Saturday 21 April 2012

Scones For Luneray

Luneray is a friend of mine who lives in America.  We have been pen-pals and friends for a few years now.  Following talk of scones a couple of posts ago, I decided to dedicate a post to scones, as I know them.  Scones here are generally savoury, but they can be sweet.  They can be different flavours - plain, sweet, fruit, cherry, cheese, herb, bacon and onion, wholemeal etc.  The plain and fruity ones can be had with jam and cream.  The more savoury ones are nice with soup or stew - this is quite a local thing, more northern than southern, as far as I know.

These two beauties are wholemeal scones.  I think there are some particular standards as to how high and wide proper scones should be.  And whether they should be cut with a plain or fluted cutter.
A scone mixture can be used as a cobbler topping, a fruit or savoury/meaty cobbler.

They taste good, but I don't think they are Show Winning Scones!

The basic recipe for scones is 8oz self raising flour, a pinch of salt, 2oz butter, 1oz caster sugar (optional), 5 fl oz milk and 1 egg, beaten.  I tend to use buttermilk instead of milk.  Some recipes call for just 6oz flour.  I use either plain or self raising flour.  I do add extra raising agent - cream of tartar -  even when using sr flour.  For cheese scones I add 4 oz cheese, 1/4 tsp dry mustard and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

If I double these quantities I can get 15 decent sized scones.  I don't think I could mistake this type of scone for a muffin.  Saying that though, I do have recipes (which I'm not going to dig out at the moment, it's too close to my bed time to go rummaging) that are savoury muffins which bear some resemblance to scones. 

I won't even go into the debate of what your put on your cream scones first - the jam or the cream.  I'm definitely a jam first gal.  But then again I like the scone to be buttered first!

Scone - is it said 'scon' or 'sc-own'.  I'm with the former.  Scones can generate a lot of debate and strongly held beliefs!

4 comments:

Luneray said...

hmm...that recipe sounds more like what is called "biscuit" here in the US but certainly tasty no matter name you use! A rose by any other name...

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/fluffy-biscuits/

Here is my scone recipe:

MIx together:
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tablespoon sugar

Fold in 2 tablespoon butter, add 1/3 cup milk (more or less) until it becomes dough.

Flatten and divide into four pieces. Bake in 450 degree F oven for 11-13 minutes. Split each wedge in half and serve with topping of choice.

Serving with additional butter is optional. I generally just top them with jam. I have never topped a scone with cream although it certainly sounds delicious!

I pronounce it "sc-own", rhyming with "own", "moan", "tone", but that's because I am from the US and I don't speak English properly. ;-)

CarpeDyem said...

I'll try your recipe - and the rhubarb bread. Biscuits over here are more akin to your cookies,although not necessarily as chewy or soft.

Try the sweet scone recipe with jam and cream - a red jam is best, strawberry of raspberry. And dollops of cream - a thick cream or clotted cream, not a runny pouring cream. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it!

Luneray said...

I forgot to mention that the texture is better when the scones are made with cold butter (not frozen, just cold) and room temperature milk.

I hope you like the rhubarb bread!

paula said...

Luna is right . . sounds like our biscuits . . . sweet when served with strawberries and ice cream and savory when served with soupd and stews . . I always thought scons were triangular and always had bits of raisens in them . . go fgure <:0}