Scones (Cream Scones)

Source: Best International Recipe p. 105 (Winter 2009)

Ingredients

• 2 cups Unbleached All Purpose Flour
• 1 tbsp Baking Powder
• 3 tbsp Sugar
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• 5 tbsp Cold Unsalted Butter, Cut Into ¼″ Cubes
• ½ cup Currants
• 1 cup Heavy Cream

Method

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 425°F.

2. Place the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl or the workbowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Whisk together or process with six 1-second pulses.

3. If making by hand, use two knives, a pastry blender, or your fingertips and quickly cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal with a few slightly larger butter lumps.

4. If using food processor, remove the cover and distribute the butter evenly over the dry ingredients. Cover and process with twelve 1-second pulses. Add the currants and quickly mix in or pulse one more time. Transfer the dough to a large bowl.

5. Stir in the heavy cream with a rubber spatula or fork until the dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.

6. Transfer the dough and all dry flour bits to a countertop and knead the dough by hand just until it comes together into a rough, slightly sticky ball, 5 to 10 seconds. Gently pat the dough into a ¾ inch-thick circle and using a bench scraper or chef’s knife cut the scones into 8 wedges. Place the wedges on an ungreased baking sheet.

7. Bake until the scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Variations

Glazed scones - Brush tops of scones with 1 tbsp heavy cream and then sprinkle them with 1 tbsp sugar just before baking them.

Ginger scones - substitute ½ cup chopped crystallized ginger for the currants.

Cranberry-Orange scones - add 1 tsp grated orange zest with the butter and substitute ¾ cup dried cranberries for the currants.

ETC.