exactly now

December 27 2010 by Kristin at The Kitchen Sink in Recipe,Side » 22 comments

If there were a baker’s equivalent to writer’s block, I’m willing to bet bakers everywhere are experiencing it exactly now. I would know, because the condition afflicted me just yesterday—when, on the post-Christmas drive home from Minnesota, sometime after we’d crossed the border into Wisconsin but long before we’d passed into Illinois, the urge to bake something (anything) hit. As I stared out the window at the rolling, snow-blanketed hills, contemplating the cows (Do they ever get to go inside?) and the farm houses (Would that surely lovely family be willing to take on a boarder (me)?) and the driving habits of those big, many-wheeled trucks (Really? You two are going to drive in the right and left lanes, at the exact same speed, which is five miles under the speed limit?), I committed my afternoon to the kitchen. What better way to welcome myself home?

But what to bake? That was the problem. Despite the seemingly endless miles of quiet highway ahead of me—ripe for a baking brainstorm—I couldn’t come up with anything. As I said: baker’s block.

For those well prepared bakers (the sort I hope to be when I grow up), the previous weeks (I’m guessing as many six weeks for some some, factoring in Thanksgiving and its pies and such) have been an unrelenting procession of cookie dough, pie crusts, holiday breads, candy thermometers, jarred marmalades, and, and, and. For the lesser prepared bakers (the sort I consider my current peers), all of these things were crammed into the day or two preceding Thanksgiving and then, again last week, in the week leading up to Christmas. All of this, of course, resulted in delicious treats, but it also had a tendency to wear us out.

But, then, just when you think you cannot possibly preheat the oven or restock the flour jar or fire up the mixer even one more time, the desire to do all of these things washes over you, sudden and unrelenting. Sadly, inspiration does not come with it. All creativity has been lavished upon December’s baking adventures—that pie crust stamped with the tines of a fork, leaving behind a track of tiny precise lines; that plum cake adapted for the season’s cranberries; those sparkly chocolate cookies, filled with shiny ganache. Worse, you’ve covered every imaginable baked good category in recent days—in some cases (cookies) many times over, leaving you fresh out of new ideas.

The well, it seems, is dried up. So, here was my solution and I hope it will work for you as well, if you too find yourself grappling with baker’s block: Go savory.

I turned to the partnership of parmesan and cracked black pepper—a marriage that has served me well in a crunchy biscotti and atop a bowl of buttered popcorn. Here, the two suffuse rich scones. The pepper’s bite is a welcome departure from the sweet-on-sweet of the past month and the savory scones are a much-needed break from the cookie-cake-pie parade that preceded them. Best of all, they cured my baker’s block, with ease.

Parmesan-Black Pepper Scones
Adapted from Gourmet

Yield: 9 scones

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly-ground black pepper, plus more for sprinkling
3/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano
1 cup heavy cream plus additional for brushing

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add pepper and cheese, tossing to combine. Stir in cream with a fork until a sticky dough forms.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 8 times with floured hands. Form the dough into a 1-inch thick round. Using a 2-inch round biscuit cutter, stamp out rounds. Collect scraps into a 1-inch thick round and stamp out additional rounds. Transfer rounds to a parchment-lined baking sheet, arranging rounds at least 1/2 inch apart. Brush tops of rounds with additional cream and sprinkle with additional cracked pepper.

Bake in middle of oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool on a rack.

22 comments so far. »
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Jessica @ How Sweet says on December 27 2010 at 7:05 pm:

Yes – I am experiencing it too!
Tallgrass Kitchen says on December 27 2010 at 7:49 pm:

I’ve got it too-going savory is a great idea! These would make a lovely new year’s nibble. You could make them smaller, and top with a bit of ham and a whisper of nice cheese. Yum!
Nicole @ the dirty oven says on December 27 2010 at 8:07 pm:

….mmmm…understand! Delish. XO
Whitney says on December 28 2010 at 7:09 am:

Your comments about 18 Wheeler drivers had me laughing out loud.

Lovely Scones. Perfect alongside a big bowl of soup.
Jacqueline says on December 28 2010 at 9:55 am:

Inspired and such a tasty pairing. Just right!
The Rowdy Chowgirl says on December 28 2010 at 11:30 am:

You just can’t go wrong by going savory! I think I’ll have to give these a try!
Ruby says on December 28 2010 at 3:04 pm:

hi, these look great, and I notice that it uses cream instead of butter, I wonder does it make the scones softer instead of flaky?
Thanks!
laura @ alittlebarefoot says on December 28 2010 at 4:17 pm:

i am experiencing this too, only not just with baking!
Vertigo B says on December 29 2010 at 7:59 am:

Yup. Right there with ya. I keep looking at the ingredients, trying to figure out what to make, but nothing strikes my fancy.

I will definitely be trying this one.
Liz says on December 29 2010 at 4:40 pm:

Parmesan and pepper….so good!
Kendra says on December 29 2010 at 5:20 pm:

The recipe looks lovely, but more than that, I just leave reading your words. Most food blogs get little attention in the word department; it’s the photos that get me. But you are one of the few food bloggers who gets all of my attention. Your photos were the first thing that beckoned, but your voice is lovely. Thanks for taking the time to write and photograph and cook for us. I know it takes a lot of time, so thank you.
Kendra says on December 29 2010 at 5:21 pm:

And that first sentence is totally supposed to say “love” instead of “leave.” My blood sugar is low; maybe I should go make some Parmesan black pepper scones.
heather @ chiknpastry says on December 30 2010 at 11:50 am:

if all else fails, make biscuits!!!
Kristin at The Kitchen Sink says on December 31 2010 at 5:05 am:

Hi everyone — thanks for the notes.

Tallgrass Kitchen: I absolutely love that idea. Next time …

Whitney: That’s exactly how we ate them!

Ruby: These scones are definite more tender than flaky, but in a good way. Not sure that makes sense. I had wondered about the lack of butter, too, but was really pleased with the results.

Kendra: Thank you so much for your kind words.

heather: Perhaps that will be my 2011 motto? : )
kickpleat says on January 01 2011 at 1:18 pm:

I’m all for the savoury step. I made savoury scones this past year that were amazing and I’m sure these biscuits are divine. And the link to biscotti? Oh yes, please. Happy 2011!
linda says on January 03 2011 at 6:21 pm:

What camera do you employ? Your images are succulent!
Tracy says on January 04 2011 at 8:05 am:

Exactly now, I should be making these. I think they would be perfect for the dinner I was planning tonight…Egg scramble with potatoes. Thank you for the inspiration. I can’t wait.
Andrea [bella eats] says on January 04 2011 at 8:23 pm:

Oh my these sound divine, especially after weeks of endless sweets! Thank you for sharing!
Caroline says on January 05 2011 at 8:35 pm:

These look awesome. Happy New Year!
A Chicagoan’s Take on Austin: She Likes It | Greystar South Congress says on January 06 2011 at 12:57 pm:

[...] too. It’s a pity she didn’t stop in for a tour. She might very well be trying to decide what to bake in one of our fully equipped kitchens. We’re assuming the tour of Greystar South Congress [...]
lh says on January 07 2011 at 11:32 pm:

made these tonight for dinner party, were a hit, thanks!
hena tayeb says on March 24 2011 at 2:58 pm:

oh yum these look so good.. I can almost smell them baking in the oven