Procrastibaking with Lucy Burdette

Jane Brody's biscuits but made with sour cream and garden herbs

LUCY BURDETTE: I am a sucker for the Wednesday food section in the New York Times. Sometimes I find a great recipe, sometimes an admirably well-turned phrase by Pete Wells, and sometimes an article that hits my stomach and my heart at the same time. On May 16, one of the front page articles, by Julia Moskin, was about something called "Procrastibaking." Apparently this is a thing--baking when you should be working. It even has its own Instagram hashtag. Procrastibaking allows a person to feel productive while avoiding actual work. And there is a fabulous reward, assuming you've made something delicious. And it turns out, I am an active procrastibaker...

Here are a few baked goods that I've made and recommend…


Cherry Cobbler--oh my gosh, too good to be believed...but only make this when cherries are in season

Raspberry Almond cake--easy as pie and very forgiving while also delicious


And this killer upside down Roman fig cake for the two or three weeks when you can snag fresh figs in the grocery store (or beg them from a neighbor's tree...

As I was reading this article and noodling over a post for this blog, I felt the urge for cornmeal cheddar and pimento scones swell and soar until it could not be refused. Here's what I made, and damn the word count, I say!

Pimento Cheddar Scones

Ingredients

3/4 cup all-purpose flour (can substitute white whole wheat)
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 and 1/4 tsp baking powder (I use low sodium)
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ tsp. cayenne or to taste
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1-2 tablespoons chopped pimentos, drained

Preheat the oven to 425. Mix together the dry ingredients, then cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or your food processor until it resembles coarse meal. Blend or pulse in the cheese. Stir together the egg and milk and add this to the other ingredients. Stir until combined, then dump the dough onto a floured surface and knead for a minute until everything holds together.

Flatten the dough into a disk and cut it into six pieces. Place the sections on an oiled pan or parchment paper and bake for about 12 minutes until lightly browned. (Try not to overcook or the scones will be dry.)

Are you a procrastibaker? If so, what have you made or what's on your TBB (to be baked) list? If you aren't, what might you like me to try in your name?

PS from Lucy: And hope you will indulge me in this moment of excitement--I found out last week that DEATH ON THE MENU will be an audiobook, first time ever for me! And I got to choose the narrator from three readings. Her name in Laura Jennings and she sounds just like Hayley!! (You are under no obligation to listen to it all, I was struggling with editing.)

Fresh Cherry Cobbler with Whipped Cream #recipe

LUCY BURDETTE: My hub and I are mad for cherries when they are in season, and trust me we've eaten pounds and pounds of them this summer. But we've never done anything except eat them from the bowl. I couldn't imagine pitting all those little guys. But then I got the image of a cherry cobbler in my head, and it would not be denied. (Sadly, I went to the grocery store yesterday and the cherries were GONE FOR THE SEASON! I'm quite certain you can use this same recipe for blueberries or peaches. Back to the story...)

So I went in search of a cherry pitter and found this one on Amazon, which handles 6 pieces at a time. So it still takes a while (maybe half an hour) to pit enough for the cobbler, but this time it's worth it. Be careful because one diner did find a pit in her portion. You don't want your guests cracking their molars on your dessert! (Recipe has been adapted for low-sodium diets.)

For the cherry filling:

Six cups pitted cherries
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
Half a lemon, squeezed



Place the cherries in an 8 by 8 Pyrex pan, ungreased. Mix in the cornstarch and sugar, and squeeze the lemon over the top.





For the crust:

6 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon no sodium baking powder
1 cup flour
1/2 cup cream or milk
1/2 cup sugar

Combine the dry ingredients and then cut in the chilled butter, using a pastry cutter. When the lumps are pea-sized, stir in the cream or milk. Do not over mix. With a large spoon place blobs of the crust over the prepared cherries. Do not worry about smoothing the crust or covering every square inch.

Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes. The cherries should be bubbling and the crust a light brown. Let the cobbler cool a bit and serve with almond-scented whipped cream.




For the cream:
1 cup organic whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring
1 tablespoon sugar

Whip the cream with the almond flavoring until thick. And the sugar and stir that in. Serve with the cobbler and swoon. (This is very rich--serves 6-8.)

It's perfect for celebrations, like the publication of a new book! Or simply reading a great book. Or, for coming up with an outstanding limerick...




Choosing the winners was hard
Who knew our fans were such bards?
When asked to perform
They stepped out of the norm
And these are the four that we starred!

FChurch wins Hallie Ephron's Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel
Ann in Rochester wins a book from Hank Phillippi Ryan
Deb Romano wins a book from Rhys Bowen
Carla wins a book from Lucy Burdette 


Send me your emails and I'll pass them on to the right folks: LucyBurdette at gmail dot com


And thanks to every single one of you for a terrific day!