Crisp Cornmeal Scones Recipes

CORNMEAL SCONES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F.
• Mix flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl.
• Cut in butter using pastry blender or 2 knives, until mixture looks like fine crumbs.
• Stir in buttermilk so dough leaves sides of bowl and forms a ball.
• Turn dough onto lightly floured surface.
• Knead lightly 10 times.
• Pat or roll into 7 inch circle on ungreased cookie sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal.
• Score top into 8 wedges, cutting down halfway to the bottom.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until light brown.
• Immediately remove from cookie sheet, carefully separate wedges.
• Serve warm.

CORNMEAL SCONES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°. Mix flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Cut in butter, using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives, until mixture looks like fine crumbs. Stir in buttermilk so dough leaves sides of bowl and forms a ball.
• Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead lightly 10 times. Pat or roll into 7-inch circle on ungreased cookie sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. Score top into 8 wedges, cutting down halfway to the bottom.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until light brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet; carefully separate wedges. Serve warm.

CORNMEAL PLUM SCONES

Steps:

• Put honey and bay leaf in a medium skillet over medium heat. Simmer until honey is bubbling and turns a shade darker, about 2 minutes.
• Place plums in honey. Cook, without moving, until undersides are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir plums and cook 1 to 2 minutes longer, until tender but not falling completely apart. If the caramel starts to get too brown, stir in a teaspoon or two of water and lower the heat. Scrape plums and syrup into a bowl and chill for at least 1 hour. (Plum compote can be made up to a week ahead.)
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
• In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix together the cream and egg.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt (or you can do this in a food processor). Using a fork, pastry cutter or your fingertips, cut butter into flour until the mixture forms coarse crumbs (or pulse in a food processor). Drizzle in as much of the cream mixture as you need to make a smooth, moist but not wet dough. Save remaining cream-egg mixture for brushing.
• Turn dough out onto prepared baking sheet. Pat into a 1 1/4-inch thick round. Using a paring knife, cut 8 wedge-shaped scones (as though you were cutting slices of pie) and push them apart on the baking sheet to separate them 1/2 inch apart. Brush dough with remaining cream-egg mixture, or use more cream if you've run out of the mixture.
• Using your fingertips, make a deep indentation about 1 inch in diameter in the center of each scone. Tuck some plum into the hole. Transfer pan to oven and bake until uniformly golden brown, 15 to 17 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve scones with extra plum compote and butter on the side if you like.

CHEDDAR CORNMEAL SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a bowl whisk together the flour, the cornmeal, the baking powder, the sugar, the salt, and the cayenne, blend in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal, and stir in 3/4 cup of the Cheddar. In a small bowl stir together the egg yolk and the milk, add the mixture to the flour mixture, and stir the mixture with a fork until it just forms a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, knead it gently 8 to 10 times, and pat it into a 6-inch round. Cut the round with a sharp knife into 6 equal wedges, arrange the scones about 2 inches apart on a lightly greased baking sheet, and brush the tops lightly with some of the egg white, beaten lightly. Sprinkle each scone with about 1 teaspoon of the remaining Cheddar and bake the scones in the middle of the oven for 15 to 17 minutes, or until they are golden and cooked through.