What a Peach!

I am well aware of the fact that I have not blogged since I was 24. What have I been up to? Well, I have been cooking just the same, but have been the laziest bum in the universe past that point. I have lost track of dates and time as summer has swiftly moved into my life for the first time in 3 years. I do have plenty of recipes to share with you now that I have resurfaced from my June coma. This one in particular, had to be the first since it was just so darn good. Think coffee cake with a summer face-lift. It's the same cinnamon-sugar compound you are all comfy with but I added sliced peaches which took this morning favorite to a new dimension. This would be great with any fruit I think. The sour cream kept it moist and fluffy. I left a small portion without the pecans just in case the hubby wasn't in the mood for nuts. Here's what I did:

Ingredients

* 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
* 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
* 1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 3 large, ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced
* 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions

* You can leave the butter and the eggs out the night before so they are ready for you in the morning.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch baking pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and 1 cup of the sugar for 3 to 5 minutes on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, then the sour cream and vanilla, and mix until the batter is smooth.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix just until combined. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon.

Spread half of the batter evenly in the pan. Top with half of the peaches, then sprinkle with two-thirds of the sugar mixture. Spread the remaining batter on top, arrange the remaining peaches on top, and sprinkle with the remaining sugar mixture and the pecans.

Bake the cake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature. This could be served with vanilla ice cream for dessert or breakfast with a fresh cup of coffee. :)

Skinny Sunday Scones

There are so many wonderful things to enjoy on Sunday. Breakfast sometimes gets overlooked at my house when we have to get ready for church, so my solution was to make scones the night before. These are super low cal and I made a delicious glaze to go over them. If you want the glaze done after they are cooked you can do that as well. The glaze will be thicker the cooler the scones are. These scones combine the sweetness of dried cranberries with the tang of lemon zest. I also used half whole wheat, half regular flour to make myself feel better! :)

Ingredients

Glaze
* 2 tbsp Splenda
* 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, divided

Whisk together and set aside.

Scones
* 1/2 cup low fat buttermilk
* 1/4 cup Splenda
* 1 tsp lemon zest
* 2 tsp vanilla extract
* 1 large egg
* 1 cup white flour and 1 cup whole wheat
* 1 tbsp baking powder
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 3 tbsp chilled butter (must be cold) cut into small pieces
* 1/2 cup dried sweet cranberries


Position rack in top third of oven; Preheat oven to 375°. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Make glaze by combining 2 tbsp Splenda and 1 tbsp lemon juice.

Mix buttermilk, remaining lemon juice, Splenda, lemon zest, vanilla, and egg in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Cut in chilled butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Gently fold in cranberries. Add buttermilk mixture, stirring just until moist. (dough should be sticky)

Place dough onto a floured surface and knead lightly four times with floured hands. Form dough into an 8-inch circle onto baking sheet, about 3/4" thick. Using a knife, cut dough into 10 wedges (do not cut all the way through). Brush lemon glaze over dough. Bake until golden, about 18-20 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Serve warm or room temperature.