Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Downton Abbey Made Me Do It





This was one of those days when I was feeling a little broke. After paying some pretty hefty bills, I, of course wanted to bake, but I didn't want to spend any money on extra ingredients. On top of that, I was watching Downton Abbey for like the umpteenth time. Some people drink, I watch period dramas. In the scene with Daisy and William's father, he presented her with these delicious looking biscuity-fruity-sconey looking things. (I was quite impressed, actually, that he'd made them himself?! Go, William's Dad!)

Well, I wanted them to be mine, whatever they were. I started perusing scone recipes. I have never made scones because as some of you will agree, most of the scones I've had have been dry, crumbly, give-me-a -glass-of-water-quick lumps. I found several recipes but most called for creme fraiche. I didn't have creme fraiche but I discovered through Chowhound that sour cream is a good substitute for creme fraiche. The recipe also called for dried currants and nonfat buttermilk. Didn't have these either. What I did have were some embarrassingly old dried cranberries and a smidge of full fat milk. I turned the milk into buttermilk with some white vinegar and decided the cranberries would have to do, I mean they were dried after all. Doesn't that mean they last forever? Ha.
These were so incredibly easy to make - easier than biscuits and way, way easier than pie crust!! I gave some away to my neighbor who raved that she didn't even have to put jam on them to make them taste better. My roommate and friend were ravers, too.

Here's the link to the recipe I riffed off of: (I love the tips here for freezing and storing them)
Flour Bakery's Classic Currant Scones

2 3/4 cups (385 grams) unbleached all-purpose f lour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup (70 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (80 grams) dried cranberries (use whatever dried fruit you've got around, raisins even, or chopped dried apple?)
1/2 cup (1 stick, 114 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into 8 to 10 pieces
1/2 cup (120 grams) cold buttermilk
Scant 1/2 cup (120 grams) cold sour cream
1 cold egg
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons sanding sugar, pearl sugar, or granulated sugar (whatever sugar you've got is totally fine)


Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a handheld mixer), mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, granulated sugar, and cranberries on low speed for 10 to 15 seconds, or until combined. Scatter the butter over the top and beat on low speed for about 30 seconds, or until the butter is somewhat broken down and grape-size pieces are still visible.

In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, and whole egg until thoroughly mixed. On low speed, pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour-butter mixture and beat for 20 to 30 seconds, or just until the dough comes together. There will still be a little loose flour mixture at the bottom of the bowl.
Remove the bowl from the mixer stand. Gather and lift the dough with your hands and turn it over in the bowl, so that it starts to pick up the loose flour at the bottom. Turn over the dough several times until all of the loose flour is mixed in.
Dump the dough onto a baking sheet and pat it into an 8-inch circle about 1 inch thick. Brush the egg yolk evenly over the entire top of the dough circle. Sprinkle the sanding sugar evenly over the top, then cut the circle into 8 wedges, as if cutting a pizza. (At this point, the unbaked scones can be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 1 week. Proceed as directed, baking directly from the freezer and adding 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time.)
Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the entire circle is golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes, then cut into the pre-scored wedges (the cuts will be visible but will have baked together) and serve.
The scones taste best on the day they are baked, but they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you keep them for longer than 1 day, refresh them in a 300-degree-F oven for 4 to 5 minutes. Or, you can freeze them, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 1 week; reheat, directly from the freezer, in a 300-degree-F oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

2 comments:

  1. I think I'm going to make this with the little dude this weekend, who, by the way I never mentioned, loves to bake.

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