Oven Love

Submitted by Lorel

Fifty three years ago, when I was a young bride, a friend gave me a book compiled by the food editors of Farm Journal magazine.  The book, Homemade Bread, was right up my alley.  Husband Steve and I were starry-eyed members of the Woodstock generation, eager to “get back to the land” and raise babies and green beans.  In those days homemade bread was virtually unknown; we’d been brought up on Wonder Bread, and whole grain, artisan bread and bakeries were years in the future.  Whole wheat bread may have been available back then in odd little “health food shops” but it wasn’t very good and had been made weeks before somewhere in California.  And by the way --  in those days no one was gluten free, and vegans were…possibly from Vega?  It was a long time ago in a kitchen far, far away!

I couldn’t wait to get started.  As I poured over the cookbook,  a recipe for Scones caught my eye.  A bell rang somewhere in my head.  My heart said, “Have we met before?”  I felt an elemental pull to make their acquaintance.  I decided then and there to give them a try.
The recipe said the name rhymed with “on” and these Scottish breads were traditionally cooked on griddles, or on stones over a fire.  All I had was an old electric stove but I was not deterred.  I started making scones and found they were an easy and delicious quick bread – and no pans or cupcake papers were involved!  These not quite cake and not quite bread goodies became so popular in my house I began to experiment.  I started adding currants (traditional and optional) but before long strayed to adding things like chocolate chips or fresh fruit – a desecration, I thought – but quite popular with my family. They remain a favorite treat.  Fresh scones on a chilly morning or gloomy Winter afternoon are “art” to me: a gift of love, so easy to give, and so wonderful to share.

I’ve been making scones for more than 45 years now.  I’ve run through several recipes but the one that follows is my favorite.  I have shared it so many times!  You can buy scones at just about every coffee shop these days but this recipe, homemade, tops them all.  Give scones a try.  Spread the jam, butter and love.  It’s high art that you can eat. 

Cream Scones (original recipe from Paige Vandegrift)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 T baking powder

½ t salt

1/2 cup sugar

¼ cup “mix ins” (see below)

1 ¼ - ½ cup heavy whipping cream

raw or turbinado sugar (for sprinkling)

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a bowl.  Whisk to blend well.  Add your “mix ins”.  Stir in whipping cream, continuing until well blended.  Dough should hold together, but not be too sticky.  Knead a bit on a floured surface to mix well.

Pat dough into a circle about ¾ to 1 inch thick.  Cut circle into 8 wedges and place wedges an inch or so apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet (or on parchment paper on a cookie sheet).  Brush each scone with some cream and sprinkle generously with raw sugar.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes – until golden brown and springy to the touch.

MIX INS:  combine nuts, dried fruits, chocolate chips as desired….have fun! 

           Sweet --

            Dried cherries and chocolate chips

            Dried cranberries and golden raisins or zest of one orange

            White chocolate chips, apricot pieces, and toasted nuts

            Cinnamon chips and toasted pecans

            Dried currants and zest of one orange

            Chocolate chips and zest of one orange

            Savory: (for savory scones, reduce sugar to 2 T.)

            3/4 cup sharp cheddar (small dice) and 1/2 cup fresh dill, snipped

            3/4 cup prepared pesto and 1/2 cup grated provolone cheese

            1/2 cup thin sliced bacon and 1/2 cup thin sliced scallions

            1/4 cup each chopped kale and sun dried tomatoes, 1/4 cup grated parmesan

            Fresh fruit-- use 1/2 cup of any fresh fruit chopped to 1/2 inch dice

NOTE:  Bake immediately OR store in fridge for up to two weeks…bake one at a time or as many as needed.  You can also freeze the unbaked scones (up to two months) and bake as needed.  Add 5 minutes to baking time for frozen scones…do NOT thaw first.

Make wonderful biscuits!  Omit sugar from recipe.  Roll dough to a 3/4 inch thickness.  Cut out biscuits with a round cutter.  Gather up scraps and re-roll and cut.  Makes about 10 transfat-free biscuits.  Serve hot with butter and jam.