Red Velvet Scones

 This.  This is what I would have made if I had gotten "red" for Dessert Club.  I'm not bitter.  I ordered a bottle of Red Velvet Cake Flavor from King Arthur Flour to be part of the "Colors" Dessert Club prize.  But when it arrived, I changed my mind and kept it for myself.  And used it to make these scones.  And I am not sorry one bit.

I think I patted them a bit too short.  But otherwise, delicious.  Winners.  One more recipe to give scones a good name. 

And that flavor!  It lends both the gorgeous red color (so you don't have to use all your food coloring) and a je ne sais quois flavor - chocolate with a subtle fruity hint?

Red Velvet Scones (print recipe)
Makes 12 to 14

Scones
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 large egg
1 tablespoon red velvet cake flavor
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup natural cocoa powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
sparkling white sugar, for decorating

Filling
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (2 ounces) confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1 cup heavy or whipping cream 
1/2 pint fresh raspberries, for serving 
 
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet, or line with parchment paper.

2. To make the scones: Combine the cream, egg, and flavor. Set aside.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

4. Work in the butter until the mixture is crumbly.

5. Add the cream mixture, stirring just until the dough comes together.

6. On a lightly floured surface, shape the dough into a 1"-thick circle.

7. Cut scones into 2 1/8" rounds, and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with sparkling sugar, if desired.

8. Bake the scones for 15 to 17 minutes. Remove them from the oven, and transfer to a rack to cool.

9. To make the filling: Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy.

10. Add the cream, and whip until soft peaks form.

11. For each serving, split a scone in half; dollop on filling; add berries, and top with the other half of the scone.

Recipe from King Arthur Flour

1 year ago:  Coconut-Lime Berry Cake
2 years ago:  Perfection Pound Cake
3 years ago:  Fudge Ecstasies

Berry Almond Scones with Orange Butter

Per request (you know I take requests), here's another favorite from our last Dessert Club.  I'm sorry I don't have a better picture; I feel like it doesn't do these amazingly tender and flavorful enormous scones with HOMEMADE BUTTER justice.  You can make these with dried cherries or any combination of dried berries.

Berry Almond Scones (print recipe)
Makes 6 scones

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 T baking powder
Zest of one lemon
Pinch salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 sticks cold butter, cut into pea-size pieces
1 cup mixed dried berries or dried cherries
1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds
1/2 cup heavy cream
Turbinado sugar, for garnishing


1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2.  In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, salt and cinnamon. Add in the butter and rub with your fingers into the dry ingredients until a coarse meal forms. Add in the berries/cherries and almonds. Add the heavy cream and combine it into the butter flour mixture.

3.  Form the dough into a 1-inch thick disk and cut it into 6 wedges. Sprinkle each wedge generously with the turbinado sugar. Transfer the wedges to a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake in the preheated oven for 17 to 18 minutes, turning the pan halfway through.


Recipe adapted from Anne Burrell by Dessert Club member J.B.

Orange Butter
1 cup cold heavy cream
2 tablespoons honey
1 orange, zested

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add all ingredients and whip on high speed until the cream starts to clump and turn light yellow. Continue mixing as butter forms and the buttermilk begins to separate out. Scrape sides and continue mixing until mixture is one lump of butter. Place butter into a clean container or serving dish and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Recipe from Dessert Club member J.B.

Dessert Club - Muffins, Buns, Rolls and Scones

 What a night.  You really missed something special.  Unless you were there.  But just in case you weren't...

We couldn't come up with quite the right one-word name for these fist-sized, breakfast-or-teatime genres, so we just specified the challenge by names.  Specifying muffins, buns, rolls, or scones seemed just broad and just narrow enough a category for our March meeting.

In direct contrast to Candy night, we had no problem sampling each treat, and at least in my case, going back for more with this spread.  They were varied, tender, delicious and not-too-sweet in most cases.  I had several favorites and a hard time choosing how to vote. 

We also had a great brainstorming session of new themes for future meetings.  Summer Fruits, we agreed, is a must-do annual theme, probably in July, though with the weather we've been having, we wondered if June or even May would be better.  But we also thought of new ideas - Nuts, Tropical, 5-ingredient, Beverages, Secret Ingredient, to name just a few.  We agreed that we've all come a long way, and may be ready for something harder once in awhile, so we determined to alternate between having a theme and having a challenge, in order to challenge ourselves and each other to a greater degree.  That's right, Dessert Club is a year and a half old, but we are just getting started. 

But back to March.  Here were the offerings:

Pain aux Raisins (Raisin Rolls - one of my favorites of the evening!)

Raspberry-Blueberry Muffins

Maple-Oatmeal Scones

Cardamom Sour Cream Twists

Berry Almond Scones with Orange Butter

Pumpkin White Chocolate Scones 
with Clotted Cream and Pumpkin Butter

 Banana Streusel Muffins with Hazelnuts

And the winner was...

My very own Pain Au Chocolat!  These were a true labor of love, the second time I've made them, and while I love them to death myself, I was proud and gratified to find out everyone else did, too.  Plus I hadn't brought the prize so it was fun to open my new dough scraper and a new jar of yeast - always useful!

Recipes coming - as you know I don't always post them so if there's one in particular you want, let me know. 

Coming up in April...CAKE!  I've got mine all picked out and if it works, it will be the BOMBE! (wink, wink)

Cranberry Lime Scones

ZZZZ-I-N-G!

 I'm on a scone kick.  I went a-hunting on Food Gawker and printed off seven scones I think I can't live without.  For starters.

The first one I tried, Maple Bacon Brown Sugar Scones, was such a resounding success that I just kept on going.  These were my second.  And I loved them SO MUCH that I made them twice in one week - almost unheard of around here in the land of Nearly No Repeats.  I've since made a third from my stack, and it needs some tweaking before I share...watch this space.

But in the meantime, I've been reminded of a few scone basics:

• They are SUPER fast and easy!
• Handle the dough minimally - that means no more stirring than necessary and definitely no kneading or rolling.  
• Grate the butter - it's about equally dangerous as cutting cold butter into small pieces, but it gets the pieces more uniform, and thin enough for easy cutting into the dry ingredients.  Plus it's super fast.  Just grate it at the beginning and place in the freezer until you need it.
• Scones can come in any shape - wedge (my preference), square, diamond, round, or really any cookie cutter shape you want to try.  But they do puff/spread a bit so keep it simple.

 The dough here is sweet enough to handle the zingy cranberry and lime, but I do like the indulgent addition of lime glaze, or at the very least, a sprinkle of coarse sugar.  What.  A.  Treat.  The first time we made them, an afterschool snack.  The second, New Year's breakfast.  I think scones are the new cupcake.  You can quote me on that.

Cranberry Lime Scones (print recipe)

Makes 8 to 10

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar (plus 3 T additional to toss with cranberries)
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 T unsalted butter, grated and very cold
2 T freshly grated lime zest (about 2 to 3 limes)
1 1/4 cups fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 cup heavy cream

Lime Glaze:
2 limes, zested and juiced
1 cup powdered sugar

1.  Preheat oven to 400F, and grease a large baking sheet.  Grate the butter and place in the freezer until ready to use.  Zest the limes and set aside.  Coarsely chop the cranberries and place in a small bowl with 3 T sugar. 

2.  In a large bowl combine the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt.  Cut in the butter with a fork or pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in the lime zest.  Stir the cranberries into the flour mixture.  Combine the egg, yolk and cream, then add to the flour mixture, stirring just until combined. 

3.  On a well-floured surface with floured hands, gently pat dough into a 1-inch-thick round (about 8 inches in diameter).  With a sharp knife or pizza cutter cut the scones into wedges or diamonds as desired.  use your hands to gently shape any leftover scraps into scones.  Do NOT roll out.  Place scones on an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden.  Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

4.  For Lime Glaze: In a small bowl combine the lime juice, lime zest and enough powdered sugar to reach your desired consistency.  Drizzle or brush glaze over warm scones and allow to cool.

Recipe from SprinkledwithFlour.com

Maple Bacon Brown Sugar Scones

Let me paint you a scene, and I hope my verbal weakness doesn't make it too blurry.  It's the setting in which these scones were made, and the mood I was in.  Humor me.

Two days before Christmas.  Ed took the girls on a surprise outing to the movies after dinner and I had the house to myself.  The dishwasher gently churned.  The Christmas tree lights burned bright.  I donned my apron and set my Christmas music to shuffle on iTunes.

I worked slowly, deliberately, making these scones for breakfast the next morning with the leftover bacon from dinner.  Grated my butter.  Measured sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg.  Worked them together with my pastry cutter.  Folded in the buttermilk and bacon.  Letting my thoughts wander where they would, mostly touching on old friends I'd recently gotten Christmas cards from, and also those I hadn't.  Chris Benson.  Melanie Henrich.  Jake White.  Kat Young.  Flipping through good, and sometimes bittersweet, memories.  Drinking S. Pellegrino from the bottle.

Then a new song came on, "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" by Lisa Arrington (you can hear a sample here.)  My thoughts turned to Christmas, to my spiritual roots, to my faith in Jesus Christ.  I kneaded the dough and patted it into rounds. 

Jesus sought me when a stranger,

Wandering from the fold of God.

He, to rescue me from danger, 

Interposed his precious blood.

Brushed the dough with butter and sprinkled it with turbinado sugar.  Cut into wedges, slid the scones into the oven.  Let the house fill with tempting scents as I sat in the living room, staring at the lit tree, contemplating the birth, life, and death, that means so much, means everything, to me.  That made my life, my family, my friends, everything, possible. The only reason Christmas is important.

I know this is a baking blog, and spiritual sharing is a bit out of the ordinary.  But I had a special time making these, and I wanted to write it down. 

'Cause you don't really need me to say much about the scones themselves.  I mean, look at them.  Look at the title.  Look at the recipe.  Brown sugar, bacon, maple glaze, etc.  No more words are needed.

 Maple Bacon Brown Sugar Scones (print recipe)
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cups (12 T) cold butter
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
5 strips cooked bacon, crumbled (plain or Cinnamon Sugared Bacon, recipe below)
Coarse sugar for sprinkling

1.  Preheat oven to 425.  Grate the cold butter and replace into fridge and freezer while assembling the other ingredients.

2.  In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients.  Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry cutter until it forms coarse crumbs.  Stir in buttermilk and vanilla.  Fold in bacon crumbles.  Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently.

3.  Divide in half and pat into 7-inch rounds.  Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse sugar.  Cut into 6 or 8 wedges.

4.  Bake at 425 for 12-14 minutes.  Top with maple glaze.  Makes 12 to 16 scones.

Maple Glaze
1 1/2 T maple syrup
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
2 to 4 T water

Combine syrup, vanilla and powdered sugar and stir until combined.  Add 1 T water and stir in.  Add more water, a teaspoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.  Pour over scones.

Cinnamon Sugared Bacon
5 to 8 slices bacon
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375.  Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a shallow dish.  Dredge the bacon in the sugar, both sides, and lay on a wire rack set over a foil-covered baking sheet.  Bake the bacon fro 20-25 minutes or until crispy.  AMAZING!

 Recipe from HowSweetEats.com

Carrot Cake Scones with Cream Cheese Glaze

I admit, I don't totally "get" scones. Not a biscuit, not a cake. Often kinda dry and crumbly. What do I do with it?

But I'm glad that didn't stop me when my friend Shanna suggested we try these on our most recent baking day/playdate. Carrot cake is so rich and indulgent (and don't forget cream-cheesey) that it was hard to imagine this not turning out well. This is like a mini carrot cake that is just light enough you could offer it for brunch. But also much more of a treat than your typical scone. So maybe a birthday brunch, or other special holiday.

The batter has carrots, golden raisins, orange zest and cinnamon. The glaze is made with cream cheese and lemon zest. And do not forget the crunchy toasted coconut topping. Despite the hard-crust looking exterior, these scones are moist and cakey inside. A total delight for the senses!

Carrot Cake Scones with Cream Cheese Glaze

Scones:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 T baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 T orange zest, finely minced

1/2 cup ground walnuts

1/2 cup firm unsalted butter, cut into chunks

1 cup buttermilk

1 large egg

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup golden raisins or minced, dried pineapple

Cream Cheese Glaze:

1/2 cup or 4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 to 2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 T fresh lemon juice

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Finishing Touches:

3/4 cup toasted coconut

Orange zest, optional

Cinnamon, optional

A note about preparation: You'll use your food processor a lot for this recipe. First grind up your walnuts, then do step 1 & 2. Then shred your carrots (no need to clean the bowl, maybe just wipe with a paper towel) for step 3. Then wash or wipe very well to make the glaze.

1. Preheat oven to 400. Stack two baking sheets together and line top sheet with parchment paper. Arrange oven rack to upper third position.

2. In a food processor, add flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, orange zest, and walnuts and blend briefly. Add butter adn pulse to make a coarse, grainy mixture. Turn out into a large bowl and make a well in the center. In a large measuring cup lightly mix the buttermilk, egg and vanilla. Pour into well and stir with a fork to make a soft batter.

3. Fold in carrots and raisins. Let rest 5 minutes.

4. Pat or press out dough to 3/4-inch thickness on a floured work surface. Cut into 3-inch rounds. Place on prepared baking sheets.

5. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool scones on a wire rack. (If your coconut isn't toasted yet, sprinkle it on the scone pan parchment and place back in oven, toasting for 2-3 minutes at a time, checking until golden. Allow to cool.)

6. Meanwhile, to make the glaze, place cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in food processor. Process to make a smooth glaze. When scones are completely cooled, spread generously with cream cheese glaze. Top with toasted coconut (and orange zest and cinnamon, if desired. I just did coconut.) Makes 12 to 14 large scones or 24 miniatures

Recipe from A Passion for Baking by Marcy Goldman