I started making a scone recipe thinking a scone recipe couldn’t be too hard. I make a great cake, a great muffin and a TON of cookies that are great. So how hard could scones be?? Turns out I was wrong. Scones were harder to crack than I thought. And millions of recipes out there all do something different to make a scone. Doesn’t it seem like a scone is a scone?

Then I started cooking scones. A scone is not a scone. The first few batches tasted good, but boy were they ugly. And they could not replicate easily. So I kept going.

Turns out freezing butter is a big trend in the scone world. Do you know how hard it is to work with frozen butter?? And it does not stay frozen very long once you start working with it. It seemed to me that the idea of baking from cold - with cold butter - was the critical part of keeping things flaky and tender. Frozen, whipped, chilled, room temp, melted; I tried them all.

And then I arrived here! Cold butter is critical and then refrigerating the dough keeps the scones from spreading and losing their shape.

Since strawberries are just coming into season right now, this is the first fruit I tried with them. Over the summer I’m going to work on raspberries, blueberries, etc. and we’ll see if we can make these an ‘every fruit’ scone - which is the goal!

The Very Best Strawberry Scones

makes 8

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup grated butter (very cold)

1/2 cup chopped strawberries

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

1 egg yolk, beaten

turbinado sugar

STEP 1

Mix together the milk, egg and vanilla and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, combine together the flour, sugar and baking powder.

STEP 2

Blend the milk mixture into the flour mixture until loosely combined. Remove the bowl from the stand and add the butter. With your hands, fold the butter in by kneading the dough until the flour and butter are completely integrated. Use as few kneads as possible. Don’t overwork the dough!

STEP 3

Toss together the strawberries with the cornstarch. Fold them into the dough with three or four turns. Form into a 10 inch circle on a floured cutting board and pop in the fridge. Let it chill for at least one hour or up to overnight.

STEP 4

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove the scones from the fridge and cut into eight triangles. Brush the top of each one with egg yolk and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Bake 20 minutes until golden brown on the edges. Let cool slightly before serving.

Tell me what you want to see in a scone? Have you had a good one somewhere that we should recreate?

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Cheers to brunch

Toast with an espresso martini! And really kick up the morning.

I don’t eat eggs. I have an intolerance to them which gives me migraines. Most of the time, it’s totally fine and I don’t even miss them. But then brunch happens. Brunch is one of the best meals of the whole week and here I am stuck without 90% of the menu. So I’ve been coming up with a few brunch ideas that are not egg based and are still decadent and delicious. This tart hits all of those - it’s buttery and delicious. I cannot get enough of it. I actually had to stop myself from eating half of this the first time I made it.

I made it for our family with Earth Wise buttery sticks (not real butter - also, not sponsored) because my husband is dairy free. It totally did the job. You could use a combination of olive oil and butter if you want to cut out some of the fat. I prefer to just eat a smaller slice rather than change ingredients.

Buttery Potato Tart

makes one 12” tart

3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced

1 onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup butter

2 cloves garlic, grated or diced

1 1/2 teaspoons anchovy paste

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

pinch of salt

pepper

STEP 1

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Very thinly slice the potatoes and the onion. Set them aside.

STEP 2

Melt the butter in a sauce pan and stir in garlic, anchovy paste and mustard.

STEP 3

When butter is melted, line the bottom of a cast iron skillet with parchment paper. Begin layering potatoes and onions - add a few tablespoons of the butter mixture between each layer of potatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste. When you’re done, pour any remaining butter over the top.

STEP 4

Pop the pan into the oven. After 20 minutes, press down on the potatoes to seal it together. Pop back in to cook for another 20 minutes.

STEP 5

After 40 total minutes, remove the pan from the oven and place something heavy on top of the potatoes. I like to fit a cake pan on the top and then weigh down with something heavy. Let cool with the heavy thing on top for 10 minutes. Then invert onto a cutting board or serving plate.

Also! You can easily substitute Earth Balance instead of butter in this recipe if you are going dairy free or dairy light!

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Every year for my kids birthdays I make a coffee cake. A few years ago I started making a smaller and smaller cakes because my kids eat one slice and then they are done. Then I moved on to muffin sized coffee cakes and suddenly we can eat the entire batch!

These are perfect for a brunch, a weekday breakfast, or just for a snack. They cook super fast too - so you can whip them up anytime! I promise once you bite into these, you will never stop making these muffins. They are epic.

Coffee Cake Muffins

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

2/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (or sour cream)

topping

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a muffin tin with muffin liners or spray with non-stick spray.

In a small bowl (or measuring glass) whip together the oil, egg, milk and vanilla.

STEP 2

In a large bowl combine together the flour, sugar, and baking powder. Pour in half of the milk mixture and stir to combine. Then add the yogurt and blend together. Pour the last of the milk mixture and stir until combined. Don’t over stir. The mixture will be lumpy, it’s fine.

STEP 3

In a food processor or a bowl, mix together the topping ingredients until it’s sandy. I just use a fork or my fingers.

STEP 4

Fill muffin tins about 1/2 way and top each one with the topping mixture. Bake 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool a few minutes before serving.

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Need a brunch cocktail?

When I was a kid I drank V8 like it was juice. When I grew up and discovered you could combine it with vodka and garnish with my very favorite pickled vegetables, it was like a match made in heaven. I’ve had my share of regular Bloody Marys and I have not really had a bad one yet. Some mediocre ones - some weak ones - but never a bad one. If you want my classic Bloody Mary, click here.

But then I heard of a rumor of people who don’t like tomatoes. Can you believe that’s a thing? Well, if you’re reading this, then possibly you are one of those people? I can’t imagine not loving tomatoes - especially when they are fresh. But if you mix them with vodka, how can they be bad ever?

Anyway… I’m being accommodating and it turns out these are EPIC so I’m not worried about how you don’t like tomatoes.

Roasting the jalapeño and tomatillos is an extra step, but I highly recommend it - actually require it in the recipe - because it makes the drink so much better.

I also grilled some shrimp for the top because who doesn’t love something a little extra? And these shrimp are EXTRA. Don’t forget to share if you make these! I can’t wait to see what you do.

Tomatillo Bloody Mary

makes 4 large cocktails

8 tomatillos

1 jalapeño

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt

1/2 cup cilantro

1 cucumber

1 lime, juiced

1 teaspoon horseradish

2 teaspoons worchestershire

2 teaspoon Old Bay

8 ounces vodka

garnishes like olives, celery, or grilled shrimp

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Peel the husk off the tomatillos and slice them in half. Spread them out on a baking sheet with the jalapeño. Drizzle oil on top and sprinkle with salt. Pop in the oven and let roast about 10 minutes until toasty.

STEP 2

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Don’t forget to pour any liquid from the roasted tomatillos into the blender too.

STEP 3

Combine equal parts vodka and tomatillo juice in a glass. Add ice and garnish!

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Just when you think a perfect Bloody Mary doesn’t exist - I figured it out. I actually think it’s harder to make a bad Bloody Mary instead of a good one, but once I undertook making my own Bloody Mary mix - I think I cracked into the best Bloody Mary ever.

The history of the Bloody Mary is really kind of hilarious. There are a million stories. The most likely originates at Harry’s Bar in Paris where a bartender named Fernand Petiot conceived of the cocktail and named it for the ruthless rule of Queen Mary I of England in the mid 1550’s. The tomato juice represents the blood shed, the vodka and spices mimic the brutal means the queen used. He devised it as a breakfast cocktail - but it was simple back then, just tomato juice and vodka with a dash of Worcestershire.

The funniest story of it’s origin is that Hemingway was in Harry’s Bar just before he got married. Hemingway ordered a drink mixed with juice so no one would smell the vodka on his breath - so tomato juice was added. While he was drinking, he was muttering “Bloody Mary,” the name of the girlfriend he was giving up in favor of marriage. Hilarious. For loads of reasons but the number one being, would Hemingway really give up a girl because of marriage?

See what you think about my best Bloody Mary and tell me if you think it’s named for a cruel queen or a future potential mistress.

The Best Bloody Mary

makes 4 drinks

2 1/2 tablespoons worchestershire

juice of 1/2 a lime

1 tablespoon olive brine

1 teaspoon crushed celery seed

1 teaspoon horseradish

16 ounces tomato juice

10 dashes tabasco (more or less to taste)

8 ounces vodka

olives, celery, pickled beans, cucumber, lime wedges, bacon, pickled onions, and anything else you love!

STEP 1

In a pitcher, mix together Worcestershire sauce, lime juice, olive brine, celery seed, and horseradish. Pour in tomato juice and stir to combine. Add tabasco to taste.

STEP 2

Fill four highball glasses with ice. Split the vodka amongst the glasses (2 ounces) and top with tomato mixture (4 ounces). Garnish to your hearts content! Add more tabasco or lime wedges as needed.

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I’ve seen several versions of this over the summer but all of them are smothered in cheese. If you are not a cheese eater - or non dairy completely - then it feels tricky. While I’m sure a cheese version is delicious, it’s not an option for my house so I used the saltiness of anchovy paste to stand in for cheese and it worked fabulously. Seriously, the dairy eaters in my house didn’t even notice it was missing anything. In fact, my teenager declared it “the best pizza ever.” So there’s that…

While it’s basically a pizza, it’s the fancy bougie kind made with fresh tomatoes and fresh basil. And a crispy crust that seems impossible outside of Italy. I hope you love it!

Heirloom Tomato Tart

1 sheet puff pastry

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon anchovy paste

1 clove garlic, grated

2 large heirloom tomatoes, sliced

1 egg, beaten

pinch of salt

chopped fresh basil

STEP 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the puff pastry until about a third larger. Fold over the edge all the way around to create a ‘crust.’

STEP 2

Whisk together the oil, anchovy paste and garlic. Spread it evenly over the top of the pastry, avoiding the crust.

STEP 3

Layer the tomato slices over the olive oil so the center of the tart is filled. Sprinkle the top of the tomatoes with salt. Brush the crust with the beaten egg and pop in the oven.

STEP 4

Bake 15-20 minutes until the crust is browned and the tomatoes are bubbly. Let cool a few minutes before cutting and serve warm. Sprinkle the top with fresh cut basil.

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I always thought the espresso martini was super bougie, but now I know it was made for Kate Moss in 1983, I’m more convinced than ever that this is the bougie drink for me. She famously asked the bartender to “wake me up and f*#k me up.” A pull of espresso and a shot of vodka & it was bottoms up! The 90’s resurgence is back in a serious way and it brought with it a cocktail that’s here to stay. Dotted on top with three coffee beans; health, wealth, and happiness is what that means. Cheers to the closest Kate Moss came to food and cheers to a drink that’s really good.

Espresso Martini

2 ounces vodka

1.5 ounces espresso

.5 ounce coffee liquer

Pour all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice and shake well. Strain into a martini glass and top with three coffee beans. Cin cin!

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Deviled eggs, deviled eggs, every one loves deviled eggs. There are a million ways to make them, and none of them are wrong - but sometimes people add ingredients that just don’t belong. The secret is in boiling the eggs just so - cold water over eggs and bring to a boil real slow. Then turn the heat off and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain and cover with cold water and ice until it’s cooled off enough you can peel the eggs well. Rinse them in cold water to remove left over shell. Smash together with equal parts yolk and mayonaisse - a dash of pickle juice makes them amaze. Pipe it back into the white and top with paprika. It’s a traditional deviled egg that’s hard to beat - a.

Simple Deviled Eggs

6 eggs, hardboiled

1/4 cup mayonaisse

1 tbs pickle juice

salt & pepper

paprika

STEP 1

Pop eggs into a pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Then turn off the heat. Let rest 10 minutes.

STEP 2

Drain boiling water and cover eggs with ice and very cold water. Peel the eggs.

STEP 3

Slice the eggs in half and pop out the yolk. Save the white on a plate - and clean them up so they don’t have tiny bits of yolk on them.

STEP 4

Mash together egg yolks, mayonaisse, and pickle juice. Season with salt and pepper.

STEP 5

Pipe the yolk mixture back into the whites and sprinkle the tops with paprika.

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Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays. It’s cheesy and ridiculous and totally unnecessary - which is why it’s the best! I do this one up big - a fun breakfast, a big family dinner, and themed lunches that are totally quirky. I cut the kids sandwiches into hearts, I draw on mandarin oranges, and I cut hearts out of colored paper and stuff their lunch boxes so they literally explode when they open their lunch.

You can’t celebrate all day if you don’t start early in the morning! This is a super simple breakfast that you can pull off on a school day - swap out waffle mix if you don’t want to make them from scratch - the secret is in adding freeze dried strawberries to the batter. They’ll soften slightly in the batter and totally soften when they are cooked.

You can use fresh berries, but I found that the freeze dried berries keep their flavor better when the waffles are cooked. The fresh berries mush and cook more quickly which adds a cool pink color, but lacks the punch I’m going for here.

STRAWBERRY WAFFLES WITH BERRY SAUCE

2 cups milk

1/2 cup melted butter

2 eggs

1 cup freeze dried strawberries

2 cups flour

2 tbs sugar

1 tbs baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine together dry ingredients in a large bowl. In another bowl, which together milk, melted butter and eggs. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and stir until just combined - there will be a few lumps.

Then add the strawberries and stir until they are incorporated into the batter. Let the batter rest 3-5 minutes while the waffle maker heats up.

BERRY SAUCE

1/2 cup strawberries

1/2 cup raspberries

2 tbs orange juice

1 tbs sugar

1 tbs cointreau (optional)

In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring the a boil. As soon as it boils, turn the heat down and let it simmer until it begins to thicken up. Smash the berries with a fork to push out the juices and break them down. Serve warm over the waffles.

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Mother’s Day at our house is almost always the same; we go to the Pike Place Market, buy flowers, doughnuts, and walk the market. Then we’ll pop into one of my favorite restaurants where Mr. Hedin has never made a reservation and still every year we manage to get into the brunch service and have a marvelous time.

Often we’ll pick up something for dinner while we’re there before we head home. We’ve been known to host a dinner in the evening for friends and family. This year we’ll still not be living in our real house so I’m not sure what will happen this year.

If your plans are also up in the air, try hosting a fabulously simple brunch that your kids could even make for you! Have them watch the video below and they can make it for you! Don’t forget to tag #weeknightsociety on Instagram if you make something so I can see how fabulously it turns out!

HAM & CHEESE PUFFS

serves 4

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 350. Roll out puff pastry and cut each sheet into 4 pieces 

STEP 2

Divide ham and cheese on top of the pastry.  

STEP 3

Beat the egg yolk and milk together and brush the edges of the pastry with the egg yolk mixture. 

STEP 4

Bring up the pastry corners and pinch them together.  Pinch down the sides where the egg wash is painted on.  

STEP 5

Brush the tops of the pastry with beaten egg yolk.  Bake 10 mins until cheese is bubbly

STEP 6

In a jar or a small bowl combine mustard, honey, olive oil, vinegar, and parsley.  Shake vigorously.  

½ lb ham, cut into cubes

8 oz gruyere cheese, cut into cubes

2 sheets puff pastry, defrosted

1 egg yolk, beaten

2 tbs milk

4 cups mixed greens

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon honey

¼ cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

½ cup olive oil

When you’re creating a super simple brunch like this, then don’t bother cooking a dessert yourself - especially when Trophy Cupcakes can do such a marvelous job. The new featured flavor for Mother’s Day is Lemon Raspberry Rose - is anything more heavenly than rose scented buttercream??? No. No, there isn’t.

And for a simple cocktail, combine chilled champagne + chambord in a cocktail glass and pop in a raspberry.

Whether you’re a mother, a step-mother, a god-mother, or a child of a mother - I hope you have a wonderful day.

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