Scones are an odd thing. I think they’re a very polarizing treat. I happen to love them, but know a lot of people who can’t stand them. I think a lot of the problem is that those people who hate them really just want a muffin. As any scone lover would tell them, however, a scone is not a muffin. Not even close.
A good scone is more pastry than cake. It shouldn’t be too sweet, and it shouldn’t be too moist. It should be flaky, buttery and delicious. I won’t go so far as to say they should be dry, but I think the perfect scone should be accompanied with a tall glass of water (or coffee or tea if you must).
I’m quite fond of Ina Garten’s scone recipe. She has a few different recipes over on the Food Network website, but they are all based off the same basic dough. There’s a ton of butter in it, which means the scones pretty much just melt in your mouth when you take a bite. The recipe I linked to is for the strawberry scones. I’m lucky enough to have a supermarket down the road that carries dried strawberries, but they can be hard to find. I urge you to be persistent in your search, because they are delicious.
I’ve tried to follow Ina’s lead and change up the recipe whenever I make them. I’ve done strawberry and pecan, dried currant, and cinnamon raisin. They’ve all come out delicious. One batch I even glazed with a simple orange juice and powdered sugar mixture. It added a bunch of sweetness, and they were even popular with the non-scone lovers.
If you like scones, or have only been exposed to those muffin-like impostors, I urge you to give this recipe a try.
Clacked by Bob Degon
on Mar 04, 2009 @ 12:00 EST5EDT
Oh, Keith and I still mourn the passing of Trader Joe’s chocolate chip orange scones… maybe we should try making some!