2017 Weekly - Week 18

01/05/2017

First time making scones after moving to this scone country +15 years ago! Well, I wasn't that interested in scones as standalone items but tasting Fitzbillies scones two weeks ago with our friends changed my view. Good scones can be simply enjoyed alone, maybe with a dollop of jam if you have my sweet tooth.

So I made orange and sour cherry scones yesterday to celebrate 1st of May. The scone recipes vary vast but they all have three key ingredients, flour, butter, liquid (milk/butter milk/yogurt/creme fraiche), in addition to a pinch of salt. Eggs are not always necessary. A small amount sugar is added if scones are served as a sweet item. They are heavenly when just out of the oven. Crisp outside, soft inside, with orange fragrance wafting through just warm enough to have a greedy bite or two. On an overcast Bank holiday Monday, with a steaming cup of tea, I can overlook the grey clouds imaging a small dollop of sunshine on my plate.

Scones with orange and sour cherries

For the scones:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
4 tablespoons sugar (I used 3 tbsps)
Pinch of flakey sea salt
5 tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter, cubed (I used 50 g)
1/2 cup dried cherries
1 cup Crème Fraîche + milk to form a dough
Demerara sugar for sprinkling

For the compote:
2 cups pitted fresh (or frozen, thawed) cherries
1⁄3 cup sugar

For the compote, place the cherries and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for 10 minutes, stirring once in a while. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Mix the first 4 dry ingredients in a bowl and use your fingers to incorporate the butter into the flour until it’s the consistency of breadcrumbs.

Stir in crème fraîche and cherries until a dough forms. The dough is a bit dry for me so I added a few tablespoons of milk.

Cover dough with plastic wrap and allow to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425°F while your dough is resting.

Remove the dough from the fridge and roll it out onto a lightly floured surface to about a ¾ inch thickness.

Use a biscuit cutter to cut rounds of dough. If you prefer a wedge-shaped scone, use a knife to shape your dough.

Place rounds or wedges on a parchment-lined, ungreased baking sheet. Bake until scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

Cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes.

While the scones are still warm, carefully split them in half, add a dollop of crème fraîche, and a scoop of cherry compote.

Top with the other half of your scone and serve immediately.

Notes: After making this, the taste is buttery and tender with crisp crust. However, the dough was still a bit crumbly for me. Next time I will try one of the recipes which include eggs.