Perfectly Cut Brownies!

I love to make brownies but whenever you cut them from the pan they kind of fall apart and aren't very neat. So I recently read how to prevent this so they look nice and neat when you serve them. You just line the pan with parchment paper vertically, then horizontally so that you can lift the whole block of brownies out of the pan after they have cooled. Then you cut them on a cutting board and viola!, they are cut nice and neat. No more brownies that fall apart when you take them out. Take a look!

Oatmeal Scones

I wanted to make a healthy breakfast food for Mike to take to work in the morning so I searched my Baking Illustrated cookbook and found a recipe for oatmeal scones. Thanks to Lindsey Parsons for letting me borrow a food processor while my blender is on the mend.

Spread 1 1/2 cups rolled oats onto a baking sheet and bake for 9 minutes at 375 degrees. Take out the oats and increase the oven temp to 450. When oats are cooled set aside 2 tablespoons for dusting the work surface later.

Whisk 1/4 cup whole milk, 1/4 cup heavy cream, and 1 large egg together. Remove 1 tablespoon for glazing.

In a food processor, combine 1 1/2 cups flour (low protein flower such as gold metal), 1/3 cup sugar, and 2 teaspoons baking powder by doing four 1-second pulses. Put 1 1/4 sticks of cold butter cut into 1/4 inch pieces into the mixture and blend for about fourteen pulses, or until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Transfer mixture to medium bowl.

Fold in liquid ingredients until large clumps form. Then, use your hands to kneed the mixture until it forms a mass. Dust work surface with half of the set aside oats. Pat the dough into a 7 inch circle (about 1 inch thick). Sprinkle the remaining oats on top. Cut the dough into 8 wedges. Place on a well greased baking sheet (or use parchment paper). Brush the surfaces of the wedges with the milk/egg mixture and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar.

Bake for 12-14 minutes then let cool!