I made this scones the other week for a book club, and they were a big hit. As I sent all of them home with the ladies for their husbands (or themselves if they didn't want to share), I don't have one picture of them. What a failure I am!
Regardless, they were a hit, and if you can get past the copious amount of butter (2 sticks!), they are worth the effort.
Source: Dahlia Bakery Cookbook
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
14 tbsp cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted and finely chopped
1 cup cold buttermilk
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Maple butter:
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
1/2 cup butter, softened
Instructions:
Hazelnuts:
1. Toast the hazelnuts at 350ºF for about 5-10 minutes, shaking the tray periodically. (Nuts go from toasted to burned very quickly, so keep an eye on them!) When they are just starting to smell toasted and looking a little browned, remove from the heat. To remove the skins from the nuts, pour the toasted nuts, still warm, onto a clean, dry dish towel (probably one you don't care about staining), and rub the hazelnuts with the towel. The skins will flake off, and you'll can pick out the clean nuts.
Scones:
1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. In a large bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.
2. Add the vanilla extract to the buttermilk and set aside.
3. With a pastry blender work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
4. Add the chopped nuts to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
5. Add the buttermilk and extract and stir until just combined.
6. Turn out onto a lightly floured countertop and knead for a brief minute so the dough sticks together. (At this point, I had to add a bit more buttermilk to my scones.)
7. Flatten into a large round and divide into eight triangles with a knife or a bench scraper. (You can alternatively break the dough into two pieces and cut each round into six triangles to yield 12 scones.)
8. Place scones on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet and bake until golden on top, about 20-25 minutes.
9. While scones are baking, make your Maple Butter in the mixer. Beat the softened butter until uniform and fluffy, and then add the 2 tablespoons of maple syrup (or to taste).
10. Remove scones from oven and allow to cool on a cookie sheet for a few minutes. Serve warm with the butter.
Results:
As I said, these were a big hit. I wanted to try this recipe, so I made it for a day when I had people visiting, since I don't care for nuts other than almonds. They're a little more work-intensive than scones I usually bake, but for a special event, I might try them again. The Maple Butter was pretty yummy, after all...
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Cherry-Almond Scones
My good friend gave me a cookbook for Christmas this year (and yes, I opened it already, but with her permission), and there were some scone recipes in it that I just had to try out. The first one, a cherry-almond scone recipe which was pretty good. I didn't take pictures this time, so you'll have to just make do with picturing it in your mind. Despite the long list of ingredients, these were simple to throw together.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp grated lemon zest
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
10 tbsp cold, unsalted butter cut into 1/2-inch pieces (or non-dairy margarine or butter)
1/2 cup dried tart cherries
1/2 cup sliced, blanched almonds, toasted
1 cup buttermilk (or soymilk)
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp pure almond extract
About 1/4 cup heavy cream (or soymilk), for brushing
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Whisk all purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, salt and baking soda together in a large bowl.
2. In a smaller bowl or large measuring cup, combine 1 cup buttermilk, the vanilla and almond extracts and set aside.
3. Add the chopped up, cold butter to the dry ingredients and work in with a pastry blender until it resembles coarse crumbs.
4. Add the sliced almonds and dried cherries to the butter and dry ingredients mixture.
5. Add the buttermilk and extracts to the dry mixture and stir until the ingredients just come together. Then turn out onto a lightly floured countertop, give it another knead so that it sticks together, and flatten into a 10-inch round. With a knife or bench scraper, cut into eight triangles.
6. Place the scones on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet and brush generously with the heavy cream. If desired, you can sprinkle some sugar on top.
7. Put in the oven and bake at 425ºF for 10 minutes. Rotate the baking pan, then reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF and bake until golden brown on top, about 15 more minutes.
8. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.
Results:
I was pleased with these scones. They were simple to throw together, and had a great taste. A bit chunky what with the almonds and cherries, but not overly so. If I made them again, and I probably will, I would omit the lemon zest. I'm not a fan of lemon, personally, and I could just taste the lemon in there. It didn't add to the flavor for me, so I would definitely leave that out next time.
Dairy-free Update, 2013:
I made these scones for a friend with a dairy allergy by substituting soy milk and Nucoa for the buttermilk/cream and butter, respectively. They turned out just as good as the dairy version.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp grated lemon zest
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
10 tbsp cold, unsalted butter cut into 1/2-inch pieces (or non-dairy margarine or butter)
1/2 cup dried tart cherries
1/2 cup sliced, blanched almonds, toasted
1 cup buttermilk (or soymilk)
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp pure almond extract
About 1/4 cup heavy cream (or soymilk), for brushing
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Whisk all purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, salt and baking soda together in a large bowl.
2. In a smaller bowl or large measuring cup, combine 1 cup buttermilk, the vanilla and almond extracts and set aside.
3. Add the chopped up, cold butter to the dry ingredients and work in with a pastry blender until it resembles coarse crumbs.
4. Add the sliced almonds and dried cherries to the butter and dry ingredients mixture.
5. Add the buttermilk and extracts to the dry mixture and stir until the ingredients just come together. Then turn out onto a lightly floured countertop, give it another knead so that it sticks together, and flatten into a 10-inch round. With a knife or bench scraper, cut into eight triangles.
6. Place the scones on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet and brush generously with the heavy cream. If desired, you can sprinkle some sugar on top.
7. Put in the oven and bake at 425ºF for 10 minutes. Rotate the baking pan, then reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF and bake until golden brown on top, about 15 more minutes.
8. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.
Results:
I was pleased with these scones. They were simple to throw together, and had a great taste. A bit chunky what with the almonds and cherries, but not overly so. If I made them again, and I probably will, I would omit the lemon zest. I'm not a fan of lemon, personally, and I could just taste the lemon in there. It didn't add to the flavor for me, so I would definitely leave that out next time.
Dairy-free Update, 2013:
I made these scones for a friend with a dairy allergy by substituting soy milk and Nucoa for the buttermilk/cream and butter, respectively. They turned out just as good as the dairy version.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Dark Chocolate Chip Scones
Apparently, I'm on a chocolate scone kick, as this was the recipe that jumped out at me from Tea and Crumpets. I've never made a chocolate scone that tasted as good as it looked, and this was no exception. So after this attempt, I'm still in search of the ideal chocolate scone.
*I altered this recipe, adding the vanilla extract and dark chocolate chips.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups self-rising flour
(per 1 cup flour, add 1/2 tsp salt, & 1 1/2 tsp baking powder)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chilled
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder and whisk together until blended. Add the butter to the dry mixture and using a pastry blender, blend until it looks like coarse sand.
3. Add the chocolate chips to the bowl and mix to distribute.
4. Combine egg yolk with the buttermilk and whisk to mix in a small bowl. Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry mixture and stir until combined.
5. Using a greased 1/4 cup measure, scoop out dough onto the parchment paper and flatten slightly so that they are uniform in height and will bake evenly.
6. Bake at 425ºF for about 18-22 minutes, or until they loose their sheen on top and/or brown. A cake tester or toothpick should come out clean when they are done.
The Process:
 |
| Flour, Buttermilk, Sugar, Cocoa Powder, Butter and Egg yolk |
 |
| Dry ingredients mixed. |
 |
| Buttermilk just mixed in. |
 |
| Ready to go into the oven. |
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| Coming out of the oven. |
Results:
These scones could have been much better. I am American, so I'm used to chocolate being sweet, even though I prefer dark chocolate. However, these scones were a little too not-sweet for me.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Triple Chocolate Chunk Scones
These are almost like chocolate chip cookies...but not.
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 oz bittersweet chocolate chunks
3 oz milk chocolate chips
3 oz white chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, a silicon baking sheet or grease the sheet.
2. Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
3. Add the butter and, using a pastry blender, your fingertips or two knives in scissor fashion, cut into the dry mixture until it looks like coarse sand.
4. In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk, egg and vanilla extract and stir or whisk lightly to combine.
5. Add the chocolate to the dry mixture and stir to combine.
6. Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until dough forms. It will look a bit like cookie dough.
7. Using a 1/4-cup measuring cup or a large spoon, separate the dough into 10-12 free-form scones, leaving a couple of inches between each scone.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned on top.
Nutrition:
Serving assumes the above recipe yields 12 scones.
Per serving
Calories: 286 kC
Carbs: 39 g
Fat: 13 g
Protein: 5 g
Sugar: 23 g
Results:
Before I review this recipe at all, I must caveat it with the fact that I don't care for either milk chocolate or white chocolate, but chose to follow this recipe verbatim anyways.
That out of the way, I was a bit disappointed with the flavor of these scones. They were, essentially, glorified chocolate chip cookies, but without either a cookie taste or scone texture. They were not as sweet as chocolate chip cookies, and not as flaky as scones. They really fell flat for me, and I don't know that I'd make them again.
Perhaps if they were only dark chocolate scones, I would have liked them better. I also believe that the chocolate quantity overpowered the scone itself, and I would reduce the amount of chocolate in this recipe if I made it again.
I could see children or chocolate lovers appreciating this recipe as it is, so there's something to be said for that. However, as a cream-scone and traditional-scone lover, who enjoys her scones with coffee or tea in the morning, these felt more like a standalone dessert or something to bake when I'm in the mood for something chocolatey but not as sweet as a chocolate-chip cookie.
Perhaps a tall glass of milk would accompany these scones better than coffee or tea. But then, that doesn't seem much like a scone, does it?
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 oz bittersweet chocolate chunks
3 oz milk chocolate chips
3 oz white chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, a silicon baking sheet or grease the sheet.
2. Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
3. Add the butter and, using a pastry blender, your fingertips or two knives in scissor fashion, cut into the dry mixture until it looks like coarse sand.
4. In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk, egg and vanilla extract and stir or whisk lightly to combine.
5. Add the chocolate to the dry mixture and stir to combine.
6. Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until dough forms. It will look a bit like cookie dough.
7. Using a 1/4-cup measuring cup or a large spoon, separate the dough into 10-12 free-form scones, leaving a couple of inches between each scone.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned on top.
Nutrition:
Serving assumes the above recipe yields 12 scones.
Per serving
Calories: 286 kC
Carbs: 39 g
Fat: 13 g
Protein: 5 g
Sugar: 23 g
 |
| Measure out your ingredients: Flour Dark Chocolate Chunks, White Chocolate Chips, Milk Chocolate Chips, Buttermilk, Unsalted Butter cut into pieces, Brown Sugar, Egg, Vanilla Extract, Baking Powder, Baking Soda & Salt (last three combined) |
 |
| Dry mix with butter mixed in. |
 |
| I prefer to add mix-ins like chocolate chips or fruit prior to adding the liquid so that it can be more consistently mixed without making the scones tough. |
 |
| Add the buttermilk mixture and stir to combine. |
 |
| Use a 1/4-cup measuring cup to equally divide these drop scones. |
 |
| I froze my scones at this point because I wasn't ready to make them, thus my scones are much closer together than I would normally bake them. Instead, bake 6-8 to a large baking sheet, making sure they have at least two inches of room between scones. |
 |
| Frozen scones ready to go in the oven. This was a good distance to have between the scones. Frozen scones baked in my oven at 375F in just over 20 minutes. |
Results:
Before I review this recipe at all, I must caveat it with the fact that I don't care for either milk chocolate or white chocolate, but chose to follow this recipe verbatim anyways.
That out of the way, I was a bit disappointed with the flavor of these scones. They were, essentially, glorified chocolate chip cookies, but without either a cookie taste or scone texture. They were not as sweet as chocolate chip cookies, and not as flaky as scones. They really fell flat for me, and I don't know that I'd make them again.
Perhaps if they were only dark chocolate scones, I would have liked them better. I also believe that the chocolate quantity overpowered the scone itself, and I would reduce the amount of chocolate in this recipe if I made it again.
I could see children or chocolate lovers appreciating this recipe as it is, so there's something to be said for that. However, as a cream-scone and traditional-scone lover, who enjoys her scones with coffee or tea in the morning, these felt more like a standalone dessert or something to bake when I'm in the mood for something chocolatey but not as sweet as a chocolate-chip cookie.
Perhaps a tall glass of milk would accompany these scones better than coffee or tea. But then, that doesn't seem much like a scone, does it?
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Parmesan & Cheddar Cheese Scones
It's no secret: I love cheddar cheese. Combining cheese and scones, well, it's just a matter of time before I try a recipe like that.
Luckily, this one was in the Simply Scones cookbook, just waiting for me to try it.
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp saltdash ground red pepper (or flakes or cayenne pepper)
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
1/3 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tsp water (glaze)
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 400ºF and grease or cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix flour, baking powder, salt and spices together. Add all of both cheeses and mix. Add the cut up butter and, using knives or a pastry cutter, cut in the butter until the flour mixture resembles coarse sand.
3. In a small bowl, combine the milk and two eggs. Mix well. Add the egg and milk mixture to the dry flour and cheese mixture and stir with a wooden spoon to combine.
4. Using a large spoon or a 1/4-cup measure, dollop out onto the baking sheet, leaving about three inches in between each scone.
5. Brush the glaze on the top of each scone. Bake for approximately 17-22 minutes, or until golden.
The Process:
 |
| Cheddar Cheese, 2% Milk, Parmesan Cheese, Large Eggs, Egg & Water Glaze, Unsalted Butter, Salt & Spices, Baking Powder |
 |
| Flour and cheese mixture |
 |
| Flour, Cheese and Butter mixture |
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| Dough |
 |
| Evenly space your scones |
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| Use a small paintbrush like this, which you can find in the cooking aisle. |
 |
| Dough brushed with glaze. |
 |
| Bake until lightly golden. |
I love cheddar cheese. Baking a savory scone with cheddar cheese just combines two of my favorite foods.
These scones are best served warm, and I find they complement a bowl of chili just perfectly. The spice in them (I added cayenne pepper as well as red pepper flakes) might have something to do with that.
They were quick and easy to make, a scone I will put on my go-to list as a side bread.
 |
| These go excellently with a bowl of chili. |
Friday, August 17, 2012
Raspberry-Filled Almond Scones
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| This recipe uses Raspberry Preserves to create a filled scone. |
Ingredients:
2 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup almond paste, well chilled
1/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled
1/3 cup milk
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 tbsp raspberry preserves
1 egg yolk mixed with 1/2 tsp water (glaze)
3 tbsp slivered almonds
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a food processor, pulse the coconut until it is finely chopped. Stir the coconut into the flour mixture.
3. Add the almond paste and mix with a wooden spoon until somewhat uniform. Add the butter and use knives, your fingertips or a pastry cutter to incorporate until the flour looks like coarse sand.
4. In a small bowl, mix the milk, egg, vanilla and almond extracts. Add to the flour mixture and mix with a wooden spatula until combined.
5. Turn out onto a floured surface and flatten to 3/8 inch height. Using a floured 2-1/2-inch cookie (or biscuit) cutter, cut out 16-18 rounds from the dough, piecing together as necessary.
6. Place nine rounds on the baking sheet about 3 inches apart. Mound 1/2 teaspoon of preserves onto each round. Place another round over the top of the preserves, pinching down the sides to make sure they stick.
7. Brush the tops with the egg glaze and evenly divide the slivered almonds over the tops of the scones.
8. Bake until golden brown, about 18-25 minutes.
9. Remove and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
The Process:
 |
| Finely chop the coconut in a food processor before mixing with the other dry ingredients. |
 |
| Coconut, chopped fine. |
 |
| Dry ingredients plus butter and almond paste. |
 |
| Cut out as many rounds as you can before piecing together the remainder of the dough and forming more. |
 |
| In order to keep the cutter from sticking, flour the bottom edges. I do so with a heap of flour on my counter, and swirl the cutter in the flour before each cut. |
 |
| Bottom layer of the scones: one dough round and a 1/2 teaspoon of preserves. |
 |
| Add a second round to create the top of the scone and press the edges down to get a good seal. |
 |
| Brush with egg glaze and sprinkle almonds on top, pressing gently down so that the almonds don't fall off. |
 |
| Bake until golden. |
 |
| Enjoy! |
Although these are just a bit more labor-intensive than typical scones, the extra effort was worth it. The almond flavoring was strong, but not overpowering, likewise with the preserves in the middle, which offer just a hint of raspberry flavor. (I actually used currant jelly, since I did not have raspberry on hand, and it turned out well.) I will definitely be repeating these scones, and I look forward to trying more recipes out of the Simply Scones book!
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Cinnamon Roll Scones
 |
| What a wonderful experiment! |
 |
| One 8 ounce container of Crème Fraîche used in this recipe. |
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla paste
2 tbsp sugar
8 oz Crème Fraîche
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup cinnamon chips
Instructions:
1. Whisk together all purpose flour, salt, sugar and vanilla bean paste.
2. Add the Crème Fraîche and use a spatula to integrate as well as you can. Add the cinnamon chips and mix well.
3. Add about 1/3 cup of water and mix until the dough comes together, adding more water if necessary so that there is very little floury matter to integrate.
4. Knead dough once or twice to bring together. Press out dough on countertop to about 1/4 inch high and, using a round, floured cookie cutter, cut as many scones as you can from the dough. Bunch together the scrapes, kneading minimally to bring together, and press out again, cutting more scones out. With the final scraps, roll into two balls and flatten to free-form the final scones.
5. Bake at 450ºF for approximately 13-15 minutes or until lightly golden.
6. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then enjoy with a cup of coffee.
The Process:
 |
| Dry ingredients mixed. |
 |
| After adding the Crème Fraîche, you'll have a mixture looking something like this. |
 |
| About 1/2 cup of cinnamon chips to add after mixing the dry ingredients with the Creème Fraîche. |
 |
| Dry ingredients, Crème Fraîche and cinnamon chips mixed. |
 |
| After adding water and rolling out, the scones should hold together nicely. Roll to a 1/4-1/2 inch height and use a cookie cutter to cut out the scones, rerolling the scraps as necessary. |
 |
| Cut out and ready to bake. |
 |
| Bake until lightly golden. |
Results:
These were almost a complete experiment, but they turned out excellent. Reminiscent of cinnamon rolls in both smell and taste, they were perfect alongside my morning coffee.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Cranberry-Orange Scones
 |
| Honestly, this picture does not do these scones justice. Too bad I ate them all and can't take another... |
At least the buttermilk was low fat...
So, let's just say, while these aren't healthy scones, they are delicious. Okay, beyond delicious. Melt-in-your-mouth-delicious. I could eat the whole recipe, warm out of the oven. Flaky, buttery...warm... I'm drooling. Seriously.
Ingredients:
3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
3 tbsp granulated sugar
2.5 tsp baking powder
1.2 tsp baking soda
Grated zest of 1 orange
10 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chilled
1 cup cold buttermilk
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and orange zest. Add the butter and blend into a sandy texture with a pastry blender or fingertips.
3. Add the apricots and cranberries and mix. Add the buttermilk and stir until just mixed (may be a little dry).
4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead a couple of times to mix. Press into a rectangle and fold like an envelope, first folding up the bottom, then folding down the top to create a long, narrow rectangle. Press out into a longer rectangle until the dough is even and approximately 1 inch high. With a knife or bench scraper, cut into eight pieces.
5. Place on a parchment-paper lined sheet and arrange the scones approximately two inches from one another. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden on top.
The Process:
 |
| Dried Cranberries, Unsalted Butter, All Purpose Flour, Granulated Sugar, Orange Zest, Baking Soda, Dried Apricots, Salt, Baking Powder, Buttermilk |
 |
| The consistency of the dough when mixed (not kneaded). |
 |
| Flattened into a log, about 1 inch high. Then slice into half , and slice each half into a half to cut the log into quarters. Then cut each quarter into half diagonally. |
 |
| Scones sliced and on the tray, ready to bake. |
 |
| Fresh out of the oven. |
 |
| Flaky. Buttery. Succulent. Luscious. Melt-in-your-mouth... |
In case my introduction didn't quite get the point across, these were fantastic. Of course, not the healthiest choice, but when you're talking scones, who's concerned about healthy?
Definitely repeatable, these may become a new favorite in my house. The orange zest gives just enough flavor to create a hint of orange without being overpowering. The apricots I could have done without, these were more distracting from the rest of the flavor anyways, and I'm not a huge fan of dried apricots. Next time, I'll try these scones without apricots.
And there will be a next time.
I guarantee it.