the triumph! felicia has conquered: THE SCONE!
I firmly believe that you really have to injure yourself to make your first batch of successful scones. The last time I attempted the scone, I got all improvisational (big mistake) and swapped out white flour for whole wheat without adjusting any of the liquid ingredients. When you play all improvisational cook when you can’t even bake a scone, you are asking for disaster. In my case disaster came in the form of trays and trays of sawdust scones. I sometimes lie awake at night, wondering how I could have been so smug. Could have gotten it all wrong.
This morning I was ready. I had setbacks - insane heat, a cat who wanted to be involved in the process, a search for extra large certified organic, certified humane, cage-free (blah, blah, blah) eggs which yielded no results and had me scouring the internet for equivalents. I learned that up for to 4 eggs in a recipe, it really doesn’t matter which size you use. So I pressed on, making sure I didn’t overmix (do NOT overmix) and it was a race against time. Me against the weather against butter that was coming to room temperature.
Big tip: flour everything! Flour your work surface, the rolling pin, your cookie cutter. I used a round cookie cutter for his as I don’t dig triangle scones (don’t ask). And it’s incredibly crucial to flour the cranberries so they won’t fall to the bottom of the dough. Although the recipe says that it makes 12-14 scones, I made 18 smaller scones.
I thought I had all the time in the world. Tra la la. So I took a quick shower and decided to clean said shower whilst in the shower (me being the project manager that I am). Surprise how 20-25 minutes when you’re taking a shower, cleaning your cabinets, and washing all the dishes, flies. And of course I flew to the kitchen, pulled out the trays and burned my elbow. Insert a slew of expletives. Ten minutes worth of expletives.
Save a little problem with the egg wash which we won’t talk about, we won’t talk about, the scones are INCREDIBLE! INCREDIBLE! Triump!!! Fox trot it, cookies!
Adapted from Ina Garten’s Cranberry Orange Scones (from Barefoot at Home)
Note: I use all local/organic ingredients, because this is how I fox trot.
4 cups plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (I used unbleached flour)
1/4 cup sugar, plus additional for sprinkling (I used cane sugar)
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
3/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten (Note, if you don’t have extra large eggs, 4 large will do. The eggs should be cold)
1 cup cold heavy cream
1 cup dried cranberries
1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water or milk, for egg wash
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix 4 cups of flour, 1/4 cup sugar, the baking powder, salt and orange zest. Add the cold butter and mix at the lowest speed until the butter is the size of peas. Combine the eggs and heavy cream and, with the mixer on low speed, slowly pour into the flour and butter mixture. Mix until just blended. The dough will look lumpy! Combine the dried cranberries and 1/4 cup of flour, add to the dough, and mix on low speed until blended.
Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead it into a ball. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 3/4-inch thick. You should see small bits of butter in the dough. Keep moving the dough on the floured board so it doesn’t stick. Flour a 3-inch round plain or fluted cutter and cut circles of dough. Place the scones on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Collect the scraps neatly, roll them out, and cut more circles.
Brush the tops of the scones with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the insides are fully baked. The scones will be firm to the touch. Allow the scones to cool for 15 minutes on a rack.
Tips: Don’t use fresh cranberries!! They are way too tart. Also, if you want you can swap the cranberries for dried currants or diced dried strawberries. Additionally, all of your ingredients should be cold. If anything is room temperature, it will reduce the temperature of the butter which will make for hockey puck scones. You want the scones as moist and flaky as possible. So, cookies, COLD COLD COLD.
August 25th, 2007 at 12:13 pm
Oh, I can’t wait to try this recipe. Though I think I’ll wait until the weather is cooler here in Toronto. There is something so very comforting about baking scones when autumn is upon us.
I’m a scone addict, but I usually buy them; haven’t baked any since I was a teenager. I prefer them with either raisins or blueberries – I’ll try those substitutions and let you know if they work out.
Oh yeah, and ditto on the FLOUR EVERYTHING. Making scones is not for the faint of heart. It’s a dman sticky business, but well worth it!
August 25th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
Hooray!!! You have conquered the elusive scone, and I am jealous of your culinary achievement
August 25th, 2007 at 5:01 pm
OMIGOD, alison. Thank you! I didn’t notice that I had mispelled ‘elusive’ - you rock on many levels. Anyway, I’m pretty tickled. I tested them out on a scone junkie and she gave me two thumbs up and a little booty twist.
FOXY.
patricia - i hear you. i am all about PUMPKIN scones in the fall. DELISH.
August 25th, 2007 at 5:56 pm
oh my. my mouth watered when i saw these scones. read about these scones. and the making of said scones. smiles…
alright. i’m going to have to give this recipe a try. it seems the first thing i do when i go to ireland, is to buy and eat scones. strange. but true.
and yet i’ve never ever came across the simple and silly little idea of making them myself.
you’ve got me convinced. and ready.
thank you!
August 25th, 2007 at 6:26 pm
yayness!! congrats! those look delish. mmmm… pumpkin scones? oh, i MUST try that. looking forward to seeing the recipe for that one.
you rock! you have mastered the muffin, the scone…what is next?
August 25th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
This recipe of Ina’s was my first attempt scones and I got lucky. They turned out beautifully. Nothing at ALL like the heavy, icing-covered clods you find at coffee shops (ahem - Starbucks….)
I also made them smaller - good thing b/c my coworkers devoured them.
August 25th, 2007 at 8:42 pm
laq-i hear you. ina’s recipes never fail me
and just say no no no to starbucks scones.
angela- do it! you won’t regret it.
lor-i just spied your triumph over the muffin. brava, baking goddess, you.
August 25th, 2007 at 10:39 pm
Congrats on the scones! They look yummy.
xo
cb
August 26th, 2007 at 8:09 am
Wow, more beautiful pictures, got to get them into my life! That Kitchen Aid totally becomes you!!
August 26th, 2007 at 6:53 pm
I love scones! The test best right out of the oven, sometimes with jelly, sometimes butter, sometimes plain ole scone. I think your scone mission is accomplished. I read the Tea Shop cozies by Laura Childs and I always want a scone after reading one.
August 26th, 2007 at 8:08 pm
Kim: so sage, you are. clotted cream and some preserves and a cool morning. ah, can’t wait for fall. my stand mixer will be in overdrive.
Cheryl: we must bake. i’m emailing you now. will accept no refusal.
Tracie: I know!! Love the Kitchen Aid!
August 27th, 2007 at 1:48 pm
They look deliciously good, Felicia!