For most of my baking life it's been a source of mild frustration and disappointment to me that my scones were not all that they might be (they didn't rise nicely and who wants a stubby looking scone?) but in the last couple of years it's all come together - I might not win any prizes but you'd almost certainly want another if you tried them. This is mostly due to the the Scottish one and our joint love of afternoon tea. At home I'd bake a cake (with my Kitchen Aid, well stocked store cupboard, range of tins, and oven whose idiosyncrasies I understand), away nothing beats a scone for simplicity - or so I thought.
The recipe I use is, along with pound cake, the only one I don't need to check. It calls for the oven to be turned up to 220 degrees C, 8oz of self raising flour, a tablespoon of sugar (optional), 2oz of butter not to hard, and about 150mls of milk - or enough so that the mix all comes together and is only just not sticky. Mix the sugar, flour, and butter into sandy breadcrumbs as quickly as possible, stir in the milk, pat the dough into a disk about an inch thick, cut out the scones (you get six nice big fat ones from this recipe) stick them on a baking tray and into the oven. Quickly wash up and then put the kettle on and make a pot of tea, by which time (10 to 12 minutes) the scones should be cooked. Let them cool whilst the tea brews and then eat them. Scones don't keep well so there's every reason to be greedy.
I'm bringing this up because scones are essentially a cult item in our relationship and we're given to (reverently) discussing them - this time because I'd been browsing through 'Tea With Bea' and read her (frankly iconoclastic) version. There are eggs and a lot of chilling and waiting and chilling and fuss and whilst it seems likely that the results would be delicious I don't hold with it. Some browsing on line (I have an action packed life) revealed a whole lot of scone fiddling - I'm here to make a case for keeping it simple.
I don't believe scones should be 'ultimate' or complicated. The best thing about them is that you can think a cup of tea and a bite of something might just hit the spot and be eating one a whisker under half an hour later. They should be cheap and easy - the kind of thing it's no bother to knock up in a strange kitchen. Obviously they deserve a bit of love and care - to be anointed with only the finest jams, and cream whipped to softly fluffy perfection, but it's the almost instant gratification that makes me adore them so. It's right and proper that individual bakers have their own quirks (some swear by a drop of lemon juice, cream of tartar, yoghurt...) but I believe the real secret is practice. After a while measurements become superfluous, you know when it looks and feels right, after which a lifetime of smug satisfaction awaits.
I haven't seen the book but I had tea at Bea's recently and her scones are nothing to get excited about. Best ones are made in five minutes flat to use up sour milk, like my mum did every Sunday afternoon. I'm not quite in her league.
ReplyDeleteYour mum's scones sound like heaven.
ReplyDeleteThat is my scone recipe as well, although I do use buttermilk. You are spot on about simplicity being the secret, and adding eggs makes them too cakey. Don't over handle the dough, and keep it thick...that's what I had to learn. Success every time now.! Helen.
ReplyDeleteGood old Delia... I would use buttermilk if I normally had it around - or yoghurt and your spot on about keeping them thick and not over working the dough.
DeleteYou are such a competent baker that I am puzzled by your scone "problem", and the only thing which springs to mind is that maybe the self-raising flour is old and the self-raising element is affected? I would also use buttermilk when I can, and my mother maintained that once the "self-raising" element of your mix met the liquid part, you have to move dead fast. Bring together, roll and cut or shape very speedily, then into the oven.
ReplyDeleteScone problems all solved now Curzon. I used to be far to heavy handed (and terrible sin, used a rolling pin to flatten the dough) but it's a good long while since I made a disappointing scone - all it took was 20 odd years of practice!
DeleteMy mum's scones are so wonderful I've never quite dared try to measure up. I'll have to have another go now, though...
ReplyDeleteMum's scones are the best and are of course the bench mark of what all future scones ought to taste like!
DeleteHmm. No pun intended, but much food for thought here. I think every scone recipe I have used called for egg. Although I found one recently that is much closer to the UK ideal than anything I had used before, but now I am not sure if it calls for egg or not. I prefer fruit scones (that is in the UK sense with dried currants or sultanas/raisns, not in the US sense which could be any number of inappropriate fresh fruits) to plain ones. Would your recipe work with dried currents? I have yet to find a recipe that does a really nice lift and maintain the nice flat top characteristic of so many in the UK. As you may know, I had 8 scones on our trip at five different places and it was interesting to see the variations.
ReplyDeleteI just checked, the recipe I use these days does not call for egg (except as an optional wash on top before baking).
ReplyDeleteBut which was the best scone of the 8? It sounds like you put in a lot of research anyway. These are good with fruit in them - just chuck in a handful (or 2 ounces if you want to be specific)of sultanas or raisins or whatever just after the milk's been stirred in. I keep reading not to twist the pastry cutter (which I probably do)it seems logical that if I didn't I wouldn't get sloping scones.
DeleteScones are one of the things I'm just not very good at. Give me a rock cake instead, less effort!
ReplyDeleteLove rock cakes but mine always go a bit flat. They are my next project to get right.
DeleteYour scone looks perfect...and delicious! When my turn comes up to bring in a treat for our staff meetings the ladies hope I will make scones. In the beginning I would fuss too much, you're so right...quick and simple is the way to go.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to beat a good scone, your ladies are lucky to have you :)
DeleteLove the term 'scone fiddling'. I think it should become an Olympic sport!
ReplyDeleteA pernicious habit!
ReplyDelete