Merglan's scones
Merglan’s Oatmeal Scones with Dried Cherries and Hazelnuts
(makes 8 scones)
1 1/4 cups old fashioned rolled oats or quick oats
1/2 cup half and half
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts
1/2 cup chopped dried cherries
10 tablespoons COLD butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (I cut and then put in
freezer for a few minutes)
1 tablespoon sugar for sprinkling (I use raw sugar for this)
1. Toast the oats in a 375 degree oven if desired until lightly browned (I
don't bother)
2. Set oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment (again I
don't bother with the parchment)
3. Whisk the half and half, and egg in a large measuring cup, or small bowl
until incorporated. remove 1 tablespoon to a small bowl and reserve for
glazing.
4 Pulse the flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder and salt in a food
processor until combined, about 4 one second pulses. Scatter the cold
butter evenly over the dry ingredients and pulse until the mixture
resembles coarse cornmeal, 12 to 14 one second pulses. Transfer the mixture
to a medium bowl, stir in the cooled oats, cherries, and hazelnuts. Using a
rubber spatula, fold in the liquid ingredients until large clumps form. Mix
the dough by hand in the bowl until the dough forms a cohesive mass. (The
dough is sticky, and chunky and doesn't look like much--but don't work it
too much, you don't want to be melting the butter with too much hand work.)
5. Dust your work surface with a tablespoon or so of oats and turn the
dough out onto the work surface. Gently pat into a 7 inch circle about 1
inch thick. Cut the dough into 8 wedges and place on baking sheet. Brush
the tops with the reserved egg mixture and sprinkle with the sugar. Bake
until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes.
Notes: Sometimes I'll omit the hazelnuts and use chocolate chips instead,
or you could reduce the quantities of nuts and cherries and add some
chocolate chips--or mix and match as you please. Basically, any add-in
will do, provided there’s about 3/4 cup of it.
If you do not have a food processor, you can cut the butter into the flour
mixture in the same way you would do for biscuits.
(makes 8 scones)
1 1/4 cups old fashioned rolled oats or quick oats
1/2 cup half and half
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts
1/2 cup chopped dried cherries
10 tablespoons COLD butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (I cut and then put in
freezer for a few minutes)
1 tablespoon sugar for sprinkling (I use raw sugar for this)
1. Toast the oats in a 375 degree oven if desired until lightly browned (I
don't bother)
2. Set oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment (again I
don't bother with the parchment)
3. Whisk the half and half, and egg in a large measuring cup, or small bowl
until incorporated. remove 1 tablespoon to a small bowl and reserve for
glazing.
4 Pulse the flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder and salt in a food
processor until combined, about 4 one second pulses. Scatter the cold
butter evenly over the dry ingredients and pulse until the mixture
resembles coarse cornmeal, 12 to 14 one second pulses. Transfer the mixture
to a medium bowl, stir in the cooled oats, cherries, and hazelnuts. Using a
rubber spatula, fold in the liquid ingredients until large clumps form. Mix
the dough by hand in the bowl until the dough forms a cohesive mass. (The
dough is sticky, and chunky and doesn't look like much--but don't work it
too much, you don't want to be melting the butter with too much hand work.)
5. Dust your work surface with a tablespoon or so of oats and turn the
dough out onto the work surface. Gently pat into a 7 inch circle about 1
inch thick. Cut the dough into 8 wedges and place on baking sheet. Brush
the tops with the reserved egg mixture and sprinkle with the sugar. Bake
until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes.
Notes: Sometimes I'll omit the hazelnuts and use chocolate chips instead,
or you could reduce the quantities of nuts and cherries and add some
chocolate chips--or mix and match as you please. Basically, any add-in
will do, provided there’s about 3/4 cup of it.
If you do not have a food processor, you can cut the butter into the flour
mixture in the same way you would do for biscuits.