toasted almond scones

I really loved the time that I spent blogging along with Tuesdays with Dorie. I had lots of fun doing it, made friends through it and learned tons about baking (and cooking, as the baking kind of spilled into food blogging in general). I served my family far more creative, interesting, varied and delicious meals when I was food blogging. That was great for David and me, who both enjoy really good food, although maybe not as great for my kids, who act like I am trying to kill them when I serve them something with a stray fleck of parsley. I definitely feel like I'm in a rut in the kitchen lately, not really inspired to cook anything in particular and never knowing what I want to make. That never happened when I was food blogging.

I love breakfast baking most of all, probably even more than dessert baking. Scones, muffins, coffee cake, cinnamon buns, baked doughnuts -- to me a happy morning is enjoying some freshly baked deliciousness along with a cup of coffee, the newspaper, and my family. And with fall coming (by calendar, if not by temperature), I can feel the baking bug coming on again. One recipe that caught my eye from the beginning in Dorie Greenspan's incredible Baking: From My Home to Yours was the toasted almond scones. It was chosen as the weekly recipe after I left the group by a guy whose blog I really enjoyed. Anyway, I had some heavy cream to use up, so I decided to celebrate the official end of summer (yay, fall!!) by baking up a batch of these babies this morning. They had just a hint of almond flavor (I might add a little extra almond extract, a.k.a. the nectar of the gods, next time around); they weren't too sweet, so they could handle a little jam if you are so inclined; and they had the perfect flaky texture. In the "just like soap opera, you could miss two years and pick up right where you left off" department -- David and I really enjoyed these; Jacob and Elizabeth would not try them, and Caroline liked them once we got the butter/jam situation worked out (jam, no butter, wait yes butter, no MELTED butter, just soft spread-on butter, not on TOP, on the inside, etc. etc. etc.)

Hopefully this is the kickoff to an abundant fall baking season!