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Saturday, June 13, 2009

Orange Scones


I love scones and I love Ina!

I love Ina Garten , the Barefoot Contessa, and regularly refer to her cookbooks - I have them all. Last week I baked scones ...What a wonderful feeling when you wake up to the buttery tempting smell of freshly baked scones! It simply starts the day off well. My step-daughter, Meredith, came from New Brunswick, to stay with us for a month.... why do I have a problem with that word step-daughter, step-mother? It just reminds me of the evil step-mother in Cinderella. I am not an evil stepmother...why doesn't someone invent another word??? Any ideas?

Well moving along...Meredith is allergic to nuts, so of course I am very very careful with all my ingredients! The original recipe called for cranberries, but the package did not convince me it was free of nuts, while the currants package met the criteria. So I adapted the recipe and it was very very well received!

To make scones light and flaky it is important that there are pieces of butter in the dough (looks like marble) and it is not completely blended in.
I often dice the butter then leave it in the freezer for a bit while I get all the rest of my ingredients in place, mise en place.

Here is the recipe for orange scones with currants (I have also used dried strawberries as well)

4 cups plus ¼ cup All Purpose Flour
¼ cup granulated sugar plus extra for sprinkling
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
¾ pound (3 sticks) cold unsalted butter diced and frozen
4 extra large eggs lightly beaten
1 cup (1/2 pint) cold heavy cream
1 cup currants
1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water for egg wash
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
4 teaspoons freshly squeezed orange juice

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper
Mix 4 cups of the flour, ¼ cup of granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and orange zest in the mixer with a paddle attachment.
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 add to the flour and butter mixture. Mix until JUST blended….still lumpy!
Combine the currants and a quarter cup of flour then add to the dough -_mix on lowest speed until just blended.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and knead it into a ball . Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll out until almost 1 inch thick.

Do you see the butter in the dough? GOOD! If you don't...it's too late to fix so just keep going. They just won't be as flaky.

Keep moving the dough around the floured board so it doesn’t stick. Flour a 3 inch round or square cutter. Keep dipping the cutter in the flour so it doesn’t stick. Place the cut scones on the sheet pan about 1 inch apart. Gather scraps, roll out and cut more circle or squares.
Brush the tops with the egg wash and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the insides fully baked – should be firm to the touch.

Allow to cool completely then whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and orange juice and drizzle over the scones.

On the 2nd day, if they are still around, they are great toasted with a little butter.

These are delightful…when my son Elliot and his friend Anthony waltzed into the kitchen, they grabbed about three each..and Meredith...she loved them too and appreciated a dessert without nuts. Dan took them for lunch and said they were awesome... And yes I did see you sneaking them my dear sister Arlene, so I know you liked them!


Until we bake again...

Penny

3 comments:

Unknown said...

What a beautiful recipe. I've bookmarked this, and can't wait to try it.
p.s. i love Ina too :D

Lynnie said...

Confused says 4 cups flour,then I guess the extra 1/4 is to knead dough,but then it says currents and one cup flour that equals 5 cups flou
?

Penny said...

It should have said mix the currants with 1/4 cup flour. I have changed it now.
Thanks for your feedback.
Penny

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