Roasted Rhubarb Scones

Let's talk about the super thrilling topic of grocery shopping for a bit: as in, shopping for baking supplies at school is usually a pain. The closest grocer store is one subway stop away--which, okay, isn't that far, but it still involves getting on the T or walking for 20 minutes--definitely more inconvenient than what we Mid-westerners are used to. The other two options closer to campus are CVS and Broadway, a fancy health food store.

I would go to Broadway this year whenever I needed groceries for baking but was too lazy to actually make my ways to Shaws. That's where I found this rhubarb a few weeks ago, sitting in a cardboard box next to the way over-priced blueberries and raspberries. I had planned to make these scones with strawberries, but the rhubarb was a much cheaper option, and the sight of this seasonal reddish celery thing made me happy. It seemed like a promising sign of summer.

While a lot of recipes recommend making scones by grating in frozen butter or using a pastry cutter, I always make scones with my hands. I don't think it causes the butter to melt too much much if you work quickly, and I like to actually feel the texture of the dough with my hands. I think it's one of the reasons I like making scones so much.

Anyways, this scone recipe isn't too different from the others I've posted here; I lightened up the texture a bit with the cake flour and buttermilk, but kept it pretty similar to the original. Don't skip out on roasting the rhubarb: I don't think just throwing in raw rhubarb lets them cook long enough or become sweet enough to be really good. Also, make sure the rhubarb is thoroughly chilled before adding it to the dough! Chilled dough makes fluffier scones.

Apologies for the inconsistent posts for the past couple of weeks. Monica and I have both been in crazy final exam / move-out mode. I actually made these a week or two ago right after finals ended when I was supposed to be packing up my baking equipment rather than making things with them. Alas. The travails of summer storage.

Enjoy, all!
Caroline

Roasted Rhubarb Scones

Click here for the printer-friendly recipe. | Yields: 12 scones

Ingredients
For the Roasted Rhubarb
1 pound rhubarb (about 4 to 5 stalks), washed and chopped into ½-inch pieces
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Softened butter, for greasing

For the Dough
2 cups flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
8 tablespoons butter, cold
½ cup buttermilk, cold
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For assembly
1 egg, beaten
¼ cup raw sugar (granulated sugar can be substituted)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Roast the rhubarb. In a large bowl, mix together the rhubarb, sugar, and lemon zest.

Thoroughly grease an oven-proof pan with butter, and pour the rhubarb into the pan. Bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until the rhubarb is tender. Let cool thoroughly, then refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375 F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.

Cut the butter into ½-inch cubes. Make sure it remains cold. Add the butter to the dry ingredients.

Using a pastry cutter, a fork, or your hands, cut the butter into the flour. It’s okay if a few lumps remain. Work quickly so that the butter doesn't melt.

In a separate bowl, mix together the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until barely combined.

Mix in the rhubarb, including the juices, until it is incorporated. Be careful while stirring since the rhubarb is very soft. Do not over-mix.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface. Shape the dough into a 6 inch x 8 inch rectangle. Cut the dough into 6 rectangles, and then cut each of the rectangles in half to form 12 triangles.

Brush the scones with the beaten egg and sprinkle raw sugar on top. Bake the scones for 15-18 minutes, or until the edges have turned golden. Let cool slightly, and serve with whipped cream or yogurt.

Scone - ology Part 3: Cinnamon Apple Scones

If you make any of the scone recipes on this site (We have quite a few!), make this one. This scone is a light, fluffy biscuit with pieces of juicy, sweet apples and cinnamon throughout, and topped with cinnamon sugar. In other words, delicious!

The difference between this recipe and lots of other recipes with apples is the fact that they are cooked with sugar before being added to the batter. In most recipes, the uncooked apples are added straight in, and they are still rather hard and sour after they are baked. This way, they are still slightly tart, but also soft and sweet and flavored with cinnamon, and don't distract from the scone itself.

This recipe also follows the master scone recipe, but has the extra step with the apples, and decreases the amount of cream a little because of the juice from the apples. Peel and dice two tart cooking apples, such as Granny Smith. Place them in a microwavable bowl, add 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and stir.

Microwave it for about 2 minutes, stopping at 1 minute to give it a good stir. They'll look like really yummy cinnamon apples, but don't eat them yet! Let cool while you make the dough.

Follow the same process for making the dough as with the master scone recipe. Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt (omit the sugar since you add sugar in the apples). Work in the cold butter with your hands or a pastry cutter. Then mix together the cream, egg, and vanilla. Add in the cooled cinnamon apples, juices and all, and stir.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry, and mix just until the dough comes together.

Shape the dough into a 10-inch circle. Mix together 1/4 cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle it over the dough, and lightly pat it into the dough. Cut into 12 wedges. (You could also shape the dough into a rectangle like I did for the chocolate chip scones.)

Bake for 15-18 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit, let cool, and eat!

While I was taking these photos, I got distracted by all the tourists crossing the street in Harvard Square outside my window. Just so you know. I want you to experience the whole scone-making process and all.

And yes, it was snowing. And yes, it was taken a month or two ago. I'm a procrastinator, okay?

Enjoy!

-Caroline

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Cinnamon Apple Scones

Click here for the printer-friendly recipe.
Yields: 12 scones

Ingredients:
For the Dough
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 medium-sized cooking apples, such as Granny Smith or Jonathan, peeled and diced
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons butter, cold
1/2 cup half-and-half, or heavy cream, cold
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla

For the Cinnamon Sugar Topping:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix together the apples, sugar, and cinnamon. Microwave on high for about 2 minutes, until the apples are cooked. Let cool.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.. Cut the butter into ½-inch cubes. Make sure it remains cold. Add the butter to the dry ingredients.

Using a pastry cutter, two knives, or your hands, cut the butter into the flour. It’s okay if a few lumps remain. Work quickly so that the butter doesn't melt.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the half-and-half or cream, the egg, and vanilla. Mix in the cooled apples.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

Use a fork or wooden spoon to mix it until the dry ingredients are moistened and the dough barely holds together. DO NOT OVER-MIX.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface. Shape the dough into a circle 10 inches in diameter. Cut the circle into 12 wedges.

For the cinnamon sugar, mix together the sugar and cinnamon, sprinkle it over the dough, and lightly pat it in.

Place the scones onto a greased baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes, until golden. Let cool.

Give yourself a huge congratulations! You just made scones!

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Scone - ology Part 1: The Basics of Making an Amazing Scone

There's this part of Harry Potter that always has confused me: Harry and his friends go down to have tea with Hagrid, and he serves them these things called "rock cakes" that they nearly break their teeth on. Rock Cake? Like, cakes made out of marble? What?

It was only recently that I finally found out what rock cakes were: SCONES. Rock cakes are what the British called

scones.

And it's not the only baked good that has a different name on the other side of the pond. To clarify, I, Caroline, am posting this handy glossary:

Britain

United States

Rock Cakes

Scones

Scones

Biscuits

Biscuits 

Cookies

Confusing, huh? But don't worry, scones/rock cakes are actually super easy to make! It's amazing how educational Harry Potter is.

Today, I'm giving you a basic scone recipe, or a master recipe, and I'll show you the process of making the dough. You then can decide to add in whatever you like to make scones to your taste! Be creative!

Tomorrow, I'll also post a scone recipe that uses this master recipe as a starting point.

But first, the basic scone! Here are two tips that are essential to a light, fluffy scone:

1. The butter must be very cold. Do not let it warm up too much while making the dough.
2. Do not over-mix when you add the wet ingredient to the dry ingredients. You want to mix it just to the point that the wet ingredients are incorporated into the dry.

And now here's the process:

(These photos may look familiar...they're from my blueberry scones post, but the recipe I'm posting is somewhat different.) 

Whisk together your dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar

Cut your butter into 1/2-inch cubes, and add that to the bowl. The butter should be very cold.

Using a pastry cutter or your hands, work the butter into the flour mixture. It's okay if there are lumps. Work quickly so the butter doesn't melt.

Add your mix-ins, such as chocolate chips or fruit. The exception is citrus zest, which you'll add in later.

Mix in whatever you are adding to the scones.

Then, in a separate bowl, whisk together the cream, egg, vanilla extract, and citrus zest, if you are using it.

Add the wet ingredient to the dry, and mix them together just until the dry ingredient are moistened. DO NOT OVER-MIX!

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and shape it into a circle that is about 10-inches in diameter.

Cut the circle into 12 wedges.

Place the scones onto a greased baking sheet. If you are not making a glaze to drizzle over it later, then sprinkle some sugar over the scones.

(Originally, I suggested first brushing the scones with milk, but with this new recipe I think it is unnecessary).

Bake for about 15-18 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit, until they are golden.

If you are making a glaze instead of sprinkling sugar, mix together the powdered sugar and milk or citrus juice, and brush it generously over the the scones.

Have fun experimenting with this recipe!

-Caroline

Click here for the printer-friendly recipe

Master Scone Recipe

A Pass the Cocoa Original

Yields: 12 Scones

Ingredients:

Dough

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

8 tablespoons butter, cold

One or two add-ins, such as: 1 cup fresh fruit such as blueberries, cherries, or raspberries, ⅔ cup chocolate chips or dried fruit such as cranberries, or 1 tablespoon citrus zest

2/3 cup half-and-half, or heavy cream, cold

1 egg

½ teaspoon vanilla

sugar, for sprinkling or a simple glaze (see below)

Basic glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

¼ cup milk, or lemon/orange juice

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
3. Cut the butter into ½-inch cubes. Make sure it remains cold.
4. Add the butter to the dry ingredients.
5. Using a pastry cutter, two knives, or your hands, cut the butter into the flour. It’s okay if a few lumps remain. Work quickly so that the butter doesn't melt.
6. Fold in any add-ins, unless you are adding citrus zest.
7. In a separate bowl, whisk together the half-and-half or cream, the egg, vanilla, and citrus zest, if you are using it.
8. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
9. Use a fork or wooden spoon to mix it until the dry ingredients are moistened and the dough barely holds together. DO NOT OVER-MIX.
10. Turn the dough onto a floured surface.
11. Shape the dough into a circle 10 inches in diameter.
12. Cut the circle into 12 wedges.
13. Place the scones onto a greased baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes, until golden. Let cool.
14. For the glaze, mix together the powder sugar and milk (or lemon juice or orange juice). Brush the glaze over the scones.
15. Give yourself a huge congratulations! You just made scones!

Blueberry Scones

I know, I know, the weather is cooling down and we're supposed to be blogging about hearty fall foods or whatever. It's cold and rainy here in Cambridge as I write this, but I wanted to squeeze in one more summer recipe (Yeah, I said the same thing last week.) This time, I promise it's the last blueberry recipe of the season. I made this a couple weeks ago before I left for college, back when it was like 105 degrees every day in Indiana.

Oh, and a side note: Harvard dining hall food kind of sucks. Their idea of a variety of fruit is red apples, green apples, and--if they're feeling adventurous--maybe oranges. So I really miss the blueberries right now.

Anyways, onto the scones. I'd like to state that scones are not some dressed-down version of cookies or cakes. Scones should be light, fluffy, and biscuit-y, not cookie-y. They should be somewhat sweet, but not too sweet. Just saying.

These scones are sooo perfect--breakfast, snack, whatever. It's a great way to use any leftover 

summer berries

. I froze half of them, to bake at another time in the

very

near future. Well...they're all long gone by now.

So...off we go!

The recipe is very similar to what I did for the

cranberry orange scones

. This time, I've fully illustrated with process photos. But don't worry. It's a super easy recipe.

Mix your flour salt, sugar, baking powder with a wisk. Then add your cubed butter, and work it into the flour with your hands. Or use one of those fancy pastry cutters. Don't worry if there's a few chunks.

Add the blueberries.

In another bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk (if you don't have any, just add a 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice to 1/2 cup milk), and vanilla.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. And of course, don't overmix!

Shape half of the dough into a circle, about 6 inches in diameter. Then, cut it into 6 slices. Do the same with the other half of the dough.

Brush with an egg wash. Sprinkle on some sugar. Bake, cool, and serve!

Mmmm...I love summer. I love blueberries. And of course, I love scones.

- Caroline

Click here for the printer-friendly recipe.

Blueberry Scones

Recipe based on Martha Stewart

Yields: 12 scones

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

4 ounces (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 cup (1/2 pint) blueberries

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk

1 large egg, plus 1 large egg lightly beaten for egg wash

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

sugar, for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter, or rub in with your fingers, until mixture has the texture of coarse meal. Stir in blueberries.
3. Whisk together buttermilk, 1 egg, and the vanilla. Drizzle over flour mixture, and stir lightly with a fork until dough comes together but a small amount of flour remains in bowl.
4. Turn out dough onto a work surface, and gently knead dough once or twice just to incorporate flour. Shape half of the dough into a circle, about 6 inches in diameter. Then, cut it into 6 slices. Do the same with the other half of the dough. Brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with sanding sugar.
5. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 22 minutes. Transfer scones to wire racks to cool.