Sunday, December 4, 2011

Scones (with recipe)

My husband woke up feeling like scones. But he didn't feel like running to the store for some, so he looked up a recipe and made a batch, the aroma of which called me out to the kitchen, and may I say, best scones I ever tasted. Buttery, light, not too sweet. Even my son's girlfriend, who is English and is with us this morning, heading to the airport for her flight home later tonight, even she, who knows the real thing, approved of them. My husband, as pleased with himself as we were with him, started talking about making cranberry scones next, and cheddar and chives, blueberry, lemon zest, onion and gouda, oh, he was off to the races! Well, let's just have a scone brunch, I suggested. Aha! he said. We'll serve them with tea and Blue Mountain coffee and bellinis made with Prosecco and passion fruit juice. Sounds like we have a brunch, I declared. Sounds like we have a new business, my daughter said. She was serious, too. So, do you wonder where my daughter gets her love of the hospitality arts? Here's a hint: It's not from me.



Update on Sunday: There were more scones this morning in response to particularly effective wheedling from our daughter and one of her friends who slept over. Our girl volunteered to go to the store for the ingredients. Her father was a goner. How could he resist? Again, delicious. Since some of you asked, here is the recipe from foodnetwork.com that he "more or less" followed.

Buttermilk Scones
Serves 16

Ingredients
3 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup currants (optional)
1 tablespoon heavy cream, for brushing

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl. Add butter and mix with your fingertips to a coarse meal. Add buttermilk and mix just until combined. Add currants, if desired. Transfer dough to a floured board and divide into 2 parts. Roll each to 3/4 inch thick rounds. Cut each round into 8 wedges and place slightly separated on a greased baking sheet. Brush the tops with the cream, and bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve warm with butter and honey or marmalade.



21 comments:

  1. That's great! And never, ever, when I make something that turns out really well do I think, "Oh, let's invite people over to eat this!"
    No. I do not.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Well, all I can say to this is YUM. And I wish I could come to the scone brunch!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow! You got a "keeper"! You know that, right?!
    Have lovely weekend and thank you so much again!
    xo, misha

    ReplyDelete
  4. this is the second post I've read about scones in the last three days. I never made any but feel like I may have to. They sound so delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Drooling!!! Beautiful. I think your wonderful husband and daughter both know how to gently coax Momma out of her cocoon. In spite of the rough, you are surrounded by love which is why you will always find the strength and gumption to forge on.

    Love you.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Whenever I wake up feeling like scones, I take a couple of aspirin.

    It usually does that trick ;)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yum! Those look amazing! I've never made a scone -- only purchased the rather plastery Starbucks version.

    ReplyDelete
  8. They look delish, how about a recipe?

    ReplyDelete
  9. T. Clear...hhaaaahaaaa.


    Angella, no one has ever baked for me not really except in the form of potlucks where I get lucky accidentally. I aim to put this high on my priority list if I ever get hooked up again.

    love,
    Rebecca

    ReplyDelete
  10. take out, please? fed ex, please? recipe, pretty please with sugar on top?

    it IS a great business. as gifts: i was once given a gift by a baking daughter of a close friend. once- a- month deliveries of muffins for the whole year (from NYC to MA). one of the most-appreciated gifts i ever received!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oh Yum! I love scones and think I just might have to bake some today. I have some organic lavender from the farmer's market in North Carolina and made some lemon-lavender scones that were yummy. Of course I can't find the recipe, but that's what google is for, right? Thanks for sharing your recipe. I'm already thinking about what tea to drink with my warm scones :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Ms. Moon, well that would be because you would have to do the cooking. It's easier to have such a thought when someone else is doing the cooking!

    Elizabeth, come on over. I would LOVE to sit down to scones and bellinis with you!

    misha, he is a keeper, yes indeed. and as for the card, it's on it's way! it was a pleasure to be able to participate in such a simple lovely thing.

    Lucy, you never know! i like how you think.

    Kristin, from my observation, they are pretty quick to whip up! let me know how it goes.

    Candice, yum is the word!

    NOLA, i smiled a mile wide too.

    Debra, I think you are right. I live with nurturers who like to be silly and laugh. And also bake delicious things. It is what my spirit needs (if not my waistline). hugs back.

    T. Clear, well aspirin is certainly a lot less fattening! haha

    Steve, you're in the land of scones. you'll have to try your hand!

    giftsofthejourney, recipe now posted, just for you. enjoy.

    Rebecca, i highly, highly recommend a love of cooking and baking as a traits to put high on anyone's hook up list. cooks can be very nurturing people in other ways too. not all the time, they're still human, but much of the time, which is so much better than not much of the time! love to you.

    susan, that does sound like a most amazing gift! in lieu of that, i've posted the recipe! xo

    mel, lemon-lavender, oh my. that sounds divine.

    ReplyDelete
  13. thank you so much!
    1.5 cups butter = ohhh, yes!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I will just satisfy myself with the IDEA of scones, okay?
    And what daddy can resist when his baby girl asks for something?
    No good ones, that's for sure.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I am so copying this and making them. And not a single worry that I might have to share, there aint no body in a country mile stopping in.

    What a great brunch, thank you for having us!

    love d

    ReplyDelete
  16. That sounds amazing! I'll try them for Hannukah!
    Hearing about your sweet home life makes me happy. And hopeful. And I need hope right now. So thanks.
    You and your husband sound like such caring parents. It's awesome.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I want one of those drinks!!! You guys can come over any Sunday morning you want and make me scones. =)

    ReplyDelete