snow day

Vancouver is in the midst of a winter wonderland and I'm certainly not complaining. Snow is a rarity here in winter and although I'm favorable to the warmer temperatures we get here on the wet coast, I'm not missing all the rain. I love snow! I like how it makes everything sparkle! I like wearing mittens and sporting rosy cheeks! It's also wonderful to wear boots as something other than a fashion statement. And because Vancouverites aren't used to snow, snow days (ie. days off work/school/etc.) are just part and parcel of a little snowfall. So even though I work from home, many of my clients don't, so it's been a little quiet here in my home office, which means it's catching up time for all of my other little self-directed projects. So when nature dumps snow on my doorstep, I find that it's the perfect time to treat myself to an extended morning. Yesterday I made yogurt waffles with walnuts and caramelized bananas (the bananas were for Cornelius) and today I made scones. Mmmmm, fragrant with a heady aroma of ginger and vanilla, they were the perfect way to stretch my morning into something special. Delicious.

ginger & vanilla scones
1/2 c milk
1 egg
2 c flour
2 t baking powder
½ t salt
1/4 c cold butter, cubed
3 T white sugar
2 T crystallized ginger, diced finely
2 T chopped walnuts
2 t vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Mix the milk and the egg together until frothy and then set aside. In a large bowl, blend the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the cubes of butter and crumble the mixture through with your hands until it's blended through and you have no lumps larger than a pea. Add the sugar, walnuts and ginger and encorporate into the flour. Add in the vanilla and milk mixture, reserving about a tablespoon of the milk as a glaze for later. Mix gently with a fork.

3. Turn dough out onto a clean counter and knead it no more than 12 times. Pat dough into a round approximately 1/2 an inch thick, and cut into 8 wedges. Place on an ungreased baking sheet or a Silpat. Using a pastry brush, glaze wedges with remaining egg/milk mixture. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden. Cool on a wire rack.