Hi there,

Have you ever corresponded with a person and felt an immediate connection. This is what happened to me with Joanne Eddy.

I first met Joanne a few years ago when I was writing another type of blog. I always looked forward to her posts. Joanne’s warmth, caring, and optimism were food for my soul.

Joanne’s husband is a retired minister, and they both were Salvation Army first responders to the horror that has been named 9/11. This is brief excerpt from her recollection of that time:

“The Salvation Army which on September 11th, as at all other times, truly was a strong army of salvation. The only agency authorized to serve inside the fenced perimeter, in a little more than 8 months, during Operation Compassion Under Fire, 39,000 officers, staff, and volunteers provided over 3 million meals and over 1 million volunteer hours.”

Perhaps, most importantly, Salvation Army counselors provided emotional and spiritual support in extraordinarily difficult circumstances to the brave rescue and recovery workers there. I was blessed to have been part of that effort.”

“Today I will remember all of it, and I think we need to remember September 11th, not just at this anniversary. Why? Because on a day that was intended to humiliate America, Americans demonstrated all that makes us remarkable.”

I knew Joanne was a wonderful writer but what I didn’t know was she is an excellent cook. What follows is her recipe for homemade scones.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon Baking Powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 large orange

1 Frozen stick of butter

2 large lightly beaten eggs

1/2 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup dried cranberries

Coarse raw sugar

1 Tablespoon cream

If glaze desired:

1 Tablespoon orange juice

2/3 cups confectionery sugar

Directions:

1. Zest orange and set aside.

Place cranberries in bowl

Squeeze half of orange over cranberries, stir, put in microwave for 30 seconds, stir, set aside to rehydrate

2. Put flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in bowl stir with whisk, add zest and whisk again.

3. Grate frozen butter into flour in batches and gently stir into flour. (This method keeps flakes of butter evenly distributed throughout scone IF you work gently.) Put bowl in freezer for 30 minutes. Put cranberries into refrigerator.

4. Preheat oven to 400 and line sheet pan with parchment or silicon sheet.

5. Whisk eggs with cream. Gently stir rehydrated cranberries into flour mixture. Make a well in the center and add egg mixture. Using spatula gently stir together until reasonably mixed.

Dump mixture onto lightly floured mat, waxed paper, or table. Gently fold together to mix in any unincorporated flour and pat into disc. Brush with tablespoon of cream and sprinkle with raw sugar. Cut into twelve. Place on prepared baking sheet separately. Bake between 13 – 17 minutes till lightly brown. Drizzle on Glaze if desired when cool.

I hope you have enjoyed meeting Joanne and maybe find time to make her delicious scones.

Talk soon, ❤️💕 Bernadette