Scones

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Scones

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1AnjilaG
Nov 16, 2008, 11:32 pm

I've been attempting to bake scones at home.
I've never eaten them from anywhere (store, restaurant, etc.) and no one in my direct family bakes them. So, no previous experience to rely on.

I don't know what texture, rise, taste, appearance to look for, aside from what I've seen in pictures online.
I've tried two different recipes from www.allrecipes.com, one using milk and one using sour cream w/egg. I've made them with shredded apple & toffee bits and with chocolate chips and toffee bits.
I love to experiment with baking.

I'm having slight problems with timing, my oven runs 25 degrees F hot, so I have to adjust the temp down when cooking, but I still keep scorching the darn things...grrr

Anywho, who eats scones in RL, and what kind do you like and what is your idea of a perfect scone?

(the ones I took out of the oven a few min ago are chocolate chip w/ toffee bits, and almost scorched they are still wonderful to me!)

2nitnat
Edited: Nov 16, 2008, 11:46 pm

The secret to scones is not to handle the dough too much....a light hand as they say! Scones made with buttermilk rise beautifully, warm with homemade strawberry jam and freshly whipped cream mmmmm....already done my baking for the week today, pity! Maybe next week!

It is frustrating with baking when the oven is less than cooperative. I had one in the last house I was in which meant unless I was careful, the bottom would be burnt and the middle of anything raw! NOT NICE!

What country are you in?

eta: ok USA. If you like I have some great scone recipes however my concern is we may have our flour milled differently here. But if you would like and can give me a few days to get them to you, I am happy to email you them or whatever.

The texture of the dough is normally quite sticky so make sure you flour the bench and rolling pin (if you use one) well. When baked should be sort of crumbly, but not falling apart, soft.

3AnjilaG
Nov 16, 2008, 11:49 pm

United States.

It didn't help that I pulled them after 8 minutes, then looked at the recipe and it said to bake for 15 - 17 minutes, so I popped them back in for 5 min and I think I should have made it 3.
Plus I put a bit too much sugar in. They're very sweet. If I ate cookies & milk together, they would probably be wonderful. You could crumble these up and pour milk over them and eat them with a spoon. Warm.

How much difference does it make to use margarine and omit the salt? Instead of salt-free butter and salt added to the dry, that is.

4caitemaire
Nov 16, 2008, 11:51 pm

I don't have access to my scone recipe at the moment (darn work...) but I would agree that key is to handle the dough as little as possible. And I must say that I am a purist. No additions of 'stuff', chips or flavors, for me. Nope...
One thing I learned recently is a trick to 'cut' in the butter. I took slightly frozen butter and grated it on a box grater. Perfect, no cutting into the flour needed.

Nothing beats a lovely, light, buttery warm scone with some lovely jam...I have a nice current jam, but raspberry or strawberry will do nicely.

5AnjilaG
Edited: Nov 16, 2008, 11:58 pm

I used wheat flour, which is finely milled, to me.

Of course, I HAD to tweak a recipe I've never tried before...so...
I added ground flaxseed and instant vanilla cappuccino.

They're soft, but not really flakey. I didn't roll them out, no room on my counter and the table is a mess of papers. I just pressed the dough together in the bowl and then flattened it out some on the parchment paper in a circle. I patted it with wet hands and sprinkled a bit of sugar on top, pie-cut it in 8 and separated the sections before baking.

I would love me some recipes!

eta: I used Blue Bonnet margarine ("bakes like butter!") and cut it in with a pastry hand blender thingy...(kind of round with 4 or 5 connected blades). I keep my wheat flour in the fridge, as well as the ground flax, so everything was cold.

6nitnat
Nov 17, 2008, 1:10 am

I use butter when I bake...even to the salted or unsalted variety as required. Like I said, give me a few days and will have them ready for you. No idea what Blue Bonnet butter is...hasn't made it to Australia! I prefer butter. I'm getting fussy with additives, preservatives and all that stuff since having kids. Like to know what is in the food I eat and they eat!

7Barry
Nov 17, 2008, 4:55 am

My wife makes the most wonderful cheese scones through the winter for Sunday tea! And it got cold enough yesterday to declare it officially winter and let the scone-fest begin. Are you looking for savoury tips too?

8nitnat
Nov 17, 2008, 5:08 am

Fluffy buttermilk scones.
2 cups (300g) self-raising flour
2 cups (320g) stone-ground wholemeal self-raising flour
1/4 cup (55g) castor sugar (this is a fine sugar...not powdery like icing sugar and not as coarse as white sugar like you might put in coffee)
1 tspn salt
160g cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
200g natural sultanas, dried currants or chopped dates (optional)
2 ups (500ml) buttermilk
milk or plain flour for topping

1. Preheat oven to 200C. Dust a sturdy baking tray with flour and set aside or use a lightweight one lined with two layers of baking paper.
2. Put both flours, the sugar and salt into a large bowl. Whisk them together for about a minuts so thorughly combined and areated. Scatter the chunks of butter over hte top and use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs (you can do this in a food prcessor too! then tip into a large bowl.
3. Add the dried fruit and toss it so it's well coated, then make a well in the middle. Pour in the buttermilk and sitr it very lightly until the floury mixture is well moistened. Turn this mixture out onto a floured chopping board and knead it gently until it is just combined. Pat it out into 4-5cm think round. Dip a scone cutter or small tumbler into some flour, then stamp out the scones, dipping the cutter back into the flour between each one (stops sticking). Gently knead together andy scraps and cut them again
4 Sit the scones closely together on the baking tray and either brush the tops with a little milk or dust them lightly with flor.
5 Bake for 20 min or until the scones are golden. Remove them from the oven and immediately wrap them in a clean tea towel (I don't know why, you just do!) leave them for 5 minutes, then serve with jam and cream!

Strawberry jam 'snails"

2 cups (300g) sr flour
pinch slat
1 tablespoon (we use 20ml here, yours is 15 ml) castor sugar
75 g cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
3/4-1 cup (180-250ml) milk
1 egg yolk, whisked with 2 tspn (5ml) of milk or water (optional)
icing sugar (for dusting)

Strawberry butter
60g unsalted butter at room temp
1/4 (80g) strawberry jam

1preheat oven to 200C
2 put flour, salt, sugar in food processor and whiz together. Add butter and process until like fine breadcrumbs. tip into large bowl...or do all this by hand. Pour in the milk and mix lightly with a fork....you need just enough to make a soft, slightly flaky dough.
3 Turn the dough out and knead until fairly smooth. roll out the dough untila rectangle 30cmx20cm
4 for the strawberry butter, put the butter and jam into food processor and mix thoroughly. Spread over the dough. Starting at the long side nearest you, roll the dough like a jam roll. Use a lightly floured knife to cut the roll into 3 cm-thick slices (serated knife and gentle sawing action)
5 sit the scones, cut side down on a baking tray lined with baking paper, leaving a gap between each one for spreading. (if time, put them in the fridge for an hour before baking...like we have time to do things like this!!)

Brush with egg yolk mixture before putting in the over. Bake for 15-20 mins. Take out of oven, dust with icing sugar and popon them into a serving basket lined with a clean cloth or tea-towel.

Serve with jam cream and fresh strawberries. I freeze them for the children to have later...not a good as straight from the oven, but not bad!

Enjoy...got more too....cheese, pumpkin and date, etc, but these are the ones I have made often!

9mckait
Nov 17, 2008, 6:07 am

I agree with little handling and cutting in. I do add stuff... cheddar and bacon for one...apples sometimes...

I do love scones. My favorite online recipes are gone though...
glad I have my faves copied.

10Taliska
Nov 17, 2008, 6:38 am

my absolut favy scone/muffin type recipe is for 'cheese puffs'

dead easy:

2cups flour
2cups grated cheese
2cups milk
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 pinch cayenne pepper

it makes a gooey almost runny dough, spoon into small muffin or cupcake pans (fill the holes about 2/3rds) and bake for 10-20 min (until golden brown) at 220 deg C

I use the realy small muffin pans, You can 'butter and jam' them... but I never wait that long, I pretty much snarf them whole as soon as they are cool enough to eat!

Yummy!

11reading_fox
Nov 17, 2008, 6:47 am

I don't make them and only eat them as a special treat with butter, strawberry jam and clotted cream, normally after a strenuous walk/ride, accompanied by strong tea.

Shoud, be dense, almost breadlike consistency with raisens no more than 2-3" diameter and probably risen to 1-2" high, then cut in half.

12MrsLee
Nov 17, 2008, 11:05 am

I agree with reading_fox's description of texture, but yuck on the raisins. :P If I add accessories, they are grated rind of lemon or orange with bits of dried cranberry or dates. I use whipping cream instead of milk, and always real butter.

I'm teaching a young man to cook and sent him home with a scone recipe to try (it had nutmeg as a seasoning, kind of makes it eggnoggy). When he was here we discussed unbleached flour, which is what I use. So when he saw the recipe, he thought he had to use unbleached flour and the only kind they had was whole wheat. He didn't know why his scones came out so dry and chewy. :) Guess we'll have a lesson on flour types next time.

13maggie1944
Nov 17, 2008, 11:11 am

Yay! scones. Yay! home baking. Scones with strawberry jam = heaven.

14PensiveCat
Nov 17, 2008, 11:15 am

I love scones. Can't believe I haven't made any yet this year. My brother-in-law keeps urging me to. I have plenty of blueberries at home: I think it's time. That's probably my favorite kind of scone, though I like pumpkin and buttermilk is wonderful. Love me some clotted cream - or lemon curd. Dang.

*runs off to Tea & Sympathy*

Seriously, my favorite scones ever were in The Muffin Man in Kensington, London. Pure heaven.

15Busifer
Nov 17, 2008, 12:12 pm

Scones are great and was a big feature when I grew up. Husband and son don't like scones though, so now they only happen about once a year.

Swedish style scones are made with milk, butter, wheat flour, and baking powder and looks like this -


They're about 5,5-6 inches in diameter. In our house they were served with butter/margarine and marmalade, together with Yunnan tea.

16caitemaire
Nov 17, 2008, 12:39 pm

ok, enough of this. I am off to heat up the oven and whip up a wee batch....

17PensiveCat
Nov 17, 2008, 1:20 pm

Busifer, that picture actually made my mouth water!

18Choreocrat
Nov 17, 2008, 5:04 pm

Our scone recipe is one of the cheat ones.

A bottle of lemonade (1.25L)
A tub of cream (400mL)
4 cups flour (250mL cups)

I put it on 180C for about 15min.

Serve with more cream and jam.

19mckait
Nov 17, 2008, 5:06 pm

very stringent scone rules foxy!

20Severn
Nov 17, 2008, 5:53 pm

Funny this, I've been thinking of making scones for ages. My Mum made awesome scones: one sweet kind with dates, and one savoury kind with cheese and onion.

I am SO making scones soon! Today maybe...

*drool*

21buchleser
Nov 17, 2008, 6:01 pm

I just had a scone today, hot out of the oven. Mmmmmm.

22nitnat
Nov 17, 2008, 6:31 pm

I have a lemonade one too, but I am not sure that australian lemonade is the same. Isn't Sprite the closest american equivalent to ours?

23Choreocrat
Nov 17, 2008, 6:34 pm

Good point, Nitnat. By lemonade I mean the soft drink that may have once been waved near a lemon tree when it was being delivered to the supermarket. Sprite or a generic version of it are best.

24Severn
Nov 17, 2008, 6:44 pm

Schweppes classic dry lemonade...the very best.

Sprite is a poor imitation of schweppes...

25cmbohn
Nov 17, 2008, 6:51 pm

These all sound so yummy! Just to make it more complicated, when I moved to Utah I got my first taste of Utah 'scones.' The version here is Indian fry bread, but it's called scones. You take a recipe of white yeast bread, divide it into small portions. Then flatten each portion and deep fry in hot oil. It pulls up and becomes golden brown. It's sort of like a doughnut, but not as sweet. Then you slather it with honey butter.

I like both versions, really, the traditional English style that's a little like American biscuits and the Utah kind.

26jillmwo
Nov 17, 2008, 7:18 pm

Well, now I want to go try WillSteed's recipe (particularly if you can get away w/ just using Sprite). Very unlike any other scone recipe I've ever made.

Could you be a bit more specific as to what kind of cream? Are we talking about a tub of "fake" whipped cream (as in Cool Whip) or did you mean something closer to butter?

27nitnat
Edited: Nov 17, 2008, 7:26 pm

pouring cream i think you call it. my lemonade ones have more ingredients in them...sr flour, wholemeal sr four etc but does have 1 cup of cream. sorry holding bubs typing with one hand. got to go feed her!

eta the book i got my scone recipes also has THE best anzac biscuits too! If you are a chewy anzac biscuit kind of person!

28jillmwo
Nov 17, 2008, 7:25 pm

heavy cream or light cream?

29nitnat
Nov 17, 2008, 7:27 pm

light not a thick cream

30jillmwo
Nov 17, 2008, 7:27 pm

That helps! Thank you, nitnat.

31Choreocrat
Nov 17, 2008, 7:37 pm

Oops. Too late. Thanks for filling in, Nitnat!

32nitnat
Edited: Nov 17, 2008, 8:22 pm

No probs WillSteed.

Hey, maybe given all the interest in pie, scones and cake may I be so bold as to suggest we open a little cafe beside the pub. Isn't there somewhere we can do this? I'm not suggesting that we start serving skinny soy decaf lattes, only tea made with leaf tea, proper coffee, etc. (Reminds me there is this great song about Earl Grey tea by Enda Kenny...one of the lines :"do I drink it or dab it on?"...fabulous. Cant find it to upload other wise I would share it!) Just a thought.

33evedeve
Nov 17, 2008, 8:20 pm

best scone recipe I've found is in Nijella Lawson's How to be a Domestic Goddess ....I was skeptical but photocopied it out of the library one and it made large fabulous scones...so yum

34AnjilaG
Nov 17, 2008, 10:17 pm

I made a batch with semi-sweet choc chips instead of milk chocolate, turned out better, not so sweet.

I'm putting a batch in with shredded apple and toffee bits and cinnamon chips.
I also mixed some OJ in with the egg and sour cream.

This is funfunfun!

And I love all the comments!

35felius
Nov 18, 2008, 12:07 am

I also use the lemonade scones cheat:


36Choreocrat
Nov 18, 2008, 12:46 am

Maybe it's an Aussie thing.

37MerryMary
Nov 18, 2008, 1:11 am

*stars this entire thread for later experimentation*

38nitnat
Nov 18, 2008, 4:03 am

Devonshire tea anyone?

39reading_fox
Nov 18, 2008, 5:20 am

Never heard of fizzy drink cooking before. Just mix it altogether into a dough, divide and bake?

Is that 4x 250ml cups or 4 cups for a total of 250ml flour? I would guess the first? How many scones does this make, seems like a lot?

Someones got to try the coke varient, I'm sure it's the fizz rather than the lemon that's important.

40mckait
Nov 18, 2008, 6:06 am

If I can ever work out the conversions, I am going to try this cheat recipe!

41caitemaire
Nov 18, 2008, 8:42 am

>33 evedeve: I love Nigella Lawson. Her show on the Food Channel is amusing...and I love her attitude about food.

42PensiveCat
Nov 18, 2008, 9:30 am

32- That sounds wonderful! I suppose at the Green Dragon one would serve Lung Ching (Dragon Well) green tea?

43maggie1944
Nov 18, 2008, 10:10 am

Actually I think the pub has a kitchen of sorts in the back, it just has not been used much. Unless you want to avoid the odor of all our past parties, you can eat right there at the bar. The roombas will love you for it, and I am sure it could bring the puffins out of hidding. All we need to do is find one Dragoneer who could supervise finding the best chefs in the land!

44cal8769
Nov 18, 2008, 10:20 am

45reading_fox
Nov 18, 2008, 10:43 am

LOL!

I'm impressed. Where did you find that, or did you make it?

46cal8769
Nov 18, 2008, 12:46 pm

I found it on PhotoBucket. I'm not techy enough to create it.

47sqdancer
Nov 18, 2008, 1:31 pm

>39 reading_fox:

1 cup = 250 mL (approx.)

48debavp
Nov 18, 2008, 2:20 pm

#27--I would love to try your ANZAC biscuit recipe-do you have a link to it?

49cal8769
Nov 18, 2008, 2:25 pm

*clears table, spreads checkered table cloth and lights candle*

OK, bring on the scones, biscuits, muffins, pies......

*Pours hot chocolate all around*

50chezhedmom
Nov 18, 2008, 2:51 pm

Scones ...yum. I like to make lemon raspberry scones or blueberry scones, or ... .... I LOVE scones!!!!!!!!

51jillmwo
Nov 18, 2008, 3:21 pm

I can't get to the oven before Saturday!

52Choreocrat
Nov 18, 2008, 5:01 pm

39 - That's one of my recipes that is about a guess. I just keep adding flour until it's the right consistency - i.e. gooey and doughy but not sticky.

53pollysmith
Nov 18, 2008, 8:23 pm

I made scones once but they were hard and crumbly so I figured I didn't do it right and never tried again

54nitnat
Nov 19, 2008, 12:20 am

Anzac Biscuits

1 cup (90g) rolled oats (NOT quick cooking oats)
2/3 (50g) shredded coconut (I used dessicated)
1 cup 9150g) pl flour
¾ cup (165g) castor sugar
125g unsalted butter
2 tbl golden syrup
2 tbl boiling water
1 ½ tsp bicarb soda
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven 160oC. Line a couple of large baking trays with baking paper and set aside. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix together the oats, coconut, flour and sugar.

2. Put the butter and golden syrup into small saucepan over low heat and warm them, stirring occasionally, until the butter has melted. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the boiling water and bicarb and stir them briefly, be careful as this will froth. Pour the buttery liquid into the oat mixture along with the vanilla extract. Quickly stir the two together until they’re thoroughly combined.

3. Roll the sticky dough into walnut-sized balls, flatten the slightly and sit them at least 5cm apart on the prepared baking trays.

4. Bake for 16-20 mins or until the biscuits are deep golden brown but still soft, them remove them from the oven. (its’ a good idea to rotate the oven trays halfway through the cooking process to ensure they cook evenly). Leave them to cool on the trays for a few minutes, then carefully transfer them to wire racks to cool completely. They keep well in an airtight container.

This is from “mix and bake” by Belinda Jeffrey….a beautiful baking book if ever there was one!!

55PensiveCat
Nov 19, 2008, 10:03 am

Golden syrup...I found some in Stop & Shop, it's I think Tate & Lyle. Excellent for treacle pudding too. Who says British food sucks?

56Busifer
Nov 19, 2008, 11:08 am

I?
;-)

I think food preferences are coloured by culture and upbringing.
Both when it comes to negatives and positives...

57maggie1944
Nov 19, 2008, 11:10 am

It seems like babies express food preferences befor culture and upbringing has had too much influence. It is that old nature/nurture question; I am seeing more and more evidence in favor of nature. Perhaps the babies are influenced by what the mother ate?

58Busifer
Nov 19, 2008, 11:20 am

Perhaps, but it's also nowadays known that humans develop taste over age - initially the taste sensing organs are undeveloped and then babies can eat just about anything given that they accept the general texture. As they grow older they start to prefer certain tastes.

I've heard a theory that what the mother ate during the pregnancy influences the future preferences of the child but I'm uncertain. I ate lots of thai food and my son still doesn't like it ;-)

Possibly my son would like barbecued rat but I think I'm rather conditioned the other way :D

59mckait
Nov 19, 2008, 4:46 pm

taliska

your cheese puffs are in my oven as I type..
with pamesan rice and shrimp for donner...
*exited*

60cal8769
Nov 19, 2008, 6:40 pm

HHHMMMM

61AnjilaG
Nov 20, 2008, 1:00 am

If I mentioned the Donner Party, would that be waaaay too random?

*innocent whistle*

62dreamlikecheese
Nov 20, 2008, 2:33 am

Nitnat, I love Belinda Jeffrey's Mix and Bake! I've been drooling over it at work for months. I may just have to bite the bullet and buy the damn thing.

I haven't made Anzac biscuits in ages...probably not since last Anzac Day actually. I'm feeling all biscuity and inspired now!

As for scones...I'm a purist. No chocolate or anything else should enter a scone. As far as I'm concerned, the only allowable variations are sultanas (or other suitable dried fruit), cheese or pumpkin. And I often use the lemonade scone recipe to good effect.

Quick note for those wanting to know about the flour cup measurements...4 cups of flour is 16 oz.

63nitnat
Edited: Nov 20, 2008, 3:10 am

dreamlikecheese...I have made heaps from that book and I would have to say it is ALL great and everything thus far has worked. The other thing is she tells you what you can freeze which for my family is really helpful. Bake a batch of stuff, freeze it and then we can take out what we like when we want it! Well worth the investment if you ask me!

eta there is also a recipe for lemon thins which are just divine too!

64mckait
Nov 20, 2008, 5:46 am

Anj

I have a son that ..when he has to leave a name and wait for a table always says Donner. Then they call the Donner party and cause him great amusement.

:P

Taliska

loved the puffs... but admit ~

I made half a recipe as written-ish ( with added salt and garlic-3 cheeses and a dollop of sour cream)
and half with beer as the liquid. I preferred the beer.. but that is just me.
I am a huge fan of beer bread.

I will make it again and thank you

65Busifer
Nov 20, 2008, 6:34 am

I had to check Wikipedia for Donner Party and thus I met the goal of today - I learnt something new.

(I have the same goal every day)

66jillmwo
Nov 20, 2008, 9:02 am

This is one of the really useful threads this month. I'm getting all kinds of ideas about baking!

67cal8769
Nov 20, 2008, 11:45 am

I need new knowledge... What is Anzac Day?

68MerryMary
Nov 20, 2008, 12:16 pm

One of the Colorado colleges named their cafeteria in honor of Alferd Packer. (Note to non-US Dragoneers: Same general idea as Donner Party) And, no, I didn't misspell Alferd.

69MerryMary
Nov 20, 2008, 12:21 pm

Just looked up ANZAC Day. I knew it was a commemoration day for the war dead, but discovered it began as a way to honor Australian and New Zealand forces who died at Galipoli in World War I. It is now a day to honor the dead from all wars. (Down Under Dragoneers: How did I do?)

70caitemaire
Nov 20, 2008, 1:27 pm

Ok, I was out of eggs last time, but now I am really going to make some scones...

my mother's recipe...

1 ¾ cups flour
1 ½ tsp. double acting baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 Tbs. sugar + 2 Tbs. sugar
6 Tbs. butter
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 425º. Grease cookie sheet. With a fork, mix flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut butter unto the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or two knives scissor fashion until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
In a cup beat eggs, reserving 1 Tbs.
Stir milk into the remaining beaten eggs, and stir into flour mixture just until well mixed.
Turn dough onto well floured surface rolling lightly into a 9” x 6” rectangle, ½ “ thick. Cut into 3” squares, then each square into 2 triangles. Place triangles 1” apart on cookie sheet, brushing with the retained egg and sprinkle with 2 Tbs. sugar.
Bake 10-15 minutes, until golden

71MrAndrew
Nov 20, 2008, 5:57 pm

>#69: pretty darn good. Now you probably know more than many younger Australians. ANZAC was the name of the force in WWI (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps), and yeah now it's a day to honour the lives lost and also those that have served in all wars. Biscuits (US: cookies) made to a similar recipe were sent to the troops in WWI, hence the association.

>#65: I try to forget something everyday. So far i'm doing pretty good.

72Elee
Nov 20, 2008, 7:47 pm

>54 nitnat:, nitnat, I have a question for you about the ANZAC biscuits from Mix & Bake. I have that book and have made many yummy things from it (especially the gem scones, honey and sunflower seed muffins, and the banana and date bread), but when I made the ANZAC biscuits they were horrible. Way too dry and flat. I like my ANZACs chewy and since you said that's how yours were when you followed that recipe I wondered if you did anything different or followed the recipe exactly? I thought perhaps it was a dud recipe (I like baking and most things I bake turn out great) but now I'm wondering whether I maybe just stuffed up somewhere when I was making them.

The last scones I made were gem scones from Mix & Bake (leaving out the dates on top because that was just weird) using my grandmother's gem scone iron which are very difficult to buy nowadays. They were delicious :-)

I want more scones now after reading this thread!

73AnjilaG
Nov 21, 2008, 12:05 am

ok, I'm going to try a savory recipe, now.

I love cheese in biscuits, especially for breakfast and dinner and in betweeen.

74nitnat
Nov 21, 2008, 1:13 am

Elee. I don't flatten mine when I put them in the oven and I am pretty sure I don't cook them as long as they recipe says. I wait long enough til they LOOK cooked, not feel cooked. Mine do flatten out quite a bit still. I don't change anything with the recipe except these things. I must do the gem scones. I have looked at them time and again. I don't have a scone iron, just a shallow patty cake tin, so that will have to do! It is a great book though. I have yet to have any failures.

The olive and cheese bread is magnificent too!

Gotta go...and make a scone base for pizza tonight!

75reading_fox
Edited: Nov 23, 2008, 1:09 pm

Just to add to a few notes #18's recipe.

It's self raising flour.
Don't use ALL of the bottle of lemonade you want about equal amout to the cream. Other fizzy drinks seem to work OK too.

edit to add: about 8oz flour made 12 scones.

Made some today, (with raisens) once I'd checked the above, it was quick, easy and very tasty! Less than an hour from starting to eating!

76mckait
Nov 23, 2008, 7:29 am

thanks foxy

good info. I have gotten some really good ideas from this thread, too.
I printed out the recipes. :)

Tried one..

yummy

I wonder if cherry soda makes cherry scones?

77Sodapop
Nov 23, 2008, 4:02 pm

EWWWWW!

78Elee
Nov 23, 2008, 6:01 pm

>74 nitnat:, thanks nitnat. I will try the recipe again and make those little changes. I agree that it's a great book and Belinda Jeffery is so lovely, particularly when she talks about her Mum. Thanks for replying :-)

79Seanie
Nov 23, 2008, 6:15 pm

I'm eating a yummy scone as we speak :)

80MrsLee
Nov 23, 2008, 6:58 pm

So now I'm wondering what beer would do in your scone recipe? Think it would taste sourdoughish?

81Sodapop
Nov 23, 2008, 7:03 pm

Beer might work well with a cheese scone.

82Sodapop
Nov 24, 2008, 6:36 am

Well I made the Aussie scones and they turned out great. I used 1 cup heavy cream, 1 cup sprite and 3 cups of flour. Baked 'em for 10 minutes on 450f which was too hot really. I'll try 400 next time.

83Busifer
Nov 24, 2008, 6:39 am

A question - we don't have self-raising flour here. How much baking powder should I add to each cup of flour? Anyone having any practical experience?

I'm aching to try scones made of brown ale, or coffee stout, but I lack the time to experiment with proportions right now...

Anyone?

84AnjilaG
Nov 24, 2008, 1:13 pm

1 cup self-rising flour = 7/8 cup all-purpose flour plus 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon (USA) baking powder = 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

according to www.allrecipes.com

85MrsLee
Nov 24, 2008, 1:17 pm

Off of the Cooks website: SELF RISING FLOUR SUBSTITUTE

2 c. sifted cake flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Sift the above together and use as self rising flour.

From the CDkitchen site: Self-Rising Flour Substitute

One cup self-rising flour equals:
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder, plus
1/8 teaspoons salt.

The Cooks version sounds too fussy to me. I know I've just added baking powder before and it worked fine, though I suppose the salt is O.K. too.

86katylit
Edited: Nov 24, 2008, 1:26 pm

All these scone recipes sound wonderful. I'm curious, what do you think is the "proper" pronounciation of "scone"? Scone as rhymes with "gone" or scone as rhymes with "bone"? I say the former, but have been teased by many people who say the latter. Just wondering.

eta, my favourite scones are cheese slathered with butter and crabapple jelly or lovely raisin ones with homemade strawberry jam and imported clotted cream (that I know isn't anywhere near as good as what I could get in the UK, but as good as I can get here).

87MrsLee
Edited: Nov 24, 2008, 1:46 pm

I say it to rhyme with "bone" but I would never tease you katylit! I mispronounce enough words out of ignorance that it would be ridiculous to tease someone because they say things differently.

A clarification. The Aussie scones, you don't use self-rising flour do you? Or do you?

ETA: I just saw reading_fox's note and know now that it is self-rising flour. *skips to the kitchen to bake cheese and beer scones*

88maggie1944
Nov 24, 2008, 1:42 pm

I say scone as if it rhymes with bone, but then, I'm just a yank and a westerner, too.

89Busifer
Nov 24, 2008, 1:52 pm

I too say it to rhyme with 'bone'...

#87 - I interpreted it as self-rising, and that's why I asked for a way to make that kind of flour. Was I wrong?
Hm...

And - thanks for all the recipes! The Cooks version seems waaay too much fuss for me, but the others are easy, so...

Maybe tomorrow, when I've had time/oppotrunity to buy some ale to make it from. I don't think my dear husband would like it if I used one from his special stash of Yule ales (and neither would I!), lol.

90hfglen
Nov 24, 2008, 3:05 pm

#86 My immediate family rhyme it with gone unless we're taking the mickey out of hot-potato speech. My grandmother usually rhymed it with bone.

91Sodapop
Nov 24, 2008, 3:19 pm

I pronounce it to rhyme with gone.

92caitemaire
Nov 24, 2008, 5:01 pm

...bone....

93mckait
Nov 24, 2008, 5:34 pm

ditto... bone

94felius
Nov 24, 2008, 5:36 pm

Always rhymes with gone here, unless we're being silly (which happens often enough, admittedly..)

I'm now enthralled by the idea of making scones with beer/ale/stout/champagne. Hmmmmm....

95katylit
Nov 24, 2008, 5:44 pm

Whew! Now I can tell people it's pronounced both ways all around the world. I feel vindicated :-) Thank you ;-)

(thank you too MrsLee!)

I do like the idea of using beer, gotta try me some of those. I've got some cheese scones in the oven right now and a pot of tea brewing, yum.

96Choreocrat
Nov 24, 2008, 5:44 pm

It definitely rhymes with "upon" for me. Unless it's the town in Queensland, or the stone, when it rhymes with bone. I think we're odd in that.

97katylit
Nov 24, 2008, 5:57 pm

lol! Thanks Will, I'll try to remember if I'm ever in Queensland.

98Seanie
Nov 24, 2008, 6:22 pm

It sounds more like upon for me too than gone or bone...

99felius
Nov 24, 2008, 6:26 pm

>97 katylit: Be careful! Mad as cut snakes, the lot of them! ;)

100Elee
Edited: Nov 24, 2008, 8:56 pm

Hmmph...well, I'm just going to take my scones and leave since I'm apparently as mad as a cut snake ;-) No scones for you!

Right now I'm looking at the webpage for "The Scone Advocate" - the local newspaper for the town of Scone. If there is a town called Cupcake I am totally moving there.

Off to research other towns with baked goods in their name.

101MrsLee
Nov 24, 2008, 10:35 pm

I made my scones today with 3c. flour (I added baking pwdr., a smidgen of baking soda and salt to make self-rising), 1 c. beer (I used the most inexpensive kind I could buy in a single can, Steel Reserve, a "high gravity" beer. Not sure what that means.) 1 c. heavy whipping cream. Ended up adding a bit more flour because it was too moist. Also added cheddar cheese, minced cooked bacon and some powdered sage to the flour before I added the moisture. Baked at 450° for a bit more than 10 minutes. I actually forgot them, but caught them when they were still brown and not burned, thank goodness.

They have a lovely sourdoughish flavor, crunchy on the outside, tender in the middle. They are closer to what I would call a biscuit than what I call a scone though. Not sure how to describe the difference, but it has something to do with texture. Oh, and I'm talking the kind of biscuit you eat with a meal, not a cookie. ;)

102nitnat
Nov 25, 2008, 12:00 am

From the land of the long flat vowel....scone has an 'on' sound to it. As Willsteed mentioned.

Scone pronounced like 'bone' is a town up near Newcastle (pronounced 'newcarsul').

103mrgrooism
Nov 25, 2008, 12:20 am

#64 - I have a friend who's a big Trekkie who likes to give the name LANDING at restaurants.

Landing party of four...

104hfglen
Nov 25, 2008, 2:49 am

#100 You could always move to Broodsnyersplaas (literally bread-slicers farm), a railway junction in Mpumalanga. Apart from a procession of coal trains, nothing ever happens there.

105MerryMary
Nov 25, 2008, 3:29 am

As I have a bit of a Scots heritage, I have been fascinated with "The Stone of Scone." Imagine my surprise to find that the two words don't rhyme! It's skoooooon.

106Taliska
Nov 25, 2008, 4:07 am

@64: glad you liked :)

That recipe is open to interpretation... so have a ball! if you come up with any other nummy variations please share!

:D

107buchleser
Nov 25, 2008, 6:49 am

#64, 103 -- My favorite is saying "Ravenous."

108Barry
Nov 25, 2008, 8:54 am

On the BBC today

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/7747718.stm

mmmmm newcie brown mmmmm scones mmmmm

109MrsLee
Nov 25, 2008, 4:51 pm

#104 - Nothing ever happens there because every time anyone would say they are going there, it just sounds like mumbling! (I'm sure it doesn't, but the words do look like a mouthful!)

110Elee
Nov 25, 2008, 6:30 pm

>104 hfglen:, hhmm...Bread-Slicers farm does sound intriguing, but Vegemite Sandwich Farm would be better :-) Just imagine...a farm that grows vegemite sandwiches!

111jillmwo
Nov 25, 2008, 8:45 pm

>>#108. Great link to the BBC story! I love the idea of 67 flavors of scones. (And like most Americans, I pronounce it so it rhymes w/ bone).

112hfglen
Nov 26, 2008, 2:03 am

#110 or you could move to Bakoven Bay (Baking-oven ...) on the Cape Peninsula and make your own sandwiches. That part of the Peninsula is crowded but scentcally stunning.

113Busifer
Nov 26, 2008, 6:36 am

I just got meself self-raising flour. Yes!
VERY expensive, as it's imported in small quantities. But should do for the chemical reaction in the lemonade variety scones ;-)

114Busifer
Edited: Nov 29, 2008, 1:25 pm

My ale scones experiment -



It went well, very filling scones.
Good with Västerbotten cheese, which is kind of a Parmesan cheese.

1 cup Newcastle's Brown Ale
1 cup whipping cream
Unknown amount of self-raising flour (my guess is about 4 cups)

ETA - the finish is due to me dashing/painting the bread with water while still in the oven. And the flash, of course ;-)

115hfglen
Nov 29, 2008, 1:34 pm

*whips out magic carpet, sets controls to 'Stockholm, instantly'*

They look wonderful, busifer!

116MrsLee
Nov 29, 2008, 1:48 pm

Oh yum. I'm going to go heat up my leftover ones for breakfast, but it's never the same.

117Busifer
Nov 29, 2008, 2:03 pm

Thanks. And no, it's never quite the same when they're reheated. Still, better than a lot of other things ;-)

118felius
Nov 29, 2008, 8:08 pm

They look quite flat, as though they didn't rise very much? Or did they spread out instead? They do look yummy though - and I'm fond of Newcastle Brown Ale :)

I'm definitely going to have to try this.

I'm struggling to imagine a world in which self-raising flour is an exotic imported substance! I'd definitely suggest making your own if that's the case.

119Busifer
Nov 30, 2008, 3:50 am

They raised just fine. In Sweden we do scones as quite big pieces of bread, about 20 cm or 7.8 inches in diameter, and those on the picture raised to a height of about 4-5 cm, 1.5-2 inches.
We then part the loaf in four parts before serving.

I reheated some for breakfast today and they worked just fine on the second day as well.

PS
They didn't spread, either. I flattened the dough on the plate, to less than 1 cm, the way we do it here. I'm well aware that in other parts of the world scones are smallish bunlike things, slightly higher, which means the dough is not flattened as much as we customarily do it here...
DS

120katylit
Nov 30, 2008, 10:03 am

They look delicious Busifer, gotta try me some of those.

I'm using beer in more and more recipes, soon my husband's going to start squawking and insist I get my own stock of beer, instead of sneaking a bottle of his, here and there ;-) It's just so good in chili, and bread, and a hamburger/macaroni dinner I make...

121PensiveCat
Nov 30, 2008, 3:41 pm

I don't like beer per se, but it does work in quite a few recipes. Now I need to find a Mojito Scone. I guess I should be satisfied that we have lime flavored Tostitos.

122Elee
Nov 30, 2008, 7:38 pm

Your scones look very tasty Busifer - hfglen I might have to hitch a ride on your magic carpet to Busifer's house :-)

I made the Strawberry Jam Snails (posted by nitnat above in message 8) yesterday for an afternoon tea at a friend's house because I have that same cookbook. They were delicious! Highly recommended. I need more practice with the rolling though because mine didn't look as nice as the picture in the book.

123nitnat
Nov 30, 2008, 11:53 pm

#122- "rustic" always looks cute!

124Elee
Dec 1, 2008, 12:26 am

>123 nitnat:, lol - they were definitely rustic looking! Nigella Lawson writes in one of her books (I think it might be The Domestic Goddess) that there is two kinds of baking - the kind that looks very pretty and fancy but often doesn't taste that great, and the kind that looks a bit messy but tastes fantastic. She prefers the latter and so do I :-)

125DavidHWebb
Dec 1, 2008, 2:07 am

All these delicious scones... aah! Let me tell you about the boy scout equivalent - DAMPER a special favourite of boy scouts in Australia.

You mix water and flour to the usual scone consistency and flour the outside of a huge lump of dough.

It is important not to use salt if you are using alfoil as the combination of the aluminium and the salt produces some horrible toxin.

The idea is to wrap the dough in alfoil (losely to allow it to rise) and then bury the parcel in the coals of the fire you used to cook your lunch (in the boy scout case - burnt sausages)

If done well this is quite nice camp bread which you can cover with golden syrup and butter and devour.

...even without the alfoil it is OK. You just dust of the ashes and break open the steaming damper and add condiments.

Usually the fire is too hot because the little darlings cannot believe you can cook in the almost dead coals of the fire and they put on more wood which results in burnt fingers getting the alfoil off and a bit of rock hard damper which you can only get to after scraping off an inch of damper which has turned to pure carbon.

Doesn't that make nitnat's strawberry jam snails sound good!

I have tasted these actually - little addition for the detectives

126felius
Dec 1, 2008, 5:00 am

>119 Busifer: Thanks, I had no idea scones were made this way. It actually sounds like a great idea to me, especially for savoury scones.

>125 DavidHWebb: Damper is one of those things that are far more exciting to cook than to eat - I think this is why it's always done with kids ;)

127MerryMary
Dec 1, 2008, 11:21 am

>125 DavidHWebb: What fun. Your story reminded me of similar expeditions as a Girl Scout. And let's not forget - syrup or jam can cover a multitude of sins.

1289cl01gro
Dec 1, 2008, 11:25 am

i like scones to im jealous i wish i knew you so you could invite me over to munch on you delicious scones. then together we could butter our biscuits

129maggie1944
Dec 1, 2008, 12:44 pm

again, I think 9cl has stumbled into the wrong discussions.

130caitemaire
Dec 1, 2008, 2:00 pm

lol...lol...lol...

131PensiveCat
Dec 1, 2008, 2:19 pm

That reminds me of a strange comment I got on my blog post about "cream tea".

132DavidHWebb
Dec 1, 2008, 9:02 pm

I think 9cl has clicked on the wrong shortcut

133nitnat
Dec 11, 2008, 8:32 pm

elee...made Brown Sugar shortbread yesterday...yum! And I made some VERY rustic scone snails too last week!

134cayman
Dec 12, 2008, 12:42 am

mmm...all that talk of damper has happy memories flooding back. We lived on a small acreage with a seasonal creek running through the back.

We would invite a couple of families for a rustic meal ,usually in winter so it is nice to be near the open fire. I'm not talking about your freezing cold, snow-on-the-ground below zero degrees celcius. Just a tropical 12 to 15 degrees celcius.

We would dig a fire pit ,half fill it with river sand, and light a roaring fire earlier in the afternoon. The cooking was done in camp ovens- large heavy cast-iron pots with lids and handles. The rim of the lid often has a lip on it to hold the coals and hot ash from sliding off as it nestles in the hot ash and sand.
We would cook joints of meat and vegetables in these camp ovens, and buried in the ashes were whole pumpkins and cabbages hollowed out ,stuffed with butter and garlic and triple wrapped in alfoil
For desert we cooked a huge damper in a camp oven. While this was cooking we stoked the fire again and everyone cooked their own 'twirlies'.

Every person was given a green stick about 1 inch in diameter or a bit less and about 3 or 4 feet long. They each had a piece of the damper dough which was rolled into a long sausage shape and wrapped around the end of the stick. This was then twirled over the coals until cooked. The best part is then pulling the twirly off the stick leaving a nice hole to pour the golden syrup and cream into.

Mostly the twirlies fell off into the fire or were charred black on the outside and uncooked on the inside.This activity was simply to pass the time til the 'real' damper was cooked.

In our family we have several names for golden syrup. 'Fly bog' was the kid's favourite . Just watch a fly land on an open golden syrup sandwich and you'll see what I mean! It also went by the antiquated term 'bullocky's joy'. Bullockys were blokes who drove teams of bullocks carrying loads on wagons. They lived on the track with their teams as they hauled wool or wheat or logs over long distances. Golden syrup was a little luxury that they could carry and use on their damper, as it does not need refrigeration.

135maggie1944
Dec 12, 2008, 8:48 am

Lovely description; thanks. I can almost see it.

136nitnat
Dec 12, 2008, 5:14 pm

Love it....fly bog! hehehe

Reminds me of David's scouting days!

137cmbohn
Dec 13, 2008, 1:06 am

You have all made me hungry - I think I'll make scones tomorrow for brunch.