Thursday, April 16, 2009

dropkick scones: the easiest, best scone yet


Okay, so these were previously known as the quick "drop" scones, which soon became the Dropkick Scones. After fiddling around with a scone recipe for a friend, this morning it became that magical moment - a fast, easy, quick scone recipe that could have multiple variations, all delicious. You can throw it together, shove it in the hot oven, take a shower, and come back 25 minutes later to the perfect, buttermelting scone you've ever had, with hints of fresh lemon zest and nutmeg, plump with raisins, golden and lumpy, just right for a smear of unsalted butter and marmalade.
Here's how to do it:
Preheat oven to 375F.
Fit a baking sheet with foil or parchment.
6 T. cold butter, cut in small pieces
1/4 cup King Arthur whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
2 t. baking powder
pinch nutmeg, or 8 scrapings from a whole nutmeg
1/4 t. freshly grated lemon zest
pinch salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup raisins
Place flours and cold butter pieces into a mixer bowl and mix until incorporated. It should look crumbly.
Add the nutmeg, baking powder, lemon zest and salt.
Mix well.
Pour in the buttermilk and raisins and mix until it just holds together.
Using a normal size ice cream scoop, scoop batter out onto the baking sheet. This should make 8 scones. Sprinkle with a little sugar, if desired.
Place in oven for 25 minutes - they should be golden and craggy looking.
Remove to cool on cooling rack.
Serve with soft, sweet butter and marmalade or jam, as you wish. Delicious alone, too.
These freeze well, if you have any left over!
You can add snipped apricots, figs, peaches, etc. instead of the raisins.
Enjoy!
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8 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing the recipe! The scones look perfect! Nice Job!

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  2. Thanks, Maria! I'm sure you'll put your own special stamp on these - sugared ginger, apricots, currants, whatever you love. So delighted you liked them!

    katrina

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  3. Katrina,
    I haven't commented before, but I think your site is wonderful. Love it! Buttermilk, in my opinion, is perfect for scones (in the absence of heavy cream, that is). I keep measured recipe amounts in my freezer so that I can whip up a batch of scones whether fresh is in the house or not. Thank you for all your beautiful photos and great recipes.

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  4. Oh Kate, you really made my day ( or evening) - thank you! And you just taught me something I never knew - that buttermilk can be frozen! Horray! No more dumping out haf-used quarts. I so appreciate you're coming out of lurking to drop such a kind note.

    Katrina

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  5. I love the name for the scones :) I agree with Kate, I love buttermilk in scones!

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  6. Thanks, Maris! If you're from the Boston area, you'll understand how "drop scones" got to "Dropkick scones" so quickly - the Dropkick Murphys, of course!

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  7. As soon as I saw that this recipe had buttermilk in it, I knew it was a winner.

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  8. Obviously, I'm with you, Michelle! I love buttermilk and even drink it plain, when I'm not whipping it into a recipe...

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