Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Scones. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Scones. Sort by date Show all posts
No English Tea Party would be complete without a tray of beautiful Scones. Is it scone that rhymes with "on", or is it scone that rhymes with "stone"?? Who knows for sure!!
It sounds mighty delicious no matter which way you say it.
If asked what the difference between a scone and a North American
baking powder biscuit is, I would have to say first and foremost, it is
in the preparation. I thought it would be fun today to do a tutorial for you on how to prepare and bake the classic English scone.
North American baking powder biscuits generally use all vegetable fat, and sometimes
cream. Scones usually use all butter, and sometimes butter and cream.
The two things are not the same thing at all, no matter how similar they might look. Scones are sweeter as well, which makes them perfect for enjoying with a hot cuppa. Biscuits are flaky and Scones are crumbly. They really are not the same thing at all, no matter how similar they may look.
When making scones, the first thing you will want to do is to sift your flour baking powder and salt into a bowl I find that aerating the flour in this way makes for a lighter scone. Sifting it together with the baking powder and salt ensures that all are mixed together evenly.
I do this from about 6 to 8 inches above the bowl, which really helps the air to get in there. I also always use self raising flour. You can buy it ready made or make your own. I give instructions on how to that on the main page.
Once you have done this it is time to add the butter. I will be honest here, I have never really been able to tell much difference between using sweet or salted butter.
But then again, I use Lurpak, lightly salted and that is not very salty to begin with. I love Lurpak. It is a danish butter and is always my butter of choice.
Make sure your butter is really cold. right from the refrigerator. Cut it into cubes quickly. I just measure it and then using a sharp knife cube it right into the bowl. Remember you want it to stay as cold as possible.
If you think it has warmed up too much, stick it onto a plate and pop it back into the refrigerator or even into the freezer for a few minutes. Warm hands can be somewhat of an enemy here, as well as when you are making pastry.
Once you have the butter in the bowl take your thumb and first two fingers on each hand and rub the butter into the flour using a snapping motion. Snap, snap, snap. Use the tips of your fingers.
When you are done it will look like fine dry bread crumbs. You really don't want any larger bits if you can help it. It should also look a bit like wet sand.
It is then that you can take a round bladed knife and stir in the sugar. You might think it is strange stirring the sugar into the flour mixture like this. It does seem a bit backwards.
But trust me when I tell you to do it this way. Scones have been made this way for years and years with great success.
It is now also that you will stir in the raisins. I like lots of raisins in mine. But people also use dried currants (which are smaller) and sometimes other dried fruit and berries. Stir them in with the round bladed knife also.
If you are not fond of raisins you can use another dried fruit such as dried blueberries or dried cranberries. Chopped dried dates also work well. For this particular recipe you do not want to use wet fruit.
Then you are going to make a hollow in the middle of this mixture and pour in your wet ingredients, stirring them in once again with a round bladed knife, to give you a soft, slightly tacky dough that holds well together.
Don't be afraid or think you have done something wrong because the dough is tacky or a bit sticky. This is as it should be.
Tip this out onto a lightly floured board and knead gently for a couple of turns. Lightly floured is best. You don't want to add to much additional flour to the dough by using too much.
You also only knead it for a very few times. If you overhandle any dough such as scones or pastry (or even biscuits) you run the risk of toughening them.
Once it has all come together nicely you can then pat it out to a one-inch thickness. I favour patting it over rolling it.
Its time to cut them out now. I use a 2 or 3 inch sharp round cutter, and I prefer the straight edge rather than the fluted edge of the cutter. Using a sharp up and down tapping motion, cut out as many as you can from this first patting out.
Once you have cut them out, you can gently rework the scraps and cut out more, but bear in mind that they will not be as nice as the first cut, so do try to get as many as you can from the first cut.
DO NOT twist the cutter. If you twist the cutter when you are cutting them, your scones will bake all lop-sided.
Place them evenly spaced on a paper lined baking sheet. I brush the tops lightly with an egg beaten with a tiny bit of water.
Make sure you only brush the tops and don't let the egg wash drip down the sides. This will hamper the rise.
That's it. Its all up to the oven now. Just pop the scones on the baking sheet into the pre-heated oven and bake as per the recipe.
If you look at the sheet of finished baked scones above you can clearly see which ones were from the first cut and which from the second. (I would never cut three times.) The first cut are even. The second cuts a bit rougher looking.
At the end of the day perfect or rough, these scone, no matter how they look, they will be delicious. You will want to enjoy them with some cream and jam, for the ultimate English experience.
Over here tea-rooms make a good business out of serving scones with cream and jam. Clotted cream if you can get it is beautiful, but you can also use whipped heavy cream.
That's what they call a "Cream Tea" over here in the UK, and there is much debate about which goes first onto the split scone . . . the cream or the jam.
Wars have been fought over that choice. Just kidding, however there has been some very heated discussions about this topic!
This can vary greatly according to which part of the country you come from. Each county has their own idea of what is proper and what is right. It is a subject of much debate.
If you put the jam first, the cream tends to slide off . . .
I like to put the cream on first myself, as it helps to cradle the jam and keep it in place . . . but at the end of the day it doesn't really matter I don't think.
It all ends up in the same place. Jam first or cream first.
They are delicious no matter which you put on first. I personally like strawberry jam with mine, but lemon curd is also very nice. Some people like cherry jam, others honey.
The sweetness of whatever you choose to use helps to accentuate the richness of the cream. And of course all of it goes beautifully with those rich crumbly fruit studded scones.
I don't think there is a prettier or a more delicious sight than a fabulously light and perfectly baked scone topped with cream (clotted or whipped) and some jam. This is heaven to me!
Put the kettle on for there is only one perfect thing to enjoy with these delicious delights! A pot of hot teas, steaming. Will that be one lump or two?
Yield: 10
Classic English Scones
prep time: 20 minscook time: 10 minstotal time: 30 mins
These are buttery and flaky tender with just the right amount of sticky sultanas. Serve with cream and jam for a real treat!
ingredients:
350g self raising flour ( 2 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
75g of cold butter (5 1/2 TBS)
30g Caster sugar (2 1/2 TBS, superfine sugar)
75g sultana raisins (1/2 cup)
approximately 150ml milk (scant 2/3 cup)
2 large free range eggs, beaten
granulated sugar to sprinkle plus flour for dusting
75g of cold butter (5 1/2 TBS)
30g Caster sugar (2 1/2 TBS, superfine sugar)
75g sultana raisins (1/2 cup)
approximately 150ml milk (scant 2/3 cup)
2 large free range eggs, beaten
granulated sugar to sprinkle plus flour for dusting
instructions:
Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7. Butter a large baking tray. Alternately line it with greaseproof paper.
Measure
the flour into a bowl along with the baking powder. (Pour the flour in
from on high to aerate it.) Whisk together. Drop in the cold butter
in bits. Using your fingertips rub the butter in quickly until the
mixture resembles fine dry bread crumbs. Stir in the sugar and
raisins.
Beat the eggs. Remove and set 2 TBS aside. Add
100ml (scant 1/2 cup) of the milk to the eggs and beat together. Add
this to the flour mixture. Mix together with the rounded end of a
butter knife to form a soft but slightly tacky dough. Only add the
remainder of the milk if your dough is too dry and you want to absorb
any dry bits in the bowl. The dough should NOT be too wet, but not too
dry either. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently a
couple of times to bring well together. Gently pat out to 1 inch
thick. Using a sharp round 3 inch cutter, cut out rounds, using a
direct up and down motion. Do not twist the cutter. Place the cut out
scones an inch or so apart on the baking sheet. Gather any trimmings
together and repeat until you have 10 scones.
Brush the
tops of the scones with the reserved beaten egg and sprinkle with a bit
of granulated sugar. Don't let the egg drip down the sides.
Bake
for about 10 minutes, until risen and golden on top and bottoms.
Remove to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container. Best
eaten on the day. Any leftovers can be frozen for several months.
Measure
the flour into a bowl along with the baking powder. (Pour the flour in
from on high to aerate it.) Whisk together. Drop in the cold butter
in bits. Using your fingertips rub the butter in quickly until the
mixture resembles fine dry bread crumbs. Stir in the sugar and
raisins.
Beat the eggs. Remove and set 2 TBS aside. Add
100ml (scant 1/2 cup) of the milk to the eggs and beat together. Add
this to the flour mixture. Mix together with the rounded end of a
butter knife to form a soft but slightly tacky dough. Only add the
remainder of the milk if your dough is too dry and you want to absorb
any dry bits in the bowl. The dough should NOT be too wet, but not too
dry either. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently a
couple of times to bring well together. Gently pat out to 1 inch
thick. Using a sharp round 3 inch cutter, cut out rounds, using a
direct up and down motion. Do not twist the cutter. Place the cut out
scones an inch or so apart on the baking sheet. Gather any trimmings
together and repeat until you have 10 scones.
Brush the
tops of the scones with the reserved beaten egg and sprinkle with a bit
of granulated sugar. Don't let the egg drip down the sides.
Bake
for about 10 minutes, until risen and golden on top and bottoms.
Remove to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container. Best
eaten on the day. Any leftovers can be frozen for several months.
Created using The Recipes Generator
If you follow my directions and use a light hand in the preparation you are going to be rewarded with beautifully risen, light and fluffy scones. With jam, honey or lemon curd, you are in for a real treat.
These are perfect for teatime, coffee break, breakfast, elevenses, etc. In short, they are perfect for enjoying ANY time!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The
English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are
reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you
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Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
I am a real lover of scones. They speak to my food loving heart on every level.
Flakey and slightly sweet, ready to be spread with something you enjoy, or even all on their own, served with hot cups of tea, herbal or otherwise.
They are as comfortable gracing the table on special occasions such as a High Tea as they are sitting on an afterschool tea plate for when you have those late afternoon munchies.
This recipe has been adapted from one I found in my recipe box, handwritten on a piece of paper, a long, long time ago. I can't really tell you where it came from.
There is no photo, just the recipe, penned in my lazy scrawl. I know that I only ever copied out recipes that were solidly appealing however and so I knew it had to be a winner.
There were several things about this recipe which called my name. First the amount of butter and way of incorporating it told me that these would be flaky . . .
and the use of an egg wash and sprinkle of brown sugar on the scones prior to baking sounded, well . . . incredibly yummy!
I have often sprinkled a bit of caster sugar on top or demerara sugar (turbinado sugar), but the brown sugar has a truly lovely effect.
It kind of melts with the egg wash and makes a nice sugary crust.
Another thing that appealed was the use of fresh orange zest combined with tiny bejeweled black currants . . .
the smell of the orange zest is amazing, both when you are putting them together and then again when they are baking!
The use of heavy cream and butter ensures a lovely flaky rise in the finished product . . .
They puffed up really nicely.
You also don't need to use any cutters to cut them out, just a sharp knife, so there is no waste or re-rolling of scraps which also helps them to rise evenly.
The recipe recommends serving them warm and eating on the day.
In all truth however, they are pretty tasty cold and yes, even the day after baking. (I had one for breakfast this morning.)
Todd enjoyed his split and spread with strawberry jam. I enjoyed mine, just as it was. No embellishments whatsoever. These are fabulously tasty!
*Orange and Currant Scones*
Makes 12
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Line a baking tray with nonstick baking parchment. Set aside.
Sift the flour into a bowl along with the sugar and baking powder. Stir in the orange zest. Drop in the butter an rub it in with your fingertips, using a snapping motion or using a pastry blender until you have a mixture resembling coarse bread crumbs. (No piece of butter should be larger than a pea.)
Sift the flour into a bowl along with the sugar and baking powder. Stir in the orange zest. Drop in the butter an rub it in with your fingertips, using a snapping motion or using a pastry blender until you have a mixture resembling coarse bread crumbs. (No piece of butter should be larger than a pea.)
Make a well in the centre and add the cream and
beaten egg. Mix in with your hand until you have a shaggy type of
dough.Tip onto a lightly flour surface and gently mix in the dried
currants, kneading together just to incorporate the fruit.
Pat out to a
rectangle, roughly 3/4 inch thick and 9 by 12 inches in size. Make 3
cups down the length of the dough and 4 cuts crosswise, giving you 12
squares. Place well spaced apart on the baking sheet. Brush the tops
with some of the beaten egg/water mixture and sprinkle each with some
brown sugar.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, turning the baking sheet around halfway through the baking time, to evenly brown and cook. Let stand on the baking sheet for several minutes before moving to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Best if eaten within the first 24 hours.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, turning the baking sheet around halfway through the baking time, to evenly brown and cook. Let stand on the baking sheet for several minutes before moving to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Best if eaten within the first 24 hours.
The recipe does call for dried currants, but you could also use raisins if you wanted to or chopped dried cranberries. I think the cranberries would work really well with the orange zest! It's the weekend, why not bake something tasty today! Bon Appetit!
I was going to show you my Pumpkin Fritters today with their Vanilla Caramel Sauce, but I'm afraid you are going to have to wait until tomorrow to see those.
I have something which is just a tiny bit more scrummy to share with you today! (Although, the pumpkin fritters are exceptionally scrummy as well!)
I am mad for cinnamon, which you have probably guessed by now. I just adore it. I love the way it smells. I love the way it tastes, both in sweet and savory goodies.
I love crafting with it (cinnamon ornaments on the Christmas tree at Christmas are the best!). I just plain can't get enough of cinnamon.
My mom used to make these Quick Cinnamon Rolls when we were kids as a treat. We loved them. I used to make them for my own children as well. That was one way to put a smile on their faces big time!
Then there is my infamous Cinnamon Swirl Tea Bread. People can't get enough of that when I bake it. It's an old recipe that I got from a very dear friend way back when and it's a keeper!
Don't even get me started on the finer qualities of my Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Cake. Just a peek at the photographs are enough to set one to drooling big time, I kid you not!
My Cinnamon Butter Buns are to die for. Likewise my Cinnamon Roll Pancakes. Then there are my Cinnamon Roll Croissants, and my Cinnamon Roll Pluckit Bread . . . Cinnamon Roll Toast . . . etc. the list goes on and on . . . You get the picture I am sure. I am Cinnamon mad!
If there is one thing I like as much as Cinnamon and am crazy for . . . it is scones! I love, Love, LOVE scones! And I don't care how you say it!!
I'll eat them no matter how you pronounce the word! A scone is a beautiful thing . . .
But when you combine the two loves . . . Cinnamon . . . and Scones, well . . . you've just died and gone to heaven. There is no other way to put it.
Bake them. Today. You will be glad that you did. And now back to your regular programming.
*Cinnamon Roll Scones*
Makes six
If
you like cinnamon rolls, you will love these. I like to think they are
a bit healthy in that they use whole wheat flour. Please don't burst
my bubble. ☺Makes six
Sprinkle about 2/3 of this mixture over top of the butter, pressing it lightly to help it adhere. Roll up from the long side as if you were rolling up for a cinnamon roll. Press the roll into a rectangle which is 10 inches long by 3 inches wide and 1 1/2 inches tall. Cut in thirds and then cut each third in half diagonally into a triangle. Transfer to the baking sheet. Lightly butter the top of each triangle and sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar.
Whisk together the icing ingredients until you have a thick yet drizzable icing. Drizzle this decoratively over the scones. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
I am sharing a delicious recipe with you today which comes from the pages of my Big Blue Binder. I am sure everyone has a Big Blue Binder, even if it is not actually blue in color.
I have been collecting recipes since I was a young girl and correlating them into a big blue vinyl ring binder. It is absolutely stuffed to the gills with hundreds of my tried and trues.
Recipes which have been handed down by family member to family member. Others were gifts from friends, and still others are ones that I copied out of books and magazines back in the day.
It is a real treasure trove of the best of the best. You know yourself that when a friend or a family member shares a recipe with you, it has to be numbered amongst their very finest!
And so it is with these lovely scones I am sharing with you today. Originally they were called Oatmeal Biscuits, but I have always felt that they were more like scones than biscuits and I have several reasons for that.
First they are much sweeter than biscuits. Secondly they have a habit of spreading, instead of rising high like a biscuit would.
Don't let that scare you off however. They may not be tall and puffy, but they are incredibly delicious!
.JPG "Cinnamon Oatmeal Scones")
They are rustic and wholesome with the use of large flaked old fashioned oats. This really gives them a nuttiness that is quite moreish.
They are also sweet . . . being sweetened with both brown sugar and honey. They also contain cinnamon and cloves. The cloves are optional as it is not a flavor that some people enjoy, and if you do use the cloves, don't overdo them. Cloves have a very strong flavor that can easily overpower everything else in a recipe.
.JPG "Cinnamon Oatmeal Scones")
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CINNAMON OATMEAL SCONES
Simple every day ordinary ingredients. Those kinds of recipes are the best kinds don't you think?
- 2 cups (280g) all purpose plain flour
- 1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)
- 1/2 cup (115g) butter (well chilled)
- 1 cup (95g) old fashioned rolled oats
- 3/4 cup (180ml) milk
- 2 tablespoons honey
You will also need:
- 2 TBS melted butter
- 1 TBS honey
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There are no eggs in this recipe so don't be thinking I left them out. I did not. These are soft and sweet and delicious. No eggs needed.
You can use unsalted or salted butter. I only keep salted butter in the house these days and so I just cut back a bit on the salt asked for in most recipes. Its not a bad thing to cut back on the salt in your diet anyways. A little salt goes a very long way.
As I said, do be judicious with the cloves. You will regret it if you use too much. And yes, only use large flake old fashioned oats. Never use instant. You will not get perfect results with instant oats.
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HOW TO MAKE CINNAMON OATMEAL SCONES
These go together very quickly and easily. Do make sure all of your ingredients are cold before you start for the best results.
Begin by preheating the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Line a baking sheet with some baking parchment and set aside.
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Whisk the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ground cloves (if using) together in a large bowl. Cut in butter using a pastry blender until crumbly.
Some of the butter will be fine and some about the size of small peas.
Stir in oats, milk and honey; just until moistened. Do not overmix.
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Tip out onto a well floured work space and knead gently a few times to bring together. Pat out to about 1-inch thickness. Cut into rounds using a 2 1/2 inch floured biscuit cutter.
Gather the scraps together, rework and pat the dough out again. Cut more biscuits. (Do try to get as many as possible from the first cut.) Place on prepared baking sheet.
.JPG "Cinnamon Oatmeal Scones")
Stir together melted butter and honey. Using a pastry brush lightly coat tops of biscuits with honey butter.
Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until puffed and light golden brown.
.JPG "Cinnamon Oatmeal Scones")
I bake these on the middle rack in my oven, in the center of the oven. They do spread so make sure you leave plenty of space in between biscuits. That way the air can circulate well between them and you get a crisper finish.
.JPG "Cinnamon Oatmeal Scones")
These are really nice served warm with some honey butter, great for breakfast. Bacon and ham and eggs go very well with them.
They also go really well with salads or soups for lunch. Surprisingly they also go well with soups, stews and chili. Don't knock it until you try it.
And they are fabulous with cheese!
.JPG "Cinnamon Oatmeal Scones")
Some other scone types of bakes which you might enjoy are:
LASSY BUNS - A recipe I got from my sister a while back. Sweetened with molasses this is a quick bread that goes well with baked beans, ham, scalloped potatoes, etc. They are deep dark and delicious!
MARITIME BISCUITS - A beautiful flaky texture and an outward rise. These also spread a bit, but they are as light as an angel's wings. A cross between a dinner roll and a baking powder biscuit.
CHEESE, SPRING ONION & BACON SCONES - light, tall and fabulous served with eggs, salads, soups, a bit of ham and pickle, etc. Fabulously tasty!
Cinnamon Oatmeal Scones
Yield: 10
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 35 Min
Sweet and wholesome, you can have these in the oven in less than fifteen minutes. They are fabulous as are with warm honey butter, but they also go incredibly well with soups, salads, stews and even chili!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (280g) all purpose plain flour
- 1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)
- 1/2 cup (115g) butter (well chilled)
- 1 cup (95g) old fashioned rolled oats
- 3/4 cup (180ml) milk
- 2 tablespoons honey
You will also need:
- 2 TBS melted butter
- 1 TBS honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. (these do spread a bit)
- Whisk the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ground cloves (if using) together in a large bowl. Cut in butter using a pastry blender until crumbly.
- Stir in oats, milk and honey; just until moistened.
- Move to well floured work space and knead gently a few times to bring together. Pat out to about 1-inch thickness. Cut into rounds using a 2 1/2 inch floured biscuit cutter.
- Rework dough and cut more biscuits. (Do try to get as many as possible from the first cut.) Place on prepared baking sheet.
- Stir together melted butter and honey. Using a pastry brush lightly coat tops of biscuits with honey butter.
- Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until light golden brown.
Notes
Do make sure you use old fashioned large flake oats. You will get a much nicer result. If you decide to use the cloves do be sure to not use any more than the recipe calls for or they will overpower the other flavors.
Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
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