Best scones ever





I'm a regular scone eater and absolutely love them. That's why it's a shame I haven't posted my favorite recipe before. I've tried numerous recipes, but I find this the best. Others are either too sweet, or then don't deliver the perfect crumbliness. While some vouch for buttermilk, others for cream, I go for milk, though my recent experiment with buttermilk biscuit recipe might have changed my mind. But the most substantial ingredient in my opinion is either cream of tartar or vegetable shortening (can't decide which one is more important). Cream of tartar produces light scones without the metallic aftertaste of using too much baking powder, while shortening gives them a crumbly texture, so that the resulting scones will be airy and light.

I've also tried smittenkitchen's Irish/American Soda Bread Scones (which are actually just small soda breads, not scones). They were really crisp on the outside and so soft/crumbly inside, but too sweet for my taste, so next time I want to try the recipe without sugar. But until then, this adaptation of Nigella's recipe remains my favorite. Btw, if you're on the Oxford area I recommend the cream tea at Vaults & Garden Café (see my post on Oxford). They have perfect scones with the fresh raspberry jam and clotted cream to die for!

Happy cooking and wonderful afternoon or cream teas!

N.B. The purpose of shortening is to add hydrogenated fats to make the crust flakier. If you can't find it, you can replace it with butter, which gives also good results.
















Best scones ever

These are the best scones ever! Crisp on the outside, soft in the inside. Throw an afternoon tea party and serve these with your favorite jam and clotted cream (if you can find)!

Ingredients:
  • 400 ml all-purpose flour
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cream of tartar
  • 2 Tbsp cold butter, in small lumps
  • 1 Tbsp vegetable shortening
  • 150 ml cold milk
Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 225 C.
  2. Sift the dry ingredients together.
  3. Combine with cold butter and shortening: either pinching with your fingertips or with a food processor, as quickly as possible. Don't worry if small lumps remain.
  4. Add milk and stir quickly together, avoiding over-mixing (the less you mix, the more airy scones you'll get).
  5. Pat or roll to 2-3 cm thickness on a floured surface. Cut with a glass or cookie cutter into 6 scones (you might have to reroll the left-over dough to get six).
  6. Place them on the baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until risen and golden.
  7. Enjoy them freshly baked (they don't keep very well, but turn floury and dry quite quickly).

Adapted from Nigella Lawson's awesome cookbook How to be a Domestic Goddess.
*Nutritional information is based on average values.





A really crisp surface version:
  • 300 ml all-purpose flour
  • 20 g potato starch
  • 20 ml granulated sugar (makes quite sweet scones, so next time I'll reduce the amount)
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1 ml salt
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp vegetable shortening
  • 100 ml buttermilk (or 66 ml yogurt + 34 ml milk)
Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 200 C.
  2. Sift the dry ingredients together.
  3. Combine with shortening: either pinching with your fingertips or with a food processor, as quickly as possible. Don't worry if small lumps remain.
  4. Add buttermilk and stir quickly together, avoiding over-mixing (the less you mix, the more airy scones you'll get).
  5. Continue as above from step 5.

The cooking time for these is slightly longer, about 10-12 mins. The inner temperature should get as high as 77-80 C.

Adapted from smittenkitchen.com

Parhaat skonssit ikinä!


Rapean murustuvat, mutta pehmeät skonssit ovat täydellinen herkku iltapäiväteelle. Tarjoa iltapäiväteellä esim. vadelmahillon kanssa.

Ainekset:
  • 4 dl vehnäjauhoa
  • 1/4-1/2 tl suolaa
  • 1 tl ruokasoodaa
  • 1 tl kaliumbitartraattia (korvaa tarv. 1/2 tl leivinjauhetta)
  • 2 rkl kylmää voita, pieninä nokareina
  • 1 rkl kasvisrasvaa (esim. leivontamargariinia)
  • 1,5 dl kylmää maitoa
Valmistusohjeet:

  1. Esilämmitä uuni 225 asteeseen.
  2. Sekoita kuivat aineet.
  3. Nypi sekaan kylmä voi ja kasvisrasva tai sekoita se monitoimikoneen leikkuuterällä. Ei haittaa, vaikka seos jää hieman epätasaiseksi.
  4. Lisää maito ja sekoita nopeasti yhteen. Vältä liikaa vaivaamista, se tekee skonsseista kovia.
  5. Painele tai kauli noin 2-3 cm paksuiseksi levyksi. Leikkaa lasilla tai muotilla 6 skonssiksi. (Saatat joutua kaulimaan ylijäämäpaloista uuden levyn, jotta saat kuusi.)
  6. Asettele skonssit pellille ja paista uunissa n. 8-10 min tai kunnes skonssit ovat kohonneet ja paistuneet kullanruskeiksi.
  7. Nauti vastapaistettuna. (Skonssit eivät säily hyvin, vaan muuttuvat nopeasti kuiviksi ja jauhoisiksi.)
Mukaillen Nigella Lawsonin ohjetta (How to be a Domestic Goddess).

Pinnaltaan superrapea versio:
  • 3 dl vehnäjauhoa
  • 20 g perunatärkkelystä
  • reilu 1 rkl sokeria (ensi kerralla laitan vähemmän)
  • 1/2 tl ruokasoodaa
  • 1/2 tl kaliumbitartraattia
  • 1 ml suolaa (n. 1 mmt)
  • 1 1/2 rkl kasvirasvaa (esim. leivontamargariinia)
  • 1 dl piimää (tai 66 ml jogurttia + 34 ml maitoa)

Valmistusohjeet:

  1. Esilämmitä uuni 200 asteeseen.
  2. Sekoita kuivat aineet.
  3. Nypi sekaan kasvisrasva tai sekoita se monitoimikoneen leikkuuterällä. Ei haittaa, vaikka seos jää hieman epätasaiseksi.
  4. Lisää piimä ja sekoita nopeasti yhteen. Vältä liikaa vaivaamista, se tekee skonsseista kovia.
  5. Jatka yo. kohdasta 5.
Lisähuomiona: Paistoaika on näille hieman pidempi, noin 10-12 min. Skonssit ovat kypsiä, kun niiden sisälämpötila on n. 77-80 C.

Mukaillen smittenkitchenin ohjetta.


Follow Kitchenfoxtales via Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook to not miss a post!

Comments

Popular Posts