A Crab Feast and Chocolate Scones with Strawberries & Cream
I discovered a box of strawberries in the bowels of the fridge this afternoon, and cream that needed to be used up before we leave, so I made a batch of bittersweet chocolate scones to carry them. (To our mouths, that is.)
I was a little bored with traditional biscuits, to be honest, and remembered a recipe I had seen at some point in the past year – this laptop is like an ultra-slim carrying case for every cookbook and recipe I could possibly need – and we had cocoa.
I’m going to send you over to Seven Spoons for the recipe though – it’s hers, and I want to introduce you directly if you have not yet made her acquaintance. I know you’re going to be fast friends. The only things I did differently was to cut in the butter with a whisk and my fingers (not having an electric mixer), stir a handful of mini chocolate chips into the dry ingredients (that’s what we had), use half and half instead of 18% cream and skipped the egg white wash; the dough was plenty sticky to allow the sprinkle of sugar overtop to adhere.
Dinner itself was sourced locally – plucked directly from the ocean with our own hands. (Yes, we caught, killed and ate our meal. Or more accurately, I caught, boiled water for, and ate mine). Having dropped our crab trap off the dock about a block away a few times with no luck, we were tipped off that crabs are particular fans of hot dogs. Who knew? So we inventively tucked a few into an empty water bottle, rigged it up with wire in the cold rain, and dropped it again. Voilà – crab for dinner. With garlic butter, boiled new potatoes, spinach salad with mangoes, and red wine from the Okanagan. The kids were more enamoured with the crab bait.
April 09 2010 08:44 am | leftovers
June on 09 Apr 2010 at 9:30 am #
Wow – what a fabulous dinner – there’s nothing better than crab that you catch yourself. I’ll be remembering that hot dog trick!
Elaine on 09 Apr 2010 at 9:56 am #
I’m really jealous of that crabbing experience. One of the worst things about being an East Coast transplant in Chicago is the dearth of seafood.
Lauren @ Healthy Delicious on 09 Apr 2010 at 10:27 am #
Those scones look divine and I’m laughing about the hot dogs!! I remember when we were kids, we figured out that fish really like cheetos. So random. But way less icky then using a worm, so i was good with it.
bluejeangourmet on 09 Apr 2010 at 1:45 pm #
those are the best kinds of dinners–foraged on the fly! I once made a key lime pie in a condo kitchen down by the beach and it was fun to be able to pull it off without my normal gadgetry–though my arm was tired from lots of whisking!
also–crab legs = WANT
tara on 09 Apr 2010 at 2:52 pm #
Hooray! I hope this means you enjoyed them, I was eager for your report. Yours look perfect.
And, in case you’re wondering, I’m insanely jealous of that crab. Happy weekend, friend.
Janice on 09 Apr 2010 at 3:37 pm #
Julie, You saved me again Firat it was the chocolate puddle cookies LOVED BY ALLLLL!! and tonight it’s the banana upside down cake I cheated and used a white cake mix but it is awesome!!!!! Thanks
Dana McCauley on 10 Apr 2010 at 7:52 am #
Wow – how did you get those scones to be so darkly chocolatey? Fantastic.
Enjoy your trip.
Katharine on 10 Apr 2010 at 4:45 pm #
Damn delicious crabs. I didn’t think I liked crab. Surprise! I do!
bellini valli on 11 Apr 2010 at 8:33 am #
Fresh crab and red wine from here in the Okanagan are a grerat way to spend a leisurely dinner. Love the chocolate scones too.