CHERRY SCONES and SWEET CINNAMON BISCUITS and CHEESE BLINTZ HOT CAKES

All of this icy, snowy, freezing weather, resulting in the kids being home from school, makes me want to cook a warm, delicious, breakfast for them. Not having to rush out the door to school enables us all to have an easy, relaxing, nurturing morning, and to eat well.

CHERRY SCONES

1 1/2 cup self-rising flour
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 stick butter, cut into pieces
10 candied cherries, cut into halves
3/4 cup almond milk
Double Cream (recipe follows)

Heat oven to 400F.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, cream of tartar and sugars. Cut in butter. Stir in cherries. Add milk and stir to form a sticky dough. Fold dough over a few times on a floured surface until just combined. Flatten to about 1/2 inch thick. Cut with a round biscuit cutter and place on cookie sheet.
Bake for about 12 minutes. Serve with Double Cream.

DOUBLE CREAM

4 ounces cream cheese
1 tablespoon sugar
1 pinch salt
1 cup cream

In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese, sugar and salt. Beat in cream until stiff peaks form. Chill until serving.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Arkansas Democrat Gazette, February 2007
www.arkansasonline.com/news/.../food/‎

SWEET CINNAMON BISCUITS

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
8 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl and mix well. Stir in vegetable oil. Add buttermilk and stir just until blended.
Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Roll dough into a 15 by 8 inch rectangle.
Heat the oven to 400F.
Grease a 9-inch round baking pan.
Spread butter over the dough. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix well.
Sprinkle over butter. Roll up rectangle, jelly roll fashion, starting from one long side. Gently pinch the seam to seal.
Cut the roll into 1 1/2 inch slices. Arrange the slices, cut side up, in prepared baking pan. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven.
Enjoy!

CHEESE BLINTZ HOT CAKES

2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup Cottage cheese
2 tablespoons butter
jam and confectioners sugar to serve

In a blender, mix eggs, flour, milk, sugar and baking powder for 10 seconds. Add cottage cheese, blend until just incorporated. Heat butter in a skillet, over medium heat. Spoon batter by 1/4 cupfuls into the skillet. Cook, flipping once, until golden, 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter. Top with jam, dust with sugar.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray, January/February 2014
www.rachaelray.com/‎