Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Cream Scones....

There are lots of recipes for scones out there....lots of really good ones. This one is my favorite of all. They are always tender, flaky, and moist and so easy to put together. No rolling out....no waste...they come together, by hand in a matter of seconds...
I always make this recipe by hand and I use a pastry blender and /or my fingers...for me it is really not worth getting the food processor dirty for this.If you feel that you have an easier time using the processor, by all means do. I have posted this recipe before using blueberries, those are my son's favorite. This time I used the more traditional currants. I always brush some heavy cream over top and sprinkle with some sanding sugar or some Demerera sugar....
Cream Scones
 from America's Test Kitchen
Makes 8
The easiest and most reliable approach to mixing the butter into the dry ingredients is to use a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Resist the urge to eat the scones hot out of the oven. Letting them cool for at least 10 minutes firms them up and improves their texture.
2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, preferably a low-protein brand such as Gold Medal or Pillsbury ( I use Heckers)
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup currants
1 cup heavy cream
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Place flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in large bowl or workbowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Whisk together or pulse six times.
3. If making by hand, use two knives, a pastry blender, or your fingertips and quickly cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few slightly larger butter lumps. Stir in currants. If using food processor, remove cover and distribute butter evenly over dry ingredients. Cover and pulse 12 times, each pulse lasting 1 second. Add currants and pulse one more time. Transfer dough to large bowl.
4. Stir in heavy cream with rubber spatula or fork until dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.
5. Transfer dough and all dry, floury bits to countertop and knead dough by hand just until it comes together into a rough, slightly sticky ball, 5 to 10 seconds. Cut scones into 8 wedges. Place wedges on ungreased baking sheet. (Baking sheet can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 hours.)
6. Bake until scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Variations
Glazed Scones
A light cream and sugar glaze gives scones an attractive sheen and sweeter flavor. If baking scones immediately after making the dough, brush the dough just before cutting it into wedges.
Follow recipe for Cream Scones, brushing tops of scones with 1 tablespoon heavy cream and then sprinkling with 1 tablespoon sugar just before baking them.
Cakey Scones
An egg changes the texture and color of the scones and helps them stay fresher longer, up to 2 days in an airtight container.
Follow recipe for Cream Scones, reducing butter to 4 tablespoons and cream to 3/4 cup. Add 1 large egg, lightly beaten, to dough along with cream.
Oatmeal-Raisin scones
Mix this dough in the food processor; the metal blade breaks down the coarse oats and incorporates them into the dough.
Follow recipe for Cream Scones, making dough in food processor and substituting 1 cup rolled oats for 1/2 cup all-purpose flour. Increase sugar to 4 tablespoons and butter to 6 tablespoons. Replace currants with 3/4 cup raisins.
Ginger Scones
Follow recipe for Cream Scones, substituting 1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger for currants.
My notes: I also use fresh or frozen blueberries, raspberries or blackberries for this recipe. Toss the berries around in the flour before adding the cream. I do the same with the currants. You can also pat the dough out and cut the scones out with a biscuit cutter...re-roll the scraps and cut again. I usually do not do this though, I like the tender scones that just one quick pat on my marble board gives with out handling the dough too much.


30 comments:

  1. Mmmmm....lovely and tasty I am sure. I am thinking that these will be appearing for breakfast this week! Thanks!

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  2. I just love scones..and yours look wonderful..I like making them..shaping them..watching them bake..and eating them.One of life's little pleasurse~

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  3. You know, I went to a real live tea room in an 1830's brownstone with a friend today... felt positively lost in another century (Lady Mendls). The scones were one of the highlights with jam and devonshire cream... well it doesn't get better than that, does it??? Cooks recipes always work so beautifully... must try!!

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  4. I have found it hard to find a reliable recipe for scones and I do enjoy them both sweet and savoury.

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    1. So true. This is the BEST scone recipe. Trust me, I've tried (and failed) a lot!

      http://thekitchenkook.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-best-most-perfect-scone-recipe-ever.html

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  5. I hope you try this one...they are consistently wonderful and taste as good or better than those I have had at teas in England and here in the States.

    MMMmmmm...Deana... the Devonshire cream was missing on the day I made these. Your tea sounds like it was wonderful!
    We made do with some Kerrygold Sweet butter and Sarabeth's strawberry raspberry jam...they were lovely.

    My son's eyes light up when there is a scone for his breakfast.

    These also reheat nicely for a day or two after baking with no loss of quality.

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  6. Linda, I've hardly met a scone I didn't like ~ but yours look over-the-top SUBLIME. Great photos, too! xoxo

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  7. Linda....These look sooooo good..... love your photo's, thanks agian for sharing on of your great recipes. These are a must/try.
    Sorry Mike isn't coming home this wekend. :-(

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  8. Scones are so perfect as an afternoon indulgence with tea - whether with blueberries or these currants as you've so deliciously made.

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  9. I'm so glad you shared this recipe with me...it makes the most delicious scones I've ever tried :) I need to bake another batch soon~

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  10. ¡Que ricos tienen que estar!. Tienen un aspecto delicioso. Intentare prepararlos

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  11. Hope you like them Beatriz!
    Thanks for stopping by!

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  12. Linda, you make the perfect Scones.

    One of my favourite breakfasts.

    Ann

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  13. Linda, this looks like a wonderful scone recipe! This will be the recipe I use next time I make scones. Thanks for posting!

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  14. Oh, my. I'm still trying to figure out how to make scones and biscuits (American style biscuits) without wheat. This makes me want to figure it out even more.

    Happy easter!

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  15. Thanks for stopping by ladies...

    Kate...I have no idea.So sorry...
    Happy Easter to you too!
    xo

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  16. I've blogged scones as well this week. Recipe is very different - but like you, I simply cut them with a knife. Handled as little as possible. Yummy

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  17. I LOVE scones. Esp when cream is an ingredient! Beautifully made Linda :)

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  18. Yum. You know I love this recipe! Your scones are gorgeous (of course). I need to make these again soon. They're so tender and delicious!

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  19. Thanks so much for stopping by my friends!

    I have not been in blogging mode these past weeks...so it is nice to see you all take the time to stop by!
    xoxo

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  20. hope you had a wonderful day and i love your new avatar!

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  21. this is what I call: a hearty wolf's meal! A fabulous blog with delicious and easy recipes...love it and will be cooking more because of you!;)

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  22. Thank you so much for your kind comment....thanks for visiting!

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  23. Thank you Jann...hope you like them as much as we do!

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  24. Just found your recipe for scones on 'La table de nana' baked by Monique, with her lovely touch of rose petals. I always think my scones are never a success & my other half thinks they should be used as hardcore for when he's laying concrete!So I'm going to give your recipe a try & wait for his comments. I'm now looking forward to browsing through some more of your recipes.

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