I made scones this morning. It's the first baking I've done for my family since Thanksgiving. I subbed chocolate chips for the raisins because we haven't had enough chocolate in the last few weeks.

On Monday, I finally baked a recipe that I have been wanting to try since last year: "Butternut squash and Pepita Pull-Apart Breadsticks. It was in an email that Red Star Yeast sent me, but in 2024, our farmers market had few butternut squashes. This year, there was a bonanza, and I bought a lot which I am now roasting and turning into puree. The recipe specified platinum yeast, which I do not have and have no intention of buying. I used regular yeast. I also made it half whole wheat, substituted olive oil for butter, added some milk powder and flax meal, and used buttermilk rather than whole milk. I also replaced half the water with more buttermilk. What could possibly go wrong? I allowed for longer rising times, but neither rise was spectacular. However, when I baked it, the oven spring was great. Although these are described as breadsticks, they are baked in a 9 x 9-inch pan, so it is more like long slices in a square loaf. It is topped with an egg wash, chopped pumpkin seeds, and a sprinkle of coarse salt. Scott and I both like the flavor. I think, however, that next time, I would bake them as rolls in the 9 x 9 pan and delete the salt in the topping. The recipe is a keeper as a bread but not as bread sticks.

Skeptic--They are certainly NOT bread sticks. They do, however, pull apart nicely when cooled. It's like rolls where you bake them next to each other, but they break apart easily. I plan to try them as rolls next time.