Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Scone obsession

I am still visiting family in Alabama! My trip is longer than planned. ;) And it's just been a wonderful time. My husband will be coming up for a short visit at the end of our trip here and then ride home with us. So I won't have to be the only driver! He has been missing us a lot and we miss him!

I may not be posting as much over the next few days because we are keeping busy, but I will be around!

But let me tell you about my ongoing obsession: baking scones.

I have tried three different recipes now, and I think for now my favorite is from the Joy of Cooking. I used this recipe, with added chocolate chips. (And no vanilla extract.) The cool thing is there is first a recipe demonstration you can watch to see how the consistency of it should be. Now, there may not be authentic compared to the ones in the U.K., but they are also not like the typical scones sold in coffee shops. These are more authentic. (Although, like I said, probably do not compare to U.K. real, real, real homemade scones! But I don't really know.)

Here are some I baked a few days ago. Round, as they should be!
I highly suggest watching the video tutorial if you try to make these. The woman in the video makes it look a little easier than how it sounds while reading the directions!

Here is a look at the recipe:

Cream Scone Recipe:

2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour

1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar

2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup (75 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces (if using salted butter, then don't add the 1/4 tsp salt)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup (120 ml) milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream

Glaze:

Cream or Milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and place the rack in the middle of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (I just sprayed cooking oil on the pan, they didn't stick)

In a large bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender, two knives, or with your fingertips. (The mixture should look like coarse crumbs.) In a small measuring cup whisk together the milk or cream, beaten egg and vanilla. Add this mixture to the flour mixture. Stir just until combined. Do not over mix.

Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough gently four or five times and then pat into a 7 inch (18 cm) round. Then, using a lightly floured 2 1/2 inch (6.5 cm) round cookie cutter, cut the dough into rounds. Place the rounds on the prepared cookie sheet, spacing a few inches apart. Brush the tops of the scones with a little cream. (This helps to brown the tops of the scones during baking.)

Bake for about 15 - 18 minutes or until nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of a scone comes out clean. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve with Devon cream or softly whipped cream and your favorite jam. These scones are best the day they are made but can be covered and stored for a few days. They also freeze very well.

Makes about 10 - 2 1/2 inch (6.5 cm) round scones.

+I added 1/2 cup or so semi sweet chocolate chips.

2 comments:

beka said...

ah my, those look divine!
enjoy your time in alabama! :)

CARRIE said...

I'm bookmarking this. Chocolate chip scones? I'm sold.