Feels Like Fall: Ohelo Berry (or cranberry!) Scones

I guess it's now time to start thinking about Fall and what I have to look forward to.  The weather seems a bit cooler, and I've actually been tempted to use the fireplace.

Expecting to buy some turkey, I thought it would be a good idea to take stock of freezer real estate.  Sadly, the availability of free space in there was dismal.

But my task did yield a pleasant find...frozen ohelo berries.  I must have picked them a few months ago and forgot I had them.  I had enough to make a dessert, but what I was really jonesing for was scones.

A few weeks ago, a nice student brought me 2 still-warm scones, courtesy of the culinary arts teacher (this is the same teacher who brought the taco salad to the potluck).  The scones were delicious, and since then, I've been wanting to make my own (=more; =as many as I want to eat).  Finding the ohelo berries was a good reason to get busy.

If you are not familiar with ohelo berries, please visit my post for Ohelo Berry Bars.  I have a link there for an explanation about these special berries.  I also have another post/recipe, Ohelo Berry Cream Cheese Pie.  Cranberries (coarsely chopped for this scone recipe), currants and blueberries would make good substitutes for ohelo berries.  And since it's November, we all know where we can find the best deal on cranberries. . .Costco!

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Ohelo Berry Scones

     2 1/2 c flour
     2 tbsp sugar
     2 1/2 tsp baking powder
     1/2 tsp baking soda
     1/2 tsp salt
     zest of 1/2 lemon
     1/2 c cold butter
     3/4 c buttermilk
     1 tbsp honey
     1 egg
     1/2 c fresh or frozen (and defrosted) ohelo berries (or coarsely chopped cranberries)
     turbinado or coarse sugar

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a measuring cup, stir together buttermilk, honey and egg.  In a food processor bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon zest.  Pulse a few times to mix.  Add butter in chunks, and process until distributed throughout.  Remove flour mixture to a mixing bowl.  Stir in buttermilk mixture until barely combined.  Turn dough onto a generously floured surface and pat into a rectangle.  Spread berries on half of rectangle and flip plain half to cover berries.  Flatten out rectangle and fold into thirds (letter style).  Flatten again and fold in half.  Pat dough into a 7 x 10" rectangle.  Cut dough into 6 squares and cut each square into 2 triangles.  Place triangles onto parchment-lined cookie sheet.  Sprinkle tops with turbinado sugar.  Bake 16-19 minutes.  Remove to wire rack to cool completely.

This recipe was adapted from the buttermilk scone recipe found on the Canadian Living website.  When I tried the original recipe, it was difficult to work with because of the super-sticky dough.  I changed a few things to make the dough manageable and added ohelo berries.

 Sapporo, Japan

October 8, 2017, Arrival:  Night 1

We arrived in Sapporo on Sunday evening.  I know we were delayed an hour or so out of Honolulu (something about a small part called "landing gear") but I have no idea what time it was when we finally checked in to our hotel. 

The Keeper's suggestion, Toyoko Inn (we stayed at the one across the street from the Hokkaido University campus), turned out to be very clean and orderly.  It was not ostentations like some of the hotels I stayed at on my last visit to Japan, but it was good enough.  I actually lol'd when I stepped into the elevator...some of my friends would need to ride it solo!  It was fricken small.  The Help, OllieMama and I, with our luggage, barely fit.

Finding a place to eat was just as challenging as squeezing into the elevator.  As we walked around Sapporo station, restaurants were putting up closing signs.  Five of us (the other two ate at a robata restaurant across the hall) ended up at a ramen place in the station.  For me, the biggest "aha" came with the ordering system.  Instead of reciting your order to someone, you put your $ in what appears to be a modified vending machine and make your selection(s).  The machine will spit out a ticket(s), which you hand to the person behind the counter.  Being handicapped in reading Japanese, I just ordered what The Keeper ordered (less gyoza)...it would've taken too long for him to read the entire menu to me.   

The ramen was tasty enough, but The Keeper felt it wasn't THE BEST example of Hokkaido ramen.  Apparently, we ordered a spicy miso ramen with corn topped with a huge chunk of butter.  Although full of pork flavor, the broth was rather thick and bit too spicy for what I would want as a broth.  There was definitely a "grill" flavor (this is a good thing) very similar to the flavor which keeps me ordering the Osaka saimin at Restaurant Osaka (in Hilo). Maybe it was all the excitement of being in a new place, but I could hardly eat half of it.

And I should have learned from this...I don't like corn in my ramen.

We spent the rest of the evening checking out the area in and around the station.  There were so many food vendors on the main floor (where the ticket machines are).  I made a mental note of what I planned to eat in the next few days.

In spite of not being able to eat my dinner, I couldn't resist buying my first Mister Donut pon de ring.  It was yummy.  I vaguely remember hearing about Mister Donut, and I'm pretty sure D1 had a pon de ring when she went to Sumoto with the Builders Club.  But nothing could prepare me for the texture.  The donut was light, yet chewy.  Since then, I've read a bunch of different blog posts about what makes the pon de ring so chewy.  Here is a pon de ring recipe at the Cooking of Joy blog.  It's the first one I plan to try when I recover from jet lag.  Of course, I've got a list of other things I want to try replicating too (like that darn cheese tart).

There were a lot of people still milling about, and I couldn't wait til the next day so I could get my bearings.  Being confused and disoriented with direction was not a good feeling.  And at this point, all entrances/exits to the station looked the same! 

I was too tired to even try and orient myself with landmarks. . .I blame it on being awake way past my bedtime.  Unlike some of my fellow travelers, I could not fall asleep on the flight.  I had a super hard sudoku book and a knitting project to keep me entertained, and I ended up doing a bunch of puzzles and starting (and frogging,  re-starting, re-frogging, and re-starting) a cowl.

I was a bit apprehensive about bringing knitting with me on the plane.  I was careful to bring wooden interchangeable needles, and since I hadn't started the project, I kept the cable separate from the needles tips.  I also made sure that what I brought was replaceable...I could buy another cable and tip assembly.  And the yarn I had with me was not nearly as precious as a skein from the Cyborg's Craft Room. . .just in case those monsters decided to confiscate my things.

I went to bed that evening feeling grateful to The Keeper for getting us to the hotel from the station.  The last time I was in a train station (Osaka), I vowed never to enter without leaving a breadcrumb trail to find my way out. 

I was also hoping that it would be cold enough to wear all the shit I knitted.

Lavosh

This past week was an eating out week.  3M and I enjoyed a tasty lunch at Hilo Rice Noodle and the very next day, we had a nice breakfast at Coqui's Hideaway.  When we were hiding away, I saw LAMN's aunt having lunch with her lady friend.  Seeing LAMN's aunt, coupled with the ongoing conversation with 3M about our days in the Pacific Northwest, took me on a journey back to college days with LAMN.

LAMN's mom, unlike Kikukat Mom, would write to her nearly daily.  She would also send care packages with HOMEMADE goodies in them.  In case my mom is reading this, let me say that my mom sent me care packages too, but they were usually filled with purchased snacks...won ton chips, crack seed, colored popcorn, etc.

Okay, now where was I?  Oh yeah...LAMN's mom would send  care packages with HOMEMADE goodies in them.  One goodie stands out above everything else...her lavosh.  Mmmmmmmm. . .it was like a sweet cracker, which was ono enough to eat plain, without any cheese spread, potted meat, or fruit butter.

LAMN's mom's lavosh was very different from my first introduction to lavosh, the one at the now-gone Gourmet Hut Hawaii in the old Kaiko`o Mall.  They sold lavosh in waxed-paper wrapped parcels.  If you went in and requested a sample of a spread, it was likely given to you on a small piece of lavosh (or Carr's crackers).  The lavosh there was not something you'd eat plain. . .it had to be topped with a spread.

LAMNs Mom

Now, several local companies make lavosh.  If you go to the local snack aisle (by the bakery) at KTA, you can find many different varieties/flavors of lavosh.  All pieces are nearly identical in size.  It's lavosh like the kine LAMN's mom made...local kine lavosh...somewhere between a cookie and a cracker.

A few years ago, I tried to make lavosh (local kine).  I remember seeing a girl doing a 4-H demonstration on lavosh.  She couldn't have been older than 13, so I didn't think it would be difficult.  My attempt turned out to be an epic fail.  The dough was sticky, and no matter how I tried, I couldn't get it thin enough to be crisp.  And to make matters worse, even with sticky dough, the poppy seeds went all over then dang place.  I had poppy seeds all over the floor!

Being older and wiser now, armed with a Dyson and having discovered the magic of parchment paper, I thought it was good time to give it another try.  This time, I added the poppy seeds in the dough (no more having to sprinkle it on each piece).  While I was able to roll the dough thinner and not worry about how I was going to get it on the cookie sheet, the baking time was still something I needed to work on.  The 8 minutes called for in the original recipe was not anywhere long enough to yield a crispy product, and soft lavosh is not acceptable in my book.  I fiddled with the baking time in order to get snapping-crisp lavosh. 

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Local-Style Lavosh

     2 3/4 c flour
     1/2 tsp salt
     1/2 tsp baking soda
     1/2 c sugar
     1/2 c butter
     1 c buttermilk
     3 tbsp poppy seeds (or sesame seeds, or combination)

Sift flour, salt, baking soda, and sugar together.  Cut in butter until crumbs form.  Stir in buttermilk and poppy seeds.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Using a #40 disher (a generous tablespoon), scoop dough into balls onto floured surface.  Flour hands well and smooth balls.  Flour dough balls well.  On a piece of parchment paper, roll ball of dough out as thinly as possible.  Repeat with remaining balls of dough.  Place lavosh, parchment paper and all, on cookie sheet.  Bake for 23 minutes.  Remove lavosh to cooling rack and cool completely before storing.

Almost Cafe Kaila: Belgian Waffle Encore

I am finally on Fall break, a break from work, but a break from nothing else.  This is going to be a busy break!

A year ago, The Help and I headed to the Pacific Northwest to visit AChar and to pay homage to the greatest institution of higher learning (my opinion only).  This year, we're keeping it local.  I'm taking the Ds to Oahu.  We have an allergist visit lined up and a list of places at which to dine, but the high point of our visit will be a wedding!

In planning our eating, both Ds have requested we go to Cafe Kaila for breakfast.  Cafe Kaila, in Market City, seems to be a popular breakfast place with the Japanese tourist crowd.  They arrive in taxis, on foot, and one time, I saw a bus load arrive.  I notice they tend to order family-style, and this might not be a bad idea, after all, the portions at Cafe Kaila are ample.  While I enjoy the egg breakfasts and home fries (hoping I get to try the benedict this time), the Ds go there for Belgian waffles.  After swipering a bite of their waffle, they are not off base in declaring it the best waffle in the world.

The Ds are partial to the waffles at Cafe Kaila, but delicious Belgian waffles can be recreated at home with just a little effort.  I posted a Belgian waffle recipe a few months ago.  That recipe yields crisp, savory waffles which can be made with ingredients you likely have on hand.  However, if you want to capture the crisp, light and slightly lemony taste of the Cafe Kaila waffle, then this week's post is for you.  These waffles are crispier, lighter, and sweeter than my previously posted recipe.  Unfortunately, not many people have buttermilk in the fridge.  If you don't mind running out to the store (or making your own from a powder or milk/vinegar), then this is the recipe you need to make!  You can always use the leftover buttermilk to make red velvet cupcakes!

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Almost Cafe Kaila Belgian Waffles

     1 3/4 c flour

     1 1/2 tsp baking powder

     1 tsp baking soda

     1/2 tsp salt

     1/3 c sugar

     3 eggs, separated

     1/2 c butter, melted

     1 3/4 c buttermilk

     1/2 tsp lemon extract

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.  Set aside.  Whip egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Set aside.  Whisk egg yolks, butter, buttermik, and lemon extract.  Whisk in flour mixture, stirring until smooth.  Fold in half of egg whites, then carefully fold in remaining egg whites.  Cook on a pre-heated waffle iron for 6 minutes at medium heat (Use 1/3 cup or #12 disher for each waffle and #4 heat setting on All-Clad).

Homecoming was especially sweet this year with a victory over the Konawaena Wildcats.  The final score, 39-7, doesn't truly indicate how well the Wildcats were able to move the ball.  Moving the ball close to the goal line was not the problem.  The problem was crossing over with all the Viking defenders in the way!  

off to an early lead

difficult to escape from your own teammates

bringing down dangerous Nainoa Ellis-Noa

Best of luck next week, boys.  Let's finish the regular season with a victory over Waiakea.  I will miss the game but will definitely look at the pics when I return.

Kikukat and family would also like to ask anyone heading to the west side this coming weekend to cheer on hometown boy and Viking alumnus Colby LaBrie (bib #1565), who will be competing in the Ironman World Championships on Saturday.  It's people like Colby who remind me why I do what I do.  I am so proud of him.  Go Colby!!!

Raspberry Buttermilk Cake from Gourmet

In early July, Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy posted a recipe for Peachy Keen Buttermilk Cake, which she adapted from a recipe in the June 2009 issue of Gourmet magazine.  Her pictures made the cake look so ono, and I was surprised that the only "odd" ingredient in the cake was buttermilk.  I also liked the idea that the cake was rather small (round, single-layer).  The original recipe, Raspberry Buttermilk Cake,  called for raspberries, rather than peaches.  I guess the title gives it away.

When I went to Costco last weekend, the cold room was full of berries.  I had a hard time deciding between blackberries and raspberries but eventually went the sentimental route with raspberries (flashback to Seattle:  my Italian gramma often made raspberry jam).

Aren't these gorgeous?

 I think you can figure out the rest of this post.  Needless to say, this cake is super simple to make, provided you have buttermilk or know how to fake it with milk and vinegar.  The sweetness of the cake complements the tangy fruit.

The fruit will sink beneath the surface of the cake during baking.

The finished cake will be a warm, golden brown with delicate cracks on the surface.

Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy didn't seem to have a problem with the cake sticking to the bottom of the pan, but I sure did.  Next time, I will use a round of parchment in addition to greasing and flouring the pan.  That should do the trick.