Chocolate Chip Orange Scones and Cardamom Lassis

I was sick all last week and Mother's Day seemed so far in advance that I hadn't even begun to think about it. On Saturday, I sat in solitude trying to come up with an idea that rivaled my past endeavors. Luckily, my new love of baking and my mother's love of my baking came to mind and I decided to make her breakfast, not in bed, but at the table filled with sunshine and the sounds of little ones laughing as they played outside. Welcome back spring, you were missed.

My cousin, Harper, slept over and he helped me not only bake the food, but do the dishes because as he said it "Anything to make the scones come faster!" At least someone had his priorities straight. I made scones from the Rose Bakery cookbook and cardamom lassis from food and wine's website. For the scones (the recipe makes about 24 or so), I added 3 1/3 cups of flour to a large mixing bowl.

I added 2 "heaping" tbs baking powder, 1 tsp salt and 2 tbs sugar. Harper mixed this all together and then I kneaded in 1/2 cup (one stick) of unsalted butter. He then poured in exactly 1 1/4 cups of milk, and asked me why I added the extra 1/4 cup, it seemed so arbitrary.

After explaining the fragile chemistry of scone making, I used a fork to blend the flour mixture with the milk and then I kneaded it with my hands until it was completely incorporated.

At this point I also added some chocolate chips and the zest of one orange. You can roll the dough out and then cut scones with cookie cutters but I just spooned them out onto a buttered tin like I would cookies. I glazed each scone with a beaten egg and put them in the oven at 400 F for 15 minutes (until golden on top).

While the scone baked, I started on the cardamom lassis, which I first had at Saltie, an amazing sandwich shop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

I added 1 quart of yogurt to a blender along with 7 tbs sugar, 1 tsp ground cardamom and 4 ice cubes. Blend this until it's frothy and keep in the fridge until you're ready to serve. We set the table and invited my mom in to see her present. Mother's Day accomplished.

After a relatively unproductive weekend with regards to work, it was very satisfying to successfully do something...even if it was making breakfast.