Hard Boiled Eggs

Hard boiled eggs are hardly a new concept. But I've learned a few tricks worth passing on, which is why they are getting their very own post. The girls enjoy them, as do Geoff & I, so I've been keeping them stocked in our fridge, enjoying them either for a quick snack or to accompany lunch.

To Hard Boil an Egg:

1. Place cold eggs gently into a medium-size sauce pan and cover with COLD water.

2. Turn burner on high and bring water to a boil.

3. Once the water comes to a rolling boil, turn burner down to medium and cook for 20 minutes.

4. When finished, run under cold water, then rest on a towel to dry.

5. Store in refrigerator until ready to eat.




Tips

-Use older eggs. I'm not talking rotten eggs, I'm talking the eggs that have been in your fridge for awhile but are still viable. They are easier to peel, and it is a great way to prolong the eggs' lives by two whole weeks!

-Add a generous amount of table salt to the boiling water. This makes peeling the eggs easier. (I've also heard adding a dash of vinegar has the same affect, I've just never tried it.)

-To make it easier to distinguish between the hard boiled eggs and the others, add a tea bag to the boiling water to tint the shells brown. (Sorry brown egg aficionados, this is most effective on the white variety. Marking the shells with a pencil or a pen would also do the trick!)

-To make them easier for little people to eat, use an egg slicer to serve them sliced.... my girls always like having the option of enjoying it eggsactly how they like it, be it whole or sliced.

Cranberry Scones

I was introduced to scones when we lived in New England; I've been a huge fan ever since! This recipe is unbelievably easy to make, especially when you mix up the dry ingredients the night before. I like to serve these when guests come over. They are good as a light breakfast; they also make a delicious entrée accompaniment.





1-¾ cups all-purpose flour
2½ tsp. baking powder
2½ Tbsp. sugar
¼ tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. butter, soft
½ cup Craisins
1 egg
5 Tbsp. heavy cream, plus extra for brushing on top of scones
coarse sugar crystals

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar & salt. Cut in butter until it is well blended. Stir in Craisins.

3. In a separate bowl beat the egg & cream. Add to the flour mixture, stirring gently with a fork until the dough comes together. If the dough seems to dry, add a splash of cream; you do not want it to be too sticky.

4. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Gently pat into a 6" circle about 1" thick. With a sharp knife, divide the dough into 8 equal wedges. Space scones apart on a baking sheet or baking stone. Lightly brush the tops with cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar crystals (regular sugar works great as a substitute). Bake until golden brown @ 450° for 12-14 minutes.

Serve warm with jam or butter.