a whisk and a spoon

Tuesdays with Dorie: Cream Scones

It’s steamy hot out…hot and gross…but these Cream Scones were sooo worth turning the oven on for.  Butter and cream…they are a combo to be reckoned with.  I don’t know how two things that are so rich can make something that is so light, crumbly and almost melt-in-your-mouth, but there you have it.  I’ll be making these again when it’s cooler out and I can stand a proper cuppa to go along with them.

After many attempts at scones and biscuits that wound up looking annoyingly like pancakes (sad!), I think that with my last few batches, I’ve finally gotten it down.  I already told you all this stuff with the last one, but….now I grate my cold butter, and then pop it into the freezer while I assemble my dry ingredients.  Then I just give a quick, fingertippy toss of the butter and dry stuff.  I find that this way, I don’t have to do as much rubbing and working to get the two incorporated.  Also, I pat the scones out a little fatter than Dorie says to ensure a tall rise (which I don’t think the angle on this photo shows, but I assure you, they were nice and high).  Of course I get one or two fewer scones per batch, but that’s fine by me.

I skipped the currants here (I didn’t have any), but they aren’t really necessary anyway…especially when there’s jam.  Also not strictly necessary (but crazy delicious!), one of my favorite things about British-style tea service is the thick cream you spread on along with jam.  I found some of that Luxury Clotted Cream in a local shop, and shelled out for it in anticipation of these guys.

For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan or read Cafe Lynnylu, as it was Patricia’s pick this week.  Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!

Tuesdays with Dorie: Oatmeal Nutmeg Scones

I think I have finally found my scone mojo.  Maybe I shouldn’t speak too soon, but these Oatmeal Nutmeg Scones are the second batch to come out just as I’d hoped (now I need to revisit the Apple Cheddar ones to see if I can get something with a bit more height).  My two scone “secrets” (although I wouldn’t be surprised if these aren’t secrets at all, but just things I took forever to catch on to!)…first, I grate the cold butter into the dry ingredients.  I find that this way, I don’t have to do as much rubbing and working to get the two incorporated…just toss the butter around a bit with my fingertips.  Second, I pat the scones out a little fatter than I used to.  Tricky, right?  Of course I don’t get as many per batch, but that’s fine by me.

Yes, these scones have oatmeal in them, but they have a load of butter as well, so I’d be lying to you if I said they were a healthy breakfast.  I did try to up the whole-graininess a bit by swapping 2/3 cup of the AP flour for whole wheat pastry flour.  They are really hearty and good…only as sweet as they need to be and no more, which I appreciate in the morning…espeically when I’m slathering jam all over them anyway.

For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan or read Life with a Whisk, as it was Patricia’s pick this week.  Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!