The longer I live, the more proof I have that our futures are a mystery, not a plan, and that the best thing I can do for my future is to keep an open mind and believe in myself.
Four years ago, I was given an opportunity I had never even dreamed of and accepted an offer to write a food column for the local paper. For those first articles with the Peninsula Clarion, I agonized over every word. I would write lists and drafts and fret over how I presented myself to this audience of strangers in a strange land. I was new to the Kenai Peninsula, and at the time was isolated and confined by the pandemic to my little cabin by the lakeshore. I imagined my article as a signal flare announcing my arrival to my new home and my intention to make a name for myself here.
Over the last four years, I have of course shared my kitchen and recipes with our loyal readers, but more than that, I have shared the journey of my life. My article has become a published diary where I share my joys and sorrows, memories and dreams for the future, some profound and others almost silly, but always with sincerity.
My once faceless audience continues to reveal themselves to me one by one in breakroom confessions and happenchance meetings. I have had tears and hugs and compliments and thanks for the recipes, and every kind word nestles itself into my heart and makes it shine. I have said in the past that I believe it is a disservice to society that we are taught to carry the burden of our emotions in private, and I try to lead by example through my writing by sharing the truth of my life in all its glory and gloom.
I’m thrilled to reach another new audience through the Juneau Empire, and if you ever see me out and about, please don’t hesitate to send out a signal flare.
This week’s recipe is a request from one of my three sisters-in-law. My in-laws are a huge part of my life, and I love them all dearly. They often give me great ideas for articles and when she suggested this dish I was happy to oblige, and frankly surprised that I hadn’t yet submitted my recipe for scones. These easy scones feature fresh cherries grown at O’Brien’s Garden & Trees in Nikiski. Check them out on Facebook to see what’s ready for picking if you happen to come to the peninsula anytime soon. Right now, they have strawberries, cherries, and honeyberries among others.
Chocolate cherry scones
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar (plus some for sprinkling)
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
¾ cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup fresh chopped cherries
½ cup chopped dark chocolate
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment.
Whisk together the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Stir together the cream and almond extract in a separate bowl.
Cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly.
Toss the chopped cherries and chocolate into the dry ingredients and mix gently.
Add the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
Turn the bowl out onto the parchment and gently press into a flat disk about 1 ½ inches thick.
Use a spatula to cut the disk into wedges (like a pizza) and sprinkle on some extra sugar.
Bake for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and gently separate the wedges on the sheet.
Return to the oven for an additional 5-7 minutes. The tops should be just beginning to brown.
Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
