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
I am a huge fan of scones. They are such a lovely treat, especially at the weekend.
These are a cross between a pastry and a North American Biscuit . . . there are about as many varieties of scones that you can come with as your imagination can dream up!
Today I baked us some Honey & Date Scones . . . I love dates and I love honey . . . the two have very similar qualities . . . both being sticky and sweet . . .
Dates have a Toffee, almost Caramel-like flavour . . . which is why they are such an integral part of a Sticky Toffee Pudding.
They are like nature's candy!
They are lovely in all kinds of baked goods. We love them in cakes and cookies . . . pies even . . . it seemed to be only a natural thing to try them in scones.
I found a recipe on line for Honey & Ginger Scones on What's Cooking America. This recipe has been adapted from that one, adding chopped dates and converting it to British measurements.
I thought the temperature on the original recipe was a bit on the high side, and as you can see my scones got a tad bit dark, however perfectly baked they were.
I have reduced the temperature to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Most scones bake well at that temperature.
A few things to remember. Keep your ingredients cold. The butter, the cream . . . you don't want the butter to melt before you bake it or while you are cutting it into the flour.
If your ingredients are cold, your scones will rise higher. You may even want to chill your bowl and pastry blender prior to using them.
Don't over work the dough. Bring it together and pat it out with the least amount of handling as possible. You can knead it very gently just a couple of times if necessary to help bring it together.
But the most tender and flaky scones come from a dough that has not been overly worked.
When you are cutting them out, use a sharp tapping motion, pushing it straight down and then lifting it straight up. Don't twist the cutter. When you twist the cutter the end result will be lopsided scones.
The flavour will still be excellent, but they won't be as aesthetically pleasing to the eye! So if you are going for something that not only tastes good, but looks good . . . don't twist the cutter!
I picked up some clotted cream for us to enjoy with the scones. Clotted cream is thick, rich and indulgent with the consistency of soft butter.
It is made by heating normal cream to evaporate some of the liquids, and contains at least 55 per cent butter fat, which gives it a pale yellow colour that is often topped with a deeper yellow crust.
It has the same Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status as Stilton Cheese and Jersey Royal Potatoes, which gives its name EU-wide protection from potential imitators.
Clotted Cream comes from Devon and Cornwall. Anything else is a pretender. I will say that it is very difficult, if not impossible, to make proper authentic clotted cream at home.
At best you will only ever come up with something similar, but not the same . . . and if anyone ever tells you anything different, they don't know what they are talking about.
Along with the clotted cream, I served it with some Bonne Maman Caramel for spreading. That and the clotted cream turned these scones into a really wonderfully indulgent taste experience!
Yield: Makes 6 to 8
Honey & Date Scones
prep time: 15 minscook time: 15 minstotal time: 30 mins
These lovely scones are buttery, flaky, flavoured with honey and studded with sticky bits of date.
ingredients:
315g plain flour (2 1/4 cups)
45g caster sugar (1/4 cup fine granulated sugar)
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
120g unsalted butter, cut into cubes (1/2 cup)
40g chopped pitted dates (1/4 cup)
120ml heavy cream (1/2 cup whipping)
60ml liquid honey (1/4 cup)
1 TBS cream to brush on top
demerara sugar (turbinado) to sprinkle on topinstructions:
Preheat oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Set aside
Measure
the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder into a bowl. Whisk together.
Drop in the cold butter and then cut it in with a pastry blender. Stir
in the chopped dates. Whisk together the cream and honey. Pour into
the flour mixture and stir together, just to combine. Tip out onto a
lightly floured surface. Knead a couple of times to bring together and
then lightly pat out to a 7 inch round, about 3/4 inch thick.
the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder into a bowl. Whisk together.
Drop in the cold butter and then cut it in with a pastry blender. Stir
in the chopped dates. Whisk together the cream and honey. Pour into
the flour mixture and stir together, just to combine. Tip out onto a
lightly floured surface. Knead a couple of times to bring together and
then lightly pat out to a 7 inch round, about 3/4 inch thick.
into rounds using a floured cutter, using a sharp up and down motion.
Place 1 inch apart on the baking sheet. Brush the tops with a bit of
cream and sprinkle with demerara sugar. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until
well risen and golden brown.
It's very dull and gloomy today . . . these fabulous scones brought a little bit of sunshine into our lives for sure! I hope you will give them a try! Bon Appetit!
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 may report it to me at: mariealicejoan@aol.com
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I felt like having a scone today with my mid-morning break. Call it a late brunch as you will, as I didn't really have time for breakfast this morning and I was famished.
I didn't necessarily want to bake a full batch of scones, however. Especially where there is just me in the house.
Oh, I know you can always freeze the extras. I am a fan of fresh scones, but not so much frozen thawed out scones. You cannot beat fresh when it comes to baked goods.
I really love cream scones best of all. There is no having to cut or rub in butter. You just stir in the cream and go. Easy peasy.
I found a recipe for a small batch of cream scones on One Dish Kitchen. It looked quite reasonable and so I decided to adapt it with a few ideas of my own.
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First of all I don't think vanilla has a place in scones, not cream scones anyways, so I left that out completely. I also didn't feel like raisin/sultana scones.
I did, however, have a nice fresh bag of Zante currants and so I decided to go with them. I also decided that nothing goes better with currants than orange zest and so I added some freshly grated orange zest.
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I pat the dough into an even square and then trim the edges slightly with a sharp knife and then use that same sharp knife to cut the square into evenly sized scones. Press straight down and up for a nice straight rise and even rise. No slanted lop-sides.
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WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE ORANGE AND CURRANT CREAM SCONES
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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 may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com
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I also think a good scone deserves a bit of a glaze, especially a cream scone. I added a brush of cream on top of the scones prior to baking and a tiny sprinkle of coarse Demerara sugar to give it just a bit of a sweet crust on top.
It really makes a nice finish. You could use milk as well, or even a beaten egg yolk, but I already had the cream out, so I went with the cream.
Yummy!
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Look at how nice and tall they rose. This is largely due to making sure my egg and my cream were both very cold, as well as cutting them straight.
Also, I like to handle the dough as little as possible. Over-handling the dough makes for a tough scone that doesn't rise as high.
Just stir your ingredients together to form a slightly tacky dough, dump onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently 2 or 3 times and then lightly pat into your square shape.
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One thing I love about these is that you need only a very few ingredients.
- 1 cup (140g) all-purpose plain flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp finely grated orange zest
- ½ cup (120ml) heavy cream
- 1 large free-range egg yolk
- ¼ cup (40g) dried currants
- more cream to brush on top
- Demerara (turbinado) sugar to sprinkle on top
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Orange zest really helps to bring out the sweetness of the dried currants. In the U.K. I had my own currant bush and would dry my own currants in my dehydrator.
Today I used Zante Currants that I had bought from Amazon. I buy a lot of my things like that on Amazon. The prices are usually quite reasonable in price, and they come right to my door.
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HOW TO MAKE ORANGE AND CURRANT CREAM SCONES
Remember a light touch is key to getting a perfect result!!
Preheat oven to 425* F /220* C/ gas mark 7. Line a quarter sheet pan with parchment paper or use a silicone liner.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, orange zest and salt. Stir in the dried currants.
In a separate small bowl, whisk together cream, and egg yolk. Pour into the flour mixture and stir together until combined. You should have a soft slightly tacky dough.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead very lightly a few times and then shape into a 4-inch square 1-inch thick.
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Using a sharp knife, cut into 4 even squares and place on the baking sheet. Brush the tops lightly with cream and sprinkle with some demerara (turbinado) sugar.
Bake 12-14 minutes until golden brown.
Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes. Serve with butter, jam, and clotted cream, if you have it.
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Boy oh boy do I ever miss clotted cream. I have never tried to make any here at home. When you have had the real thing, nothing else quite comes up to it.
These scones were lovely split and spread with some softened butter and strawberry jam. I was really pleased with the end result. Flaky and light. Little bits of sticky sweet currant, a slight hint of orange and then the butter and the jam.
Washed down with a hot cup of herbal tea. This was the perfect mid-morning treat! Simply lovely.
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If you are a fan of the scone, you are in for a real treat. I have loads of scone recipes here on The English Kitchen. Here are just a few of my favorites!
CARROT CAKE DROP SCONES - These are everything a great drop scone should be. Light and fluffy, no fuss, no muss. Simply mix and drop. Filled with sweet carrots, warm baking spices and sticky raisins. Sweetly glazed. These are a real favorite.
MAPLE GLAZED BLACK PEPPER SCONES - This is a small batch recipe which makes two very large scones. They have that sweet and savory thing going on. Short and buttery, studded with the heat of black pepper and sweetly glazed. Who know that maple and pepper got along so well! Simply fabulous.
Yield: 4
Small Batch Orange and Currant Cream Scones
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 14 MinTotal time: 24 Min
Tender and Flaky, these lovely scones are flavored with zingy orange zest and studded with plenty of dried currants.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (140g) all-purpose plain flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp finely grated orange zest
- ½ cup (120ml) heavy cream
- 1 large free-range egg yolk
- ¼ cup (40g) dried currants
- more cream to brush on top
- Demerara (turbinado) sugar to sprinkle on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425* F /220* C/ gas mark 7. Line a quarter sheet pan with parchment paper or use a silicone liner.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, orange zest and salt. Stir in the dried currants.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together cream, and egg yolk. Pour into the flour mixture and stir together until combined. You should have a soft slightly tacky dough.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead very lightly a few times and then shape into a 4-inch square 1-inch thick.
- Using a sharp knife, cut into 4 even squares and place on the baking sheet.
- Brush the tops lightly with cream and sprinkle with some demerara (turbinado) sugar.
- Bake 12-14 minutes until golden brown.
- Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes.
- Serve with butter, jam, and clotted cream, if you have it.
Notes
One of the secrets to flaky scones with a high rise is to make sure your cream and egg are cold. Also try not to handle the dough overly much as this will toughen the dough.
Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
Today all over the UK people will be celebrating the Queen's 70th Jubilee with street parties and tea parties. Oh how I miss things like that. Nobody celebrates like the British!
I have been glued to YouTube these past days watching the celebrations and have been filled with plenty of nostalgia for my adopted homeland. I truly loved that country and felt very much at home there. I miss it very much, although I am very happy to be living near my family again.
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Street parties are a lot of fun! Whether its to celebrate a Royal Wedding or just to instill community spirit, the British never miss an opportunity to celebrate with a traditional street party!
This weekend millions will be spilling out of their homes and into the streets to enjoy some festive camaraderie and delicious food!
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Most people will associate the street party with the end of the second world war and VE Day, but street parties actually have a history which goes much further back than that.
The tradition of the street party actually began in 1919 with so-called ‘peace teas’ being set up between households across the country to mark the end of the Great War. Originally designed for children it wasn't long before everyone was joining in.
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As the years went by, the street party became more and more common
place, with residents closing off streets for many national events and celebrations.
VE day, the Queens Coronation, the Silver and Golden Jubilees’ and the millennium
could all be characterized by the nations desire to mark the occasion with bunting
and jelly and ice-cream!
I know many of my friends are holding tea parties to commemorate the occasion, and why not! The Queen herself often holds garden tea parties and they are very well attended!
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I love the Queen and I am not adverse to having a tea party myself, however this is my brother in law's birthday celebration and so we will be having cake etc. at my sisters.
There was nothing to stop me, however, from making some scones for myself and enjoying one with a hot drink, in honor of the Queen of course! And that is just what I have done.
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This is one of the best scone recipes! Rhubarb & Ginger Scones. A delicious pairing of two of my favorite flavors. I have taken full advantage of it being rhubarb season here in Nova Scotia by adding some to these lovely scones.
Rhubarb and ginger go very well together and so I have taken the liberty of adding some chopped candied ginger as well, not only in the body of the scones, but sprinkled on top of the scones before baking as well.
This made for a nice zippy sweet crunch! Oh so tasty!
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I also did up a batch of Mock Devonshire Cream to go with them. Essentially it is meant to mock clotted cream, but I can tell you it is nowhere near the same thing really, however delicious it might be.
But it is rich and creamy and went very well with these scones and some jam. It also makes a lovely filling for a strawberry tart. You can find my recipe for a Strawberry Devonshire Tart here. Trust me when I tell you it is delicious.
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WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE RHUBARB AND GINGER SCONES
Simple, simple, simple . . .
For the scones:
- 1 stick of rhubarb, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
- 3 TBS chopped candied ginger (you will need more for the topping)
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 cups (315g) all purpose plain flour
- 1 TBS baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 8 TBS (115g) cold butter, cut into bits
- 1/2 cup (120ml) cold buttermilk (may need more)
To finish the scones:
- 2 TBS minced candied ginger
- buttermilk to brush
For the mock cream:
- 4 ounces (115g) full fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (56g) butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (30g) full fat sour cream
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You don't have to use candied ginger in these. You can use all rhubarb if you wish, but the two things really do go very well together. You can use frozen rhubarb if that is all you have. Use it frozen without thawing.
If you don't have any buttermilk, you can use cream in its place. It makes an even richer scone.
You could also leave the ginger off the tops and glaze them with a simple vanilla glaze. (1 cup icing sugar thinned with just enough milk to give you a thick drizzle) You could even do the glaze and then sprinkle some candied ginger on top after glazing. Not as crunchy as baked, but still very good!
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HOW TO MAKE RHUBARB AND GINGER SCONES
A food processor makes very short work of these. You can make them without one, but it will take longer. Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Set aside.
Measure the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine. Drop in the cold butter and pulse until the mixture resembled coarse crumbs. (f doing by hand, measure the flour etc. into a bowl and cut the butter in using a pastry blender until you have coarse crumbs.)
Dump the flour mixture into a bowl and stir in the rhubarb and the ginger. Stir in the buttermilk and vanilla gently with a spoon until you have a dough that just comes together. It may be a bit crumbly, that is okay. If it is too dry, add some more buttermilk, but only as needed.
Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently a couple times to bring together and then pat out into a rectangle that is 4 X 8 inches in size. Cut into 8 scones, making one cut lengthwise and then 1 cut cross wise. This will give you four pieces. Cut each fourth in half crosswise yet again.
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Place onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between each scone. Brush the tops with some buttermilk and sprinkle with finely chopped candied ginger.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown on the bottoms and just starting to turn golden brown on the tops.
Remove to a wire rack to cool.
While they are cooling make the cream. Measure all of the ingredients into a bowl and beat with an electric hand whisk until smooth and fluffy. Serve on split and cooled fresh scones along with some jam. This cream will keep in the refrigerator for about a week. Let sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before using.
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Not a fan of rhubarb? I have plenty of other scone recipes here in The English Kitchen for you to enjoy!
CHERRY VANILLA SCONES - delicious light and flaky vanilla flavored scones studded throughout with lovely pieces of candied cherries!
CARROT CAKE DROP SCONES - no fuss no muss, these delicious drop scones have all the flavors of your favorite carrot cake, are studded with raisins and boast a sweet drizzle glaze!
HONEY AND DATE SCONES - sweet and studded with dried dates. Delicious served spread with Dulce de Leche and clotted or whipped cream!
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Happy Jubilee!
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 may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com
Rhubarb & Ginger Scones (with Mock Devonshire Cream)
Yield: 8
Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 55 Min
These are really pretty scones studded with bright scraps of red rhubarb and zingy sweet bits of candied ginger. More candied ginger is sprinkled on top giving a bit of sweet crunch. Delicious served with strawberry jam and the rich cream.
Ingredients
For the scones:
- 1 stick of rhubarb, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
- 3 TBS chopped candied ginger (you will need more for the topping)
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 cups (315g) all purpose plain flour
- 1 TBS baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 8 TBS (115g) cold butter, cut into bits
- 1/2 cup (120ml) cold buttermilk (may need more)
To finish the scones:
- 2 TBS minced candied ginger
- buttermilk to brush
For the mock cream:
- 4 ounces (115g) full fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (56g) butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (30g) full fat sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Set aside.
- Measure the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine. Drop in the cold butter and pulse until the mixture resembled coarse crumbs.
- Dump the flour mixture into a bowl and stir in the rhubarb and the ginger.
- Stir in the buttermilk and vanilla gently with a spoon until you have a dough that just comes together. It may be a bit crumbly, that is okay. If it is too dry, add some more buttermilk, but only as needed.
- Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently a couple times to bring together and then pat out into a rectangle that is 4 X 8 inches in size. Cut into 8 scones, making one cut lengthwise and then 1 cut cross wise. This will give you four pieces. Cut each fourth in half crosswise yet again.
- Place onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between each scone. Brush the tops with some buttermilk and sprinkle with finely chopped candied ginger.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown on the bottoms and just starting to turn golden brown on the tops.
- Remove to a wire rack to cool.
- While they are cooling make the cream. Measure all of the ingredients into a bowl and beat with an electric hand whisk until smooth and fluffy. Serve on split fresh scones along with some jam. This will keep in the refrigerator for about a week. Let sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before using.
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