you have achieved this, pour in the milk, egg and vanilla mixture and pulse until you begin to see the crumbs come together. Don’t over pulse this mixture. You still have the toffee bits to add.

    Add the toffee bits and pulse just to combine.

    Toffee Scones - finished dough with Toffee Bits added
    Finished dough with Toffee Bits

    Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. The mixture will be crumbly but will come together easily.

    Form the dough into a rectangle or a circle. Use your hands or a rolling pin to pat into the shape. The dough should be 1 – 1 1/4 inch thick. Cut into triangles and place on a prepared baking sheet. I like to use my silicon pad but you can line with parchment as well.

    Toffee Scone Dough ready to be cut into scones
    Toffee Scone Dough ready to be cut into scones

    Baking and Storing the Scones

    Bake in a 325 degree oven for 15 minute or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Remove the scones from the baking sheet and complete cooling on a baking rack.

    These scones can be made ahead and frozen unbaked. To bake, take out of freezer and place on baking sheet. Bake as directed for 15 minutes in a 425 degree oven. The scones will spread a little when baked but still retain their shape and height.

    Toffee Scones - freshly baked from the oven
    Freshly Baked Toffee Scones

    You can also freeze baked. Just bring to room temperature and then reheat in a 300 degree oven for 10 – 15 minutes. And enjoy.

    Toffee Scones - resting on Chintz plate
    Toffee Scones on Chintz Plate

    I serve these scones many ways. Of course traditionally, with curd and cream or jam but also with fresh berries and a dollop of whipped cream. And sometimes, just with simple butter.

    Toffee Scones – An Easy How-To recipe brings a basic recipe to life with that nice sweet taste of toffee. Give me a nice afternoon, a hot cup of tea, a toffee scone and sweet conversation….life is full! Enjoy.

    Toffee Scones ready to be served with teapot, teacup, cream and sugar.
    Toffee Scones ready for service
    Baked Toffee Scones on Chintz Plate with Lace Napkin
    Print Pin
    5 from 7 votes

    Toffee Scones

    A sweet scone with toffee bits added. Not overly sweet, this scone gives you a great basic recipe with toffee taste.
    Course afternoon tea
    Keyword afternoon tea scones, anise, scones, toffee pieces, toffee scones
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 15 minutes
    Total Time 30 minutes

    Ingredients

    • 2 cup all purpose flour, sifted
    • cup sugar
    • ½ tsp baking soda
    • tsp baking powder
    • 6 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
    • ½ cup buttermilk
    • 1 egg
    • 1 tsp vanilla
    • ¾ cup toffee bits

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 425°
    • Place flour, sugar, baking soda and baking powder in bowl of food processor. Pulse to mix.
    • In separate bowl, mix buttermilk, egg, and vanilla. Set aside.
    • Measure out ¾ cup of toffee bits
    • Cut butter into pieces. Place in bowl of food processor and pulse until mix resembles small peas.
    • Pour in milk, egg and vanilla mixture. Pulse until incorporated into large crumbs.
    • Add toffee bits and pulse until mostly incorporate. Don't over mix.
    • Pour out mixture onto floured surface. Knead until completely incorporated. May be crumbly.
    • Using hands or rolling pins, form into large rectangle or circle. Sprinkle top of mixture with a light dusting of flour. Cut into triangles.
    • Place on prepared baking sheet – lined either with silicon baking pad or parchment paper.
    • Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.
    • Let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes. Remove to rack to finish cooling.

    Notes

    These scones can be make ahead and frozen unbaked.  When you want to bake them, just remove from freezer, place on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes in 325 degree oven.
    These scones can also be baked and then frozen.  Bring to room temperature and warm in 300 degree oven for 10 -15 minutes prior to serving.
    This recipe works well in a food processor or can be done by hand. Simply follow the same recipe, but cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter until pea sized pieces of butter.  Pour in the liquids to combine.  Add the toffee bits and mix.  As with the food processor recipe, turn out the mixture to a floured surface and finish for baking.