Nutmeg Scented Scones Recipe Epicuriouscom Recipes

ULTRA-BUTTERY IRISH SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Whisk milk, granulated sugar, and kosher salt in a medium bowl until sugar and salt dissolve. Whisk flour and baking powder in a large bowl. Cut 10 Tbsp. butter into 1/2" cubes, add to flour mixture, and blend with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until pea-size pieces form with some larger chunks remaining. Add milk mixture and stir with a fork until large clumps form. Gently knead in the bowl until dough just comes together. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface.
• With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out dough to a 14x8" rectangle, with long side facing you. Heat 2 Tbsp. butter in a small, microwave-proof bowl in the microwave until softened but not melted, about 20 seconds. Spread evenly over dough with fingertips, then sprinkle currants evenly on top and press to adhere. Fold up bottom third of dough over center, then fold down top third to meet bottom edge, as if folding a letter. Fold in half crosswise, then, using a rolling pin, gently flatten into an 8x4" rectangle.
• Cut dough in half lengthwise and in quarters crosswise to form 8 even squares. Transfer to prepared pan, spacing 2" apart. Sprinkle tops generously with demerara sugar and lightly with flaky sea salt.
• Bake until scones are golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Meanwhile, melt remaining 4 Tbsp. butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. When butter bubbles, remove from heat and skim off foam from surface. As soon as the scones come out of the oven, lightly brush tops with clarified butter, leaving behind white solids in bottom of saucepan. Cool scones on sheet on a wire rack and serve hot, warm, or room temperature.

SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Using a food processor if you have one, whiz together the flour, baking powder, salt, butter, and sugar until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. (Otherwise, sift the flour, salt, and baking powder into a mixing bowl, rub in the butter with your fingers, then stir in the sugar.)
• In a separate bowl, beat together the egg, vanilla, and cream, then add to the flour mixture and bring together with your hands to form a soft dough.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead very briefly, for 10 seconds or so, to make it a little smoother. Now, using a little more flour, pat or gently roll out to a thickness of about 1 1/2 inches.
• Using a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter (or a larger one, if you like), cut out about 8 disks of dough - pressing the cutter straight down, rather than twisting it, as this gives the scones a better chance of rising straight up.
• Lay the disks on a lightly greased baking sheet, brush the tops with milk, and bake for about 15 minutes, or a little longer if the scones are large. To check that they are cooked, insert a wooden toothpick into the middle; it should come out clean.
• Transfer to a wire rack to cool for a few minutes, then serve warm.

PINE NUT CARDAMOM SCONES

Steps:

• In a bowl whisk together the milk, the egg, the brown sugar, and the vanilla until the mixture is combined well. In another bowl stir together the flour, the salt, the baking powder, the baking soda, the cardamom, the cinnamon, the nutmeg, and the zest and blend in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the milk mixture and three fourths of the pine nuts with a fork until the mixture just forms a sticky but manageable dough. Knead the dough gently on a lightly floured surface for 30 seconds, pat it into a 3/4-inch-thick round, and with a 2 1/2-inch fluted cutter cut it into rounds. On an ungreased baking sheet press the remaining pine nuts lightly into the scones, brush the scones with the egg wash, and sprinkle them with the granulated sugar. Bake the scones in the middle of a preheated 400°F. oven for 15 to 18 minutes, or until they are golden.

NUTMEG-SCENTED SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, baking soda, and salt in processor; blend 10 seconds. Using on/off turns, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add sour cream. Using on/off turns, blend until moist clumps form. Turn dough out onto floured work surface. Knead 4 turns to form ball. Roll out dough to 8-inch square (about 3/4 inch thick). Cut square into 8 wedges. Brush with egg-white glaze; sprinkle with 2 teaspoons sugar and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Transfer to baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart.
• Bake scones until tops are golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer scones to rack and cool slightly. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Store scones airtight at room temperature. Rewarm in 350°F oven 10 minutes, if desired.)