Orange Currant Scones Ny Times Food

CLASSIC SCONES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Put the flour, salt, baking powder and 2 tablespoons of the sugar in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles cornmeal.
• Add the egg and just enough cream to form a slightly sticky dough. If it's too sticky, add a little flour, but very little; it should still stick a little to your hands.
• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead once or twice, then press it into a 3/4-inch-thick circle and cut into 2-inch rounds with a biscuit cutter or glass. Put the rounds on an ungreased baking sheet. Gently reshape the leftover dough and cut again. Brush the top of each scone with a bit of cream and sprinkle with a little of the remaining sugar.
• Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until the scones are a beautiful golden brown. Serve immediately.

ENGLISH SCONES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in the sugar. (Or give all the dry ingredients a quick whirl in a food processor.) Cut butter into bits and work it into the dry ingredients with fingertips or a pastry blender, or by pulsing the processor, until mixture is finely crumbly. If using a food processor, transfer mixture to a bowl.
• Gradually add 1 cup milk and the currants, if using, and mix with a fork. Knead lightly by hand to make a smooth dough. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 20 minutes.
• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a baking sheet with butter or line it with parchment paper. Roll dough to a 3/4-inch thickness. Use a fluted 2- or 3-inch cutter to punch out scones. Scraps can be kneaded lightly for additional scones. Beat the egg yolk with remaining milk and brush on the scones. Place on baking sheet and bake 10 to 12 minutes until risen and golden brown.

ORANGE-CURRANT SCONES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or baking mat, or use a nonstick pan.
• Toss dry ingredients and zest together in a large bowl. Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, rub butter and flour mixture together just until butter pieces are the size of peas and covered with flour. Make a well in the center of the bowl and pour in egg and cream. Mix ingredients together by hand until a shaggy dough is formed.
• Turn out onto a floured surface and gently mix in currants, kneading dough and currants together just until incorporated.
• Pat dough into a 3/4- to 1-inch-thick rectangle. Cut rectangle in half lengthwise, then cut across into 8 or 12 smaller rectangles. Place them on the baking sheet, spaced out.
• Brush tops with egg wash and sprinkle with brown sugar (if using). Bake until light golden brown, about 22 minutes; rotate the pan front to back halfway through. Let scones cool slightly on the baking sheet. Serve warm or at room temperature. Eat within 24 hours.

MASTER RECIPE FOR BISCUITS AND SCONES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or baking mat, or use a nonstick pan.
• Toss dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, rub butter and flour mixture together just until butter pieces are the size of peas and covered with flour. Make a well in the center of the bowl and pour in cream. Mix ingredients together by hand until a shaggy dough is formed. (The mixture may seem drier than typical biscuit dough.)
• Turn out onto a floured surface and gently knead dough together just until smooth and all ingredients are incorporated.
• Pat dough into a 3/4- to 1-inch-thick rough rectangle shape. Use your hands if you like a nice bumpy top; for smooth tops, use a rolling pin, pressing lightly. Using a sharp knife or dough scraper, cut rectangle in half lengthwise, then cut across into 8 or 12 rectangles or squares. Place them on the baking sheet, spaced out.
• Brush tops with melted butter. Bake until light golden brown, about 22 minutes; rotate the pan front to back halfway through. Let cool slightly on the baking sheet. Serve warm or at room temperature. Eat within 24 hours.

ORANGE-CURRANT SCONES

Steps:

• Combine currants and buttermilk in a small bowl.
• Combine flour and next 5 ingredients, stirring well. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Gradually add currants and buttermilk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.
• Turn dough on lightly floured surface and knead 4 or 5 times. Pat dough to 3/4 inch thickness and cut with 3 inch biscuit cutter. Place scones on lightly greased baking sheet, brush scones with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400°F for 18 minutes or until golden.

ORANGE-CURRANT SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Line large baking sheet with foil. Stir flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in large bowl to blend. Add butter and shortening; using fingertips, rub in until coarse meal forms. Add 1 cup buttermilk, currants and orange peel. Stir gently until dough comes together in large moist clumps. Gather dough into ball. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface. Gently knead 3 or 4 turns to combine will. Divide into 2 pieces; flatten into 3/4-inch-thick rounds. Using floured knife, cut each round into 8 wedges. Transfer wedges to prepared baking sheet. Brush with remaining 2 tablespoons buttermilk and sprinkle with additional sugar.
• Bake scones until light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CURRANT SCONES

Steps:

• 1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425°F. Line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper.
• 2. TO MAKE THE DOUGH BY HAND: Whisk the milk and 2 eggs together in a small bowl; set aside. Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and nutmeg into a medium bowl. Add the butter and mix quickly to coat the butter with the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour, scraping the butter off the blender as needed, until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs with some pea-size pieces of butter. Mix in the currants. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the milk mixture and mix just until the dough clumps together. TO USE A MIXER: Whisk the milk and 2 eggs together in a small bowl; set aside. Sift the dry ingredients together into the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer. Add the butter. Attach the bowl to the mixer and fit with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until the mixture looks mealy with some pea-size bits of butter. Mix in the currants. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the milk mixture, mixing just until the dough barely comes together.
• 3. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface and sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of flour on top. Knead the dough a few times, just until it doesn't stick to the work surface. Do not overwork the dough. The surface will be floured, but the inside of the dough should remain on the wet side. Gently roll out the dough into a 3/4-inch-thick round.
• 4. Using a 2 1/2-inch fluted biscuit cutter, dipping the cutter into flour between cuts, cut out the scones (cut straight down and do not twist the cutter) and place 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared half-sheet pan. To get the most biscuits out of the dough, cut out the scones close together in concentric circles. Gather up the dough scraps, knead very lightly, and repeat to cut out more scones. You should get two scones from the second batch of scraps. Brush the tops of the scones lightly with the beaten egg, being sure not to let the egg drip down the sides (which would inhibit a good rise).
• 5. Place the scones in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 400°F. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool on the pan for a few minutes, then serve warm or cool completely.

ORANGE CURRANT SCONES

Steps:

• In a bowl of a standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment stir together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add butter and zest and beat until mixture resembles coarse meal. Beat in currants. In a bowl whisk together buttermilk and eggs and add to flour mixture, beating just until a dough forms.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. On each sheet arrange six 1/2-cup mounds of dough about 1 inch apart. Sprinkle mounds with raw sugar and chill 15 minutes.
• Bake scones in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets half-way through baking, until light brown, about 20 minutes.