Retreat guests always ask for the homemade recipes we share around the breakfast table, so I’m delighted to finally gather them here for you. Here are some favorites: Scones, Hibiscus Tea, and Chocolate Banana Espresso Bread. May they bring a little retreat magic into your kitchen and be enjoyed in good health!

Scones

Cut Butter into Flour

I use a pie dough cutter tool.

  • 3 1/2 Cups Flour
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. Baking Powder
  • 1 Cup Butter (room temperature)
Add to Flour / Butter mix
  • 1/2 Cup Sugar
  • Customize your flavor
    • 1 Cup of Chocolate or Cinnamon Chips or Dried Fruit
    • Add anything else you want to add to customize the scone flavor. I added 1-Tbsp of Cinnamon to my cinnamon chip scones.
In a Separate Bowl Mix / Whisk
  • 1/2 Cup of Buttermilk. (If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make it from regular milk by whisking in a 1/2 Tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to the milk. Do this before adding eggs)
  • 4 Eggs (I think farm fresh eggs improves the recipe, better yolks)
Combine, knead, & Cut

Fold the wet mixture into the dry. Not too much, just enough to combine. If you mix too much, your scones will become tough. Then put all the dough on a flour-dusted cutting board, knead a little (not too much), then shape into a square, dusting your hands with flour as needed to prevent stickiness. Square should be about 1 1/2 inches tall. Then, with a large knife cut the square into triangles. Cut corner to corner, then corner to corner again, and again. You should end up with 16 triangles.

Bake Temperature & Time
  • 350 degrees
  • Bake for 20 – 30 minutes (depending on dryness)
  • Due to the amount of butter in the scones you don’t need to spray the cookie sheet.
  • Scone should be lightly browned on top
Pro TipS
  • Use a cookie sheet with a lip, I’ve had the butter run off a flat cookie sheet into the bottom of my oven. My air-bake cookie sheets fit into my lipped cookie sheets, so I’ll also use both, laying the air-bake sheet inside of my lipped sheet. I like the results of air-bake sheets better, but I don’t like the mess.
  • Scones get stale quickly. I recommend freezing and thawing as needed. Take out the night before and eat for breakfast.

Hibiscus Tea

Ingredients
  • 2 cups of dried hibiscus petals
  • 4 cups of water to boil with the hibiscus petals
  • 1 cup of granulated sugar (add less or more depending how sweet you like it)
  • 2 liter of cool water
Where to Buy Ingredients
  • Go to your local mexican market.
  • Squeeze the bags of hibiscus petals, you want them to be kind soft and fresh. I buy the Mi Costenita Flow de Jamaica (Hibiscus Flower)
  • Zulka – Pure Cane Sugar
How to Make
  • Combine 4 cups of water and the dried hibiscus petals to a boil, reduce heat a bit, let it slow boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, let is sit for an hour-ish (less if you are in a hurry).
  • Combine 2 liters of cool water in a 3 liter pitcher, add sugar, stir let the sugar disolve as you make the tea.
  • After an hour strain the tea into the sugar water.
Enhancements in the Glass
  • Add a lime wedge or squeeze a splash of lime juice from the bottle.
  • Combine with a flavored water like Key Lime La Croix for a fizzy version.
Drink in MODERATION
  • Do your own research, but here is some info I have found.
  • Limit consumption to 1–2 cups per day.
  • Excessive consumption can cause risks like liver damage, dangerously low blood pressure, and, significantly, potential pregnancy complications such as miscarriage. Key dangers include drug interactions with blood pressure/diabetes medications and potential dizziness or kidney stone risk due to high oxalate levels.

Chocolate Banana Espresso Bread or Muffins

Ingredients
  • Dry Ingredients (Combine, I sift the ingredients)
    • 1 cup all purpose flour
    • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 Tsp kosher salt
    • 1 Tbsp tablespoon Espresso or Fine Coffee Grounds
  • Wet Ingredients (Combine oil, sugar and eggs first, then add in the rest of the ingredients)
    • 1/2 cup olive oil
    • 1/2 cup brown sugar
    • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1/2 cup sour cream
    • 5 ripe bananas mashed (I freeze my bananas first, then thaw when I want to make bread)
  • Chocolate Chips
    • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
    • 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
    • Plus a few extra chocolate chips to sprinkle on top
Instructions
  • Mix dry ingredients in one bowl
  • Mix wet ingredients in second bowl
  • Combine, slowly adding dry to wet
  • Fold in chocolate chips
  • Spray/grease bread pans or use cupcake foils
  • Add in batter
  • Sprinkle chocolate chips on top
  • Than bake!
Bake Temperature & Time
  • 350 Degrees
  • 55 Minutes for full size loaf
  • Less time for small loaf or muffins
  • Bake until knife comes out clean-ish (you might hit melted chocolate chips)