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London's Cream Scones
Ingredients
| * | 2 cups all-purpose flour, approximately |
| * | 1/2 cup cake flour (Softasilk is a good choice) |
| * | 1/2 cup sugar |
| * | 1 tsp. salt (sea salt preferred) |
| * | 1 tbls. baking powder |
| * | 2 sticks butter, chilled |
| * | 1/2 cup heavy cream, chilled |
| * | 1/4 cup milk, chilled |
| * | 3/4 cup currants |
| * | 1 egg beaten with 1 tsp. cream, to glaze |
Instructions
| 1 | Use 1 baking sheet, greased or Teflon. |
| 2 | BY HAND OR MIXER (15 minutes): |
| 3 | In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together by hand or in the mixer bowl with flat beater blade. Cut the chilled butter into 1/2" cubes and drop them into the flour one at a time. By hand, use a pastry blender to chop the butter into small pieces resembling crumbs or coarse meal. In the mixer, set at slow speed to reduce the butter to crumbs. Don't over-mix or it will turn into a dough. It must remain dry. |
| 4 | Add cold cream, milk, and currants. Mix until the dough cleans the bowl and is well blended. Do not knead. Mix only as for pie dough. Turn out onto the floured work surface. If the mix is still cold, thanks to the chilled ingredients, it can be rolled and cut right away. If not, and the dough has become sticky, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for an hour. Push and shape the dough into a smooth solid mass, adding sprinkles of flour to control the stickiness. |
| 5 | BY PROCESSOR (15 minutes): |
| 6 | Insert metal blade. The mixture must be done in quick, short bursts to keep the particles intact, NOT blended into a solid mass. |
| 7 | Measure the dry ingredients into the work bowl. Pulse to blend. Uncover the bowl. With a sharp knife, cut the two sticks of butter into cubes and scatter them over the flour. Cover the bowl and pulse to cut the butter into small particles like bread crumbs. Pour the liquid through the feeder tube, while at the same time pulsing the processor. Stop the machine immediately when the dough forms a ball and cleans the sides of the bowl. Do not knead. The dough will be soft and quite moist when it is removed from the work bowl. Add sprinkles of flour if necessary to make it easier to work. Place the dough on the floured work surface. Spread the currants over the dough and work them into it by hand, otherwise the whirling blade would cut the currants into tiny black bits. |
| 8 | SHAPING (10 minutes): |
| 9 | With a rolling pin or by hand, flatten the dough into a sheet 1" thick. Use a ruler to check the thickness to keep the scones uniform. |
| 10 | Dip the cutter in flour and cut out the scones. Place on the baking sheet. Work the scraps together and roll flat and cut. Brush the scones with the wash. Cover the bake tray tightly with plastic wrap or place it in a plastic bag and refrigerate for one or two hours or overnight until the dough has relaxed. |
| 11 | BAKING (20-25 minutes): |
| 12 | Preheat oven to 400 F degrees. Lightly brush each scone again with egg glaze. Place the baking sheet on the middle shelf of the oven and bake until light golden in color, about 25 minutes. To test, gently open one scone to be certain it has properly baked. Check the bottom which should be a deep brown. |
| 13 | FINAL STEP: |
| 14 | Treat the scones gently when they first come from the oven for they are fragile when hot. Place them on a metal rack to cool. Scones keep nicely for a day or so. Freeze if for a longer period, then thaw and reheat. |
| 15 | Serve with butter and jam or eat plain as is. Delicious. |
Notes
- This is one of the finest breads to come from the ovens of Wendy and Michael London, two of the most accomplished bakers in the country. It is tender, soft and rich. Very rich. Unlike dough for other scones, this dough is chilled before cutting, then returned to the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight to relax.
- To give these scones the touch of elegance they deserve, cut them from the dough with a fluted cutter that is a favorite of pastry makers. Razor sharp, the crinkle cutter cuts cleanly without smearing the dough, and leaves a handsome scalloped edge. They are equally good, of course, cut with ordinary biscuit or cookie cutters.
Source
Bernard Clayton - New Complete Book Of Breads