Рецепт Comfort Cooking, British Style.
Now I happen to be a fan
of recipes originating from the United Kingdom, and I am generally referring to
England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland (some areas that the Utah pioneers were
from); not all the other countries that were invaded and/or annexed while the
Brits were out conquering the world. Many times I have heard that the food from
these countries is boring and bland, but I do not happen to agree. One huge
mistake many Americans make when traveling to foreign countries is to compare
"American food" with that country's food. It is a big mistake for
what we refer to as “American food” is a mixture of so many cuisines, so how
can we really judge our food against the common food of another country? I have
even met people who refuse to eat the food when in a foreign country and will
only eat "Americanized" food prepared in their hotels. Ridiculous!
They might as well have just stayed at home and gone to the local diner for
vacation, saving money on airfare.
I have a friend who would
make authentic scones for us whenever we visited her back in Pennsylvania. How
were they authentic? She is from Yorkshire, England, so I believe she knows
what she is doing in the respect of English cooking. I am also a big fan of
many of the British chefs, so not only do I have cookbooks, but I watch their
shows intently to make sure I get a recipe correct. While they may often delve in the realm of
“haute cuisine”; the basis of their recipes is the comfort cooking they were
raised on.
Onto scones which
originated in Scotland, made from unleavened oats and cooked on a griddle. With
the invention of baking powder, scones could now be baked; the Brits sweetened
them up a bit with the inclusion of sugar and fruits. Nowadays, scones can be
sweet, savory, herbal and/or cheesy; they can be served at any meal, or just
make a handy little snack. The traditional wedges are still popular, but they
can also be baked much like a drop cookie; they are not as pretty as the
wedges, but still taste wonderful.
Pumpkin Cranberry
Cold weather, while
invigorating, also brings images of being bundled up in a warm blanket, perhaps
a mug of hot chocolate soothing the trembles. For hubby and me though, we enjoy
hot cups of tea with warm scones to munch on at our leisure. We put on our
English accents, which we do quite well, and pretend to be in our lovely
cottage in a quaint little village. Oh, you might be saying, "that is too
silly for me" or "seriously?", but for us, the role play keeps
the relationship fresh, new and adventurous. If more married couples indulged
in each other, instead of everyone and everything else around them, the rate of
divorce would certainly decline.
However, I digress once again, this post is about scones, not
relationship counseling.
Cinnamon Oatmeal with Raisins
I am going to be giving
you a basic recipe for scones including a few ideas for different flavorings.
What you do for your taste is exactly that, for your taste; so play with the
basics and enjoy the results.
Basic Mix
- 2 and ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ cup cold, unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2/3 cup milk
- Preheat oven to 400F;
- spray a large baking sheet with nonstick baking spray; or use a nonstick baking
- sheet. Parchment paper works well is you
- do not want to use the spray, or do not have nonstick baking sheets.
- In a large bowl, sift
- together the flour, baking powder, baking salt and salt; work butter, with
- fork, pastry cutter or hands, into the dry ingredients until it becomes
- crumbly.
- In a small bowl, mix
- together the egg and milk; make a well in the dry ingredients and pour liquid
- into the well. Mix together thoroughly until the dough can be shaped into a
- ball.
- On a lightly floured
- board, roll out the dough to ½” thickness; mark out wedges with a knife or use pastry
- or biscuit cutters for rounder scones. An ice cream scoop can also be used with the
- dough for a more rustic look to the scones.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Chocolate Chip Before Baking.
- Chocolate Chip After Baking
- Cheese: Add ½ tsp ground black
- pepper and a ¾ cup of shredded cheese (Fontina, Cheddar or Swiss) to the dry
- ingredients.
- Sun-Dried Tomato: Add ½ cup diced sun-dried
- tomatoes and 1 Tbsp. Italian herb mix to the dry ingredients.
- Chocolate Chip: Add ½ cup chocolate chips
and 3 Tbsp. light brown sugar to the dry ingredients.
Chocolate Chip Wedge SconeMary Cokenour