I am a real lover of scones. They speak to my food loving heart on every level. Flakey and slightly sweet, ready to be spread with something you enjoy, or even all on their own, served with hot cups of tea, herbal or otherwise.
They are as comfortable gracing the table on special occasions such as a High Tea as they are sitting on an afterschool tea plate for when you have those late afternoon munchies.
This recipe has been adapted from one I found in my recipe box, handwritten on a piece of paper, a long, long time ago. I can't really tell you where it came from. There is no photo, just the recipe, penned in my lazy scrawl. I know that I only ever copied out recipes that were solidly appealing however and soI knew it had to be a winner.
There were several things about this recipe which called my name. First the amount of butter and way of incorporating it told me that these would be flaky . . . and the use of an egg wash and sprinkle of brown sugar on the scones prior to baking sounded, well . . . incredibly yummy!
I have often sprinkled a bit of caster sugar on top or demerara sugar (turbinado sugar), but the brown sugar has a truly lovely effect. It kind of melts with the egg wash and makes a nice sugary crust.
Another thing that appealed was the use of fresh orange zest combined with tiny bejeweled black currants . . . the smell of the orange zest is amazing, both when you are putting them together and then again when they are baking!
The use of heavy cream and butter ensures a lovely flaky rise in the finished product . . .
They puffed up really nicely. You also don't need to use any cutters to cut them out, just a sharp knife, so there is no waste or re-rolling of scraps which also helps them to rise evenly.
The recipe recommends serving them warm and eating on the day. In all truth however, they are pretty tasty cold and yes, even the day after baking. (I had one for breakfast this morning.)
Todd enjoyed his split and spread with strawberry jam. I enjoyed mine, just as it was. No embellishments whatsoever. These are fabulously tasty!
*Orange and Currant Scones*
Makes 12
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Line a baking tray with nonstick baking parchment. Set aside.
Sift the flour into a bowl along with the sugar and baking powder. Stir in the orange zest. Drop in the butter an rub it in with your fingertips, using a snapping motion or using a pastry blender until you have a mixture resembling coarse bread crumbs. (No piece of butter should be larger than a pea.) Make a well in the centre and add the cream and beaten egg. Mix in with your hand until you have a shaggy type of dough.Tip onto a lightly flour surface and gently mix in the dried currants, kneading together just to incorporate the fruit. Pat out to a rectangle, roughly 3/4 inch thick and 9 by 12 inches in size. Make 3 cups down the length of the dough and 4 cuts crosswise, giving you 12 squares. Place well spaced apart on the baking sheet. Brush the tops with some of the beaten egg/water mixture and sprinkle each with some brown sugar.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, turning the baking sheet around halfway through the baking time, to evenly brown and cook. Let stand on the baking sheet for several minutes before moving to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Best if eaten within the first 24 hours.
Sift the flour into a bowl along with the sugar and baking powder. Stir in the orange zest. Drop in the butter an rub it in with your fingertips, using a snapping motion or using a pastry blender until you have a mixture resembling coarse bread crumbs. (No piece of butter should be larger than a pea.) Make a well in the centre and add the cream and beaten egg. Mix in with your hand until you have a shaggy type of dough.Tip onto a lightly flour surface and gently mix in the dried currants, kneading together just to incorporate the fruit. Pat out to a rectangle, roughly 3/4 inch thick and 9 by 12 inches in size. Make 3 cups down the length of the dough and 4 cuts crosswise, giving you 12 squares. Place well spaced apart on the baking sheet. Brush the tops with some of the beaten egg/water mixture and sprinkle each with some brown sugar.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, turning the baking sheet around halfway through the baking time, to evenly brown and cook. Let stand on the baking sheet for several minutes before moving to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Best if eaten within the first 24 hours.
The recipe does call for dried currants, but you could also use raisins if you wanted to or chopped dried cranberries. I think the cranberries would work really well with the orange zest! Its the weekend, why not bake something tasty today! Bon Appetit!
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