We shall overcome

I hate baking. And I don't like scones. So it came as a surpise to me when I suddenly and inexplicably proclaimed, "Rosemary scones! I'm going to make some rosemary scones." I truly have no idea what made me think of scones or rosemary or strawberry butter, but it hit me like some kind of supernatural revelation and when divinely inspired baked goods occur to this sleep-deprived brain of mine, I take action.

This was a leap of faith, indeed. After a series of baking failures over the past month (seriously, I actually made FOUR cakes for my daughter's birthday and had numerous other muffin disasters), I was ready to jump off a cliff. Well, almost. I at least considered starting a new blog in which I bad-mouthed baking. It was as if it were a person; an actual being that had somehow wronged me, and like a 12 year old girl, I wanted to spread the word that BAKING was a tramp. A back-stabbing, unreliable tramp.

But when the spirit moves you, it moves you. So here I was...baking scones; something I don't like and have never made before in my life. I looked through a few recipes just to get an idea of what I was dealing with. Some had eggs, others had none. Some had very little sugar, others had more. Some had buttermilk, others heavy cream. So in rebellious, 12 year old fashion, I decided to venture out on my own. I mean, why wouldn't I...I have such a high success rate with baking. I could handle this. I threw some stuff in the Kitchenaid, gave it a whirl, popped them in the oven and watched. The smell that started filling the house was nothing short of life-changing. I started thinking these things might actually be edible; maybe even more than that. Hope. Anticipation. The stakes were high. After realizing that old baking powder may have been the cause of alot of my recent troubles, I'd replaced it and was holding my breath for redemption. I had some strawberries in the freezer that we'd picked at Sequatchie Cove last Spring. I had just seen a recipe for Strawberry Butter at Joylicious and figured this might be perfect with the scones. This was serious business now. There was spread involved. Spread containing precious strawberries from a dwindling supply and expensive organic butter. I was fully expecting these scones to be worthy.

And were they ever! Mama Mia! (Please note: I am not Italian, nor do I have any type of connection which would explain my use of the phrase "Mama mia". It simply was what came out and I am choosing to let it be because this poured out of me in such a way that it must express something so pure, so righteous, that not saying it would be deceptive). And I would hate to deceive. Back to the point...these scones were awesome! Not dry and crumbly like so many are. A little bit sweet (maybe too much so for a scone connoisseur, but just right to me); crispy on the outside and soft on the inside (but not doughy like some biscuits that stick to the roof of your mouth), and just lightly scented with rosemary. And...these are incredibly easy! I didn't mess around with rolling them out and cutting; just mix 'em up and drop 'em on a baking sheet. If you make these, you MUST abide by the rules; it would be a crime not to eat one of these hot out of the oven with a big ol' spread of strawberry butter. Let it melt all into the soft, hot scone, take a mid-afternoon break, and prepare to die from deliciousness! Well, it turns out, I don't hate baking. I just hate sucking at something. Yeah, that's what I learned. When you try something over and over and fail miserably time and time again, that will cause you to think that you hate that thing. But you don't really. In actuality, you really just hate being a pathetic, inadequate disappointment. Who knew?!?

I am happy to report on this 17th day of February in the two thousand and tenth year of our Lord, that I have experienced deliverance from the imprisonment that has plagued me for so long. No longer will I be a slave to boxed cake mixes and futile muffin-making attempts. Freedom tastes so sweet.
Rosemary Scones with Strawberry Butter

• 2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• scant 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 tsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 6 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, diced
• 1/2 cup light sour cream (50% less fat)
• 1/2 cup fat-free milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and rosemary. Add cold butter, cover mixer with a towel (so it won't explode everywhere) and mix on low/medium speed until it is crumbly. Then add sour cream and milk, and mix just until dough comes together. Spoon onto two sprayed baking sheets (6 scones per sheet, each a little bit larger than a golf ball). Bake for 27-28 minutes, or until lightly golden.

Strawberry Butter

• 6 tbsp. room temperature salted butter
• 1/2 cup strawberries (can be fresh or frozen, but make sure they're also room temp)
• 2-3 tsp. agave nectar (depending on sweetness of berries)- can sub honey if needed

Make sure everything is at room temperature! Mix together and serve. (If you use unsalted butter, you may need to add a pinch of salt).