Bake ALL the things!
Jun. 5th, 2020 04:19 pmApparently I'm one of those people who bake to cope with things. So I've been baking all the carb things such as cakes, candies, and breads.
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Your scones are not our scones
Apr. 24th, 2018 02:26 pmSo sayeth the ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
smallhobbit.
Rational:
Curiosity was piqued and the experiment began to test the difference between British and American scones.
Methods:
SmallHobbit’s scones
8oz SelfRaising Flour (a.k.a. 2 c regular flour + 3 tsp baking powder)
2oz Margarine
1oz Sugar
2oz Sultanas (a.k.a. golden raisins)
0.25 pint Milk
Rub marge into flour until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in sugar and sultanas. Quickly add most of milk and mix with a knife until it forms a soft dough (add more milk if necessary). Roll out to about 0.75" and cut in 2" circles.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, Gas mark 7 (Electric 230C) (a.k.a. 425 degrees F)
Sugar and Sultanas not necessary if served with jam (I think you call it jelly) and clotted cream.
American scones
For comparison, I tried a scone recipe from King Arthur Flour (https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/scones-recipe). The company was founded in 1790 in Boston, Massachusetts and is now located in Vermont (~4 hrs from me). I think that’s American enough for my purposes.
2 3/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder (this added to the flour essentially makes self raising flour)
1/2 cup cold butter
1 cup to 2 cups chopped dried fruit, chocolate or other flavored chips, nuts, Jammy Bits*, or a combination, optional (used < 2 c golden raisins)
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or the flavoring of your choice
1/2 cup to 2/3 cup half and half or milk (used less than 2/3)
*See "tips," below.
Topping
2 teaspoons milk
2 tablespoons sparkling white sugar or cinnamon sugar, optional (I reduced this to a light sprinkle of normal sugar)
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder.
Work in the butter just until the mixture is unevenly crumbly; it's OK for some larger chunks of butter to remain unincorporated.
Stir in the fruit, chips, and/or nuts, if you're using them.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla or other flavor, and half and half or milk.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until all is moistened and holds together.
Line a baking sheet with parchment; if you don't have parchment, just use it without greasing it. Sprinkle a bit of flour atop the parchment or pan.
Scrape the dough onto the floured parchment or pan, and divide it in half. Round each half into a 5" circle (if you haven't incorporated any add-ins); or a 6" circle (if you've added fruit, nuts, etc.). The circles should be about 3/4" thick.
Brush each circle with milk, and sprinkle with coarse white sparkling sugar or cinnamon sugar, if desired.
Using a knife or bench knife that you've run under cold water, slice each circle into 6 wedges.
Carefully pull the wedges away from the center to separate them just a bit; there should be about 1/2" space between them, at their outer edges.
For best texture and highest rise, place the pan of scones in the freezer for 30 minutes, uncovered. Chilling the scones relaxes the gluten in the flour, which makes the scones more tender and allows them to rise higher. It also chills the fat, which will make the scones a bit flakier. While the scones are chilling, preheat the oven to 425°F.
Bake the scones for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they're golden brown. When you pull one away from the others, it should look baked all the way through; the edge shouldn't look wet or unbaked.
Remove the scones from the oven, and cool briefly on the pan. Serve warm. They're delicious as is, but add butter and/or jam, if you like.
When the scones are completely cool, wrap them in plastic and store at room temperature for up to several days. To reheat room-temperature scones, place on a baking sheet, tent lightly with foil, and warm in a preheated 350°F oven for about 10 minutes.
To reduce experimental variations, I used the same flour, milk, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Both scones had golden raisins to reduce the ‘I like this flavor better’ factor.
Results and Thoughts:
If you had asked me about my opinion of scones before this experiment, I would have said I didn’t like them. I consider scones these overly dry bake good that sucks all of the moisture out of my mouth and have very dull to no flavor. Great start, eh? Husband likes scones and was eager to try the results.
Both husband and I agree that there is very little difference between the two scones in taste. I think there is a difference in texture. The King Arthur scones have a slightly stiffer, stuck together texture (most likely due to the egg). Hobbit’s scones were crumblier and softer and sort of remind me of a biscuit. Next day and two day old King Arthur scones were starting to get a rubbery texture, which was strange. Can’t report on Hobbit’s scones because they were finished quickly.
The King Arthur scones were a absolute pain to make. The dough was stupidly sticky (adding to the list of why I didn’t like scones in the first place) and it took me an hour to make them. Hobbits scones were ready from start to finish in <20 minutes and the dough did not annoy me.
Overall, I like Hobbit’s scones better and would make them again. I think the recipe is a great base for other flavors including a savory version (if this doesn’t scandalize SmallHobbit too much). So, it’s been added to the rotation.
Lastly, we tried clotted cream, or something I think is clotted cream, on both types of scones. After trying to make my own and realizing that cream that is not untra-pasturized cream is extremely hard to find in my area, I found Double Devon Cream. I’m not sure I would eat it on a regular basis. Remember that my sense of taste is not normal. To me, this product had no taste and the only thing I registered, if I could detect it, was a slimy mouthfeel. It didn’t put me off entirely, so I would eat it if in a position where I was expected to, but I prefer butter. :)
smallhobbit.Rational:
Curiosity was piqued and the experiment began to test the difference between British and American scones.
Methods:
SmallHobbit’s scones
8oz SelfRaising Flour (a.k.a. 2 c regular flour + 3 tsp baking powder)
2oz Margarine
1oz Sugar
2oz Sultanas (a.k.a. golden raisins)
0.25 pint Milk
Rub marge into flour until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in sugar and sultanas. Quickly add most of milk and mix with a knife until it forms a soft dough (add more milk if necessary). Roll out to about 0.75" and cut in 2" circles.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, Gas mark 7 (Electric 230C) (a.k.a. 425 degrees F)
Sugar and Sultanas not necessary if served with jam (I think you call it jelly) and clotted cream.
American scones
For comparison, I tried a scone recipe from King Arthur Flour (https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/scones-recipe). The company was founded in 1790 in Boston, Massachusetts and is now located in Vermont (~4 hrs from me). I think that’s American enough for my purposes.
2 3/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder (this added to the flour essentially makes self raising flour)
1/2 cup cold butter
1 cup to 2 cups chopped dried fruit, chocolate or other flavored chips, nuts, Jammy Bits*, or a combination, optional (used < 2 c golden raisins)
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or the flavoring of your choice
1/2 cup to 2/3 cup half and half or milk (used less than 2/3)
*See "tips," below.
Topping
2 teaspoons milk
2 tablespoons sparkling white sugar or cinnamon sugar, optional (I reduced this to a light sprinkle of normal sugar)
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder.
Work in the butter just until the mixture is unevenly crumbly; it's OK for some larger chunks of butter to remain unincorporated.
Stir in the fruit, chips, and/or nuts, if you're using them.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla or other flavor, and half and half or milk.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until all is moistened and holds together.
Line a baking sheet with parchment; if you don't have parchment, just use it without greasing it. Sprinkle a bit of flour atop the parchment or pan.
Scrape the dough onto the floured parchment or pan, and divide it in half. Round each half into a 5" circle (if you haven't incorporated any add-ins); or a 6" circle (if you've added fruit, nuts, etc.). The circles should be about 3/4" thick.
Brush each circle with milk, and sprinkle with coarse white sparkling sugar or cinnamon sugar, if desired.
Using a knife or bench knife that you've run under cold water, slice each circle into 6 wedges.
Carefully pull the wedges away from the center to separate them just a bit; there should be about 1/2" space between them, at their outer edges.
For best texture and highest rise, place the pan of scones in the freezer for 30 minutes, uncovered. Chilling the scones relaxes the gluten in the flour, which makes the scones more tender and allows them to rise higher. It also chills the fat, which will make the scones a bit flakier. While the scones are chilling, preheat the oven to 425°F.
Bake the scones for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they're golden brown. When you pull one away from the others, it should look baked all the way through; the edge shouldn't look wet or unbaked.
Remove the scones from the oven, and cool briefly on the pan. Serve warm. They're delicious as is, but add butter and/or jam, if you like.
When the scones are completely cool, wrap them in plastic and store at room temperature for up to several days. To reheat room-temperature scones, place on a baking sheet, tent lightly with foil, and warm in a preheated 350°F oven for about 10 minutes.
To reduce experimental variations, I used the same flour, milk, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Both scones had golden raisins to reduce the ‘I like this flavor better’ factor.
Results and Thoughts:
If you had asked me about my opinion of scones before this experiment, I would have said I didn’t like them. I consider scones these overly dry bake good that sucks all of the moisture out of my mouth and have very dull to no flavor. Great start, eh? Husband likes scones and was eager to try the results.
Both husband and I agree that there is very little difference between the two scones in taste. I think there is a difference in texture. The King Arthur scones have a slightly stiffer, stuck together texture (most likely due to the egg). Hobbit’s scones were crumblier and softer and sort of remind me of a biscuit. Next day and two day old King Arthur scones were starting to get a rubbery texture, which was strange. Can’t report on Hobbit’s scones because they were finished quickly.
The King Arthur scones were a absolute pain to make. The dough was stupidly sticky (adding to the list of why I didn’t like scones in the first place) and it took me an hour to make them. Hobbits scones were ready from start to finish in <20 minutes and the dough did not annoy me.
Overall, I like Hobbit’s scones better and would make them again. I think the recipe is a great base for other flavors including a savory version (if this doesn’t scandalize SmallHobbit too much). So, it’s been added to the rotation.
Lastly, we tried clotted cream, or something I think is clotted cream, on both types of scones. After trying to make my own and realizing that cream that is not untra-pasturized cream is extremely hard to find in my area, I found Double Devon Cream. I’m not sure I would eat it on a regular basis. Remember that my sense of taste is not normal. To me, this product had no taste and the only thing I registered, if I could detect it, was a slimy mouthfeel. It didn’t put me off entirely, so I would eat it if in a position where I was expected to, but I prefer butter. :)
