Scottish Currant Slab Recipes

SCOTTISH CURRANT SLAB

Steps:

• For the pastry:.
• Sift the flour and salt together. Rub in the butters. Stir in the sugar, then add the egg, mixing to a soft dough.
• Knead dough until smooth. Cover with cling film and chill for 20-30 minutes.
• For the filling:.
• Put the currants, spice and sugar into a large pan and add enough cold water to JUST cover the fruit.
• Bring to the boil, turn down the heat, and simmer gently for no more than 5 minutes.
• Remove pan from heat. Gradually add the custard paste, stirring until the fruit mixture thickens slightly (it will thicken more when cool).
• Preheat the oven to Gas 3. Grease and line a 30x18cm Swiss roll tin.
• Divide the pastry into half.
• Roll out the pastry and use to line the tin, pressing pastry over the base and the sides. Lightly brush the top edges with water.
• Spoon the fruit mixture into pastry case, spread evenly and pack well.
• Roll out the remaining pastry, slightly larger than the tin. Lay over the filling and pat down.
• Trim away the excess pastry and crimp the edges. Cut 2 slits into the middle of the pie.
• Bake for 50-60 minutes. Sprinkle the top with caster sugar while pastry is still warm.
• Serve hot or cold.

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.

CURRANT SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cover currants with warm water in a bowl and set aside to moisten.
• Sift flour, baking powder, and baking soda in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment at low speed, mix white sugar and salt into the flour mixture. Add all the unsalted butter to the mixer bowl and mix on low speed until butter cubes reduce to the size of small peas, about 30 seconds.
• Drain currants and discard soaking water; mix currants, buttermilk, and lemon zest into the flour mixture on low speed just until the dough starts to hold together.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently shape into a rectangle 18 inches long, 5 inches wide, and 1 1/2 inches thick. Brush dough with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar crystals.
• Cut the dough in half crosswise with a sharp knife; cut each half into thirds, and cut each third diagonally to make 12 triangular-shaped scones. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until scones are lightly golden brown, about 18 minutes. Eat warm.

IRISH CURRANT SQUARES

Steps:

• 1. To make pastry: freeze butter or margarine for half an hour before grating.
• 2. Sift flour and salt, then add butter or margarine, mix into flour with palette knife.
• 3. Add iced water until a dough is formed, wrap and chill in fridge.
• 4. Put all filling ingredients into a saucepan and bring to boiling point, once done set aside to cool.
• 5. Preheat oven to gas mark 6/ 200°C/ 400°F.
• 6. Roll out half the pastry very thinly and line a Swiss roll tin.
• 7. Pour on currant filling, spreading evenly, then cover with the rest of the pastry.
• 8. Glaze with egg or milk and bake for 30 minutes or until light gold in color.
• 9. Dust with caster sugar and cut into squares when cool.