It was a very nice day today. I got up and made brunch for my guys...they all had beautiful cardsfor me. It was a lazy day....I needed one of those. No rushing anywhere...we just enjoyed.
We had our favorite scones for breakfast. I normally make them with currants but you can really use other fruits...dried or fresh. I have tried lots of scone recipes but this one remains my very favorite. They are light...and tender and not too sweet. They benefit from not too much manipulation...I do not knead them much after they come together...today I made them with really beautiful fresh blueberries...
Ready for the oven.....
Ready to eat...
This recipe come from America's Test Kitchen. I always make them by hand with a pastry blender...they come together so quickly I do not bother getting the processor dirty. But that is easier for you by all means use it. Using the blueberries...I tossed them in with the flour after I cut in the butter...then just made a well in the center of the bowl and gently mixed the dough with a spatula...very gently as you do not want to crush the berries. I leave these in wedges mainly because I do not want to over manipulate the dough. I have made all of the variations of this recipe. I prefer the one without the egg, but that is also wonderful. We also love doing ginger and dried apricots...really you can use whatever you choose...any kind of berry dried or fresh.I have even made these into cheddar and dill scones....they were excellent...I always brush them with cream and sprinkle demerera sugar over top of the mound before I cut them into wedges.
We love the slight crunch of the sugar...
Cream Scones
America's Test Kitchen
Makes 8
The easiest and most reliable approach to mixing the butter into the dry ingredients is to use a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Resist the urge to eat the scones hot out of the oven. Letting them cool for at least 10 minutes firms them up and improves their texture.
2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, preferably a low-protein brand such as Gold Medal or Pillsbury ( I use Heckers)
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup currants
1 cup heavy cream
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Place flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in large bowl or workbowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Whisk together or pulse six times.
3. If making by hand, use two knives, a pastry blender, or your fingertips and quickly cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few slightly larger butter lumps. Stir in currants. If using food processor, remove cover and distribute butter evenly over dry ingredients. Cover and pulse 12 times, each pulse lasting 1 second. Add currants and pulse one more time. Transfer dough to large bowl.
4. Stir in heavy cream with rubber spatula or fork until dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.
5. Transfer dough and all dry, floury bits to countertop and knead dough by hand just until it comes together into a rough, slightly sticky ball, 5 to 10 seconds. Cut scones into 8 wedges. Place wedges on ungreased baking sheet. (Baking sheet can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 hours.)
6. Bake until scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Variations
Glazed Scones
A light cream and sugar glaze gives scones an attractive sheen and sweeter flavor. If baking scones immediately after making the dough, brush the dough just before cutting it into wedges.
Follow recipe for Cream Scones, brushing tops of scones with 1 tablespoon heavy cream and then sprinkling with 1 tablespoon sugar just before baking them.
Cakey Scones
An egg changes the texture and color of the scones and helps them stay fresher longer, up to 2 days in an airtight container.
Follow recipe for Cream Scones, reducing butter to 4 tablespoons and cream to 3/4 cup. Add 1 large egg, lightly beaten, to dough along with cream.
Oatmeal-Raisin scones
Mix this dough in the food processor; the metal blade breaks down the coarse oats and incorporates them into the dough.
Follow recipe for Cream Scones, making dough in food processor and substituting 1 cup rolled oats for 1/2 cup all-purpose flour. Increase sugar to 4 tablespoons and butter to 6 tablespoons. Replace currants with 3/4 cup raisins.
Ginger Scones
Follow recipe for Cream Scones, substituting 1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger for currants.
We also had Eggs Benedict....
And some strawberries to dip in sour cream and brown sugar...along with a few sweeties to have with coffee...
It was a really nice day!
I hope your Valentines Day was full of love....
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