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Scones Rule! Strawberries And Cream Scones & Carrot And Herb Scones : Daring Bakers Challenge January, 2012

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Ingredients
  

for Strawberries And Cream Scones

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsps baking powder .
  • 1/4 tsp salt .
  • 2 tbsps sugar .
  • 35 gm butter frozen grated .
  • 1/4 cup cream chilled (25% fat)
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup milk chilled .
  • 1 tbsp milk , for glazing the tops of the scones (optional)

for Carrot And Herb Scones :

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour .
  • 1 tsp baking powder .
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda .
  • 1/2 tsp salt .
  • to taste black pepper . Fresh crushed
  • 1/4 cup carrot finely grated .
  • 1/2 tsp rosemary dried .
  • 1/2 tsp thyme dried .
  • 35 gm butter frozen grated .
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cups buttermilk chilled .
  • 1 tbsp milk , for glazing the tops of the scones (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Triple sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. (If your room temperature is very hot refrigerate the sifted ingredients until cold.)
  • Add the frozen grated butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles very coarse bread crumbs with some pea-sized pieces if you want flaky scones or until it resembles coarse beach sand if you want tender scones.
  • Add nearly all of the liquid at once (for the strawberries and cream scones, add all the cream and then half of the milk first) into the rubbed-in flour/fat mixture and mix until it just forms a sticky dough (add the remaining liquid if needed). The wetter the dough the lighter the scones (biscuits) will be!
  • Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board, lightly flour the top of the dough. To achieve an even homogeneous crumb to your scones knead very gently about 4 or 5 times (do not press too firmly) the dough until it is smooth.
  • Pat or very lightly roll out the dough into a 6u201d by 4u201d rectangle that is about 3/4u201d thick. Using a well-floured 2 1/4u201c (58mm) round cutter stamp out, without twisting, 4 or 5 rounds. Gently reform the scraps (do not knead) into another 3/4u201c layer and cut two or three more scones (these two scones will not raise as well as the others since the extra handling will slightly toughen the dough). Otherwise use a well-floured sharp knife to form squares or wedges.
  • Place the rounds just touching on a parchment lined baking tray. If you wish to have soft-sided scones place them close to one another or spaced widely apart on the baking tray if you wish to have crisp-sided scones. Glaze the tops with milk if you want a golden colour on your scones or lightly flour if you want a more traditional look.
  • Bake the scones at 240C (475F) for about 10 minutes until the scones are well risen and are lightly coloured on the tops. The scones are ready when the sides are set. Place onto cooling rack to stop the cooking process.
  • Each of these two recipes makes 6 or 7 scones about 2 1/4" diameter.

Notes

If you’re making the Strawberries And Cream Scones, let the scones cool to room temperature. Split them into two each. Spread some strawberry preserves/ jam on the bottom half and them place a layer of fresh strawberry slices and top with whipped cream. Cover with the other scone half and garnish with some cream, fresh strawberry slices and mint.
Serve the Carrot And Herb Scones warm, with soup or cheese spread or a spread of your choice.
All the scone making trouble shooting tips given below are courtesy Audax’s Daring Bakerchallenge for this month.
If your scones usually have metallic/ bitter after-taste, try these tips:
Use freshly opened raising agents, many people claim old baking powder has a stronger taste
Look for a single action baking powder (that only uses baking soda and cream of tar tar with a little cornflour) or make your own, since some double action baking powders can have metallic salts in them which some people can taste even in small quantities. Also keep in mind that homemade baking powder works faster and at a lower temperature, so put your recipe together quickly.
Look for a double action baking powder that uses non-metallic ingredients in it, check the ingredients listing on the packet.
Use less baking powder.
If you used an acidic liquid (buttermilk etc) and did not use some baking soda with the normal baking powder then some of the acid in the liquid wouldn't have been neutralised so leaving some salts behind causing the salty aftertase, that is make sure you are using the correct combination of agents for the liquids that you use, see the link below for full details about this.
Use only baking soda and an acidic liquid (buttermilk) like in the famous Irish Soda bread which very few people complain about having an aftertaste.
Use bakers' ammonium (available from King Arthur's flour) it was one of the most common chemical raising agents in the old days before modern baking powder, it smells like ammonia when baking but the ammonia smell totally dissipates and this chemical leaves nothing behind. I use it a lot in my baking it really gives baked goods that old-fashioned taste that people really can pick up on also it gives cookies extra crispness when baked.
If your scones usually have a dry or chalky mouth feel try these tips:
Try smaller sized scones and bake them quickly in a very hot oven and make the dough wetter since large sized scones using a drier dough baked in a moderate oven will give you a dryer crumb and therefore a dry chalky mouth feel.
Over-handled dough will lead to a dry mouth feel.
Eat them immediately fresh out of the oven, scones do really suffer (they become dry and tough) when stored for any length of time.
Try using more fat (about 1/4 cup of fat or so per cup of flour), more fat gives moister crumb. Also try using all shortening, since shortening contains no water or milk solids it gives a very tender crumb.
Try this great recipe for "a touch of grace" biscuits they are the most tender and moist biscuits (scones) that I have had.
Some people claim that a very hot oven is best to start the baking process then lower the temperature to moderate to finish baking the scones.
And if your scones are lopsided:
Lop-sided scones are usually caused by uneven cutting out of the scone.
Clean and flour the scone cutter (by rubbing off any wet dough and then dipping the cutter into fresh flour the entire height of the cutter) every time you stamp out each round. Remember not to twist when you are stamping out the scones. If you are using a knife remember to clean and flour it for each cut.
Try to pat out or roll out the dough as evenly as possible.
Sift the dry ingredients three times as uneven distribution of ingredients can lead to uneven scones.
Try to get the scone out of the cutter by applying gentle even pressure on the entire scone circumference that way you do not compress just one place so making that area less tender so raising less when cooked.
Turn the cut scone upside down onto the baking dish, since this side will be flatter than the patted out top surface.
Only glaze the tops of the scone, a small amount of liquid on the sides will inhibit raise in that area.
Some people like to use a fork and prick some holes in the top of the unbaked scones supposedly this helps the scone raise evenly.
Also some people like to use their thumb and press a small hollow into the top of the scone supposedly this helps the scone raise evenly.