PICs: My Grandmother's Scones
The Family Blue is from Scotland & England. They eat lots of scones there. Or so I hear. I don't really remember, as I was last in Scotland and England in 1990. This makes me older than you. Not you. But you in the bunny slippers.
A couple of weeks ago, Mama Blue did a fundraiser through Papa Blue's church to raise money to sponsor a schoolgirl in Afghanistan. They sold scones and junk (it was a yard sale type of thing, w/ scones) and they managed to raise enough to sponsor four girls for a year. Woo hoo! I made six dozen scones when I was visiting her for this event, and they were so much fun, I wanted to make more. So I did.
Here's the thing about scones: I thought they tasted kind of baking powder-y and not sweet or flavorful enough. Now, if you're making scones to be served w/ clotted cream or jam, as is traditional for tea, then being a less-sweet counterpoint is a good thing. But if your scones are the main event, and you have a sweet tooth, then some adjustments can be made.
Grannie's Recipe:
2 c. flour
3 T. sugar
1 T. baking powder
¼ t. salt
6 T. chilled butter
1 beaten egg
½ c. half ‘n half or light cream
¼ c. chopped nuts, choc. chips, blueberries, etc
Combine flour, 3 T. sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter; stir in nuts or whatever you choose. Combine egg and ½ c. half ‘n half or light cream; add to dry mixture. Stir until moistened. Turn dough onto floured surface. Knead 12-15 strokes. Pat or lightly roll to ½ inch thickness. Brush top with half ‘n half or light cream and sprinkle with sugar. Cut into triangles. Place scones 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350F for 12 minutes.
• cinnamon chips
• chocolate chips
• chopped almonds and maraschino cherries
• blueberries
• candied fruit
• pecans, walnuts
My adjustments: changed 3 Tablespoons of sugar to just about 4 Tablespoons of sugar, and did not put in a full Tablespoon of baking powder. Also, I added 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract to one batch of scones, and 1 teaspoon of coffee extract to the other.
It's my hand, cutting in the butter! And adding the cherries and white chocolate chips.
Mixing the wet ingredients in w/ the dry, and sprinkling the cream-brushed dough w/ sugar.
Some people have fancy scone pans. I do not. I cut my circle into twelve uneven pieces w/ a knife. Voila. And then I baked them. They tasted scrumptious.
When I am making one kind of scone, I always think, "Hmmm, I bet this other combo would be tasty." So I wind up making two kinds! Here's the application of the cream to the top of the dough for the mocha scones (coffee extract, dark choc chips and white choc chips), and then when they are all baked.
That's it on the scones! In other news, I've reached my second anniversary on LJ (just in time for me to doubt if I want to stay w/ all their current weirdnesses) and I finished my Secret Angels story this weekend and submitted it! Yay! I am also rather tired. I think it's the tequila I had for dinner.
A couple of weeks ago, Mama Blue did a fundraiser through Papa Blue's church to raise money to sponsor a schoolgirl in Afghanistan. They sold scones and junk (it was a yard sale type of thing, w/ scones) and they managed to raise enough to sponsor four girls for a year. Woo hoo! I made six dozen scones when I was visiting her for this event, and they were so much fun, I wanted to make more. So I did.
Here's the thing about scones: I thought they tasted kind of baking powder-y and not sweet or flavorful enough. Now, if you're making scones to be served w/ clotted cream or jam, as is traditional for tea, then being a less-sweet counterpoint is a good thing. But if your scones are the main event, and you have a sweet tooth, then some adjustments can be made.
Grannie's Recipe:
2 c. flour
3 T. sugar
1 T. baking powder
¼ t. salt
6 T. chilled butter
1 beaten egg
½ c. half ‘n half or light cream
¼ c. chopped nuts, choc. chips, blueberries, etc
Combine flour, 3 T. sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter; stir in nuts or whatever you choose. Combine egg and ½ c. half ‘n half or light cream; add to dry mixture. Stir until moistened. Turn dough onto floured surface. Knead 12-15 strokes. Pat or lightly roll to ½ inch thickness. Brush top with half ‘n half or light cream and sprinkle with sugar. Cut into triangles. Place scones 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350F for 12 minutes.
• cinnamon chips
• chocolate chips
• chopped almonds and maraschino cherries
• blueberries
• candied fruit
• pecans, walnuts
My adjustments: changed 3 Tablespoons of sugar to just about 4 Tablespoons of sugar, and did not put in a full Tablespoon of baking powder. Also, I added 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract to one batch of scones, and 1 teaspoon of coffee extract to the other.
It's my hand, cutting in the butter! And adding the cherries and white chocolate chips.
Mixing the wet ingredients in w/ the dry, and sprinkling the cream-brushed dough w/ sugar.
Some people have fancy scone pans. I do not. I cut my circle into twelve uneven pieces w/ a knife. Voila. And then I baked them. They tasted scrumptious.
When I am making one kind of scone, I always think, "Hmmm, I bet this other combo would be tasty." So I wind up making two kinds! Here's the application of the cream to the top of the dough for the mocha scones (coffee extract, dark choc chips and white choc chips), and then when they are all baked.
That's it on the scones! In other news, I've reached my second anniversary on LJ (just in time for me to doubt if I want to stay w/ all their current weirdnesses) and I finished my Secret Angels story this weekend and submitted it! Yay! I am also rather tired. I think it's the tequila I had for dinner.