Fresh Baked Goodness

To some people, baking is second nature. For example, my uncles who run our family restaurant in Bangor, Maine are phenomenal bakers, and I would hazard a guess they are all memory bakers, and could make most of their offerings in their sleep. As mentioned in previous posts, I have dubbed my husband the official baker in our household, a title that I was happy to bestow on him, as it let me off the hook.  A few weeks ago while Kyle was out to sea I decided it was time to face my fears. The rationale behind that decision was the recent gifting of a Kitchen Aid stand mixer (aka- official universal wedding registry staple) from my mother- it seemed that if we were to justify owning such a serious piece of equipment, it should certainly be put to good use. With Kyle home, it usually gets at least a weekly workout, and I decided to carry the torch. Scones seemed like a perfect endeavor, as they consist of a pretty simple ingredient list (the less kneading and manipulating I have to do, the better!), and lend themselves well to many add ins, both sweet and savory.

I’ve always appreciated Ina Garten’s relatively simple & clean approach to cooking and entertaining, so when I came across her take on scones while searching out a good “starter” recipe, I knew it would be a great fit for me. I added in a few of my own touches (dried cranberries, toasted pine nuts and lemon zest), as well as a little extra sugar and substituted in a cup of organic whole wheat flour. While they turned out really well, I think the next batch I will stick with organic white flour instead to get the full intended effect and consistency. I also used a raw organic sugar, as I thought it would give a little more body, and it was a great addition, and was the perfect consistency for sugaring the top of the scones. As with any recipe, you may have to play around a little bit to get the proper dough consistency, and luckily scone dough is very forgiving (yet another reason I find these treats so appealing!)

So thanks to you, Barefoot Contessa, for reviving my faith in my baking skills and awakening the long slumbering baker within. Now if only all baking was as simple and tasty as these scones… 

Traditional Scones with Toasted Pine Nuts, Dried Cranberries and Lemon Zest

(Adapted from Ina Garten’s recipe on www.foodnetwork.com)

- 4 cups flour

- 4 tablespoons sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

- 2 tablespoons baking powder

- 2 teaspoons kosher salt (omit if using salted butter)

- ¾ pound cold butter, diced

- 4 eggs, lightly beaten

- 1 cup cold heavy cream, or half & half

- ¾ cup dried cranberries

- ¾ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted in a dry pan

- 3 tblspns fresh lemon zest  

- 1 extra-large egg beaten with 2 tablespoons milk for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, add salt (if using) in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  Add in the lemon zest once all dry ingredients have combined- this will keep the zest from clumping, and give you better flavor distribution. Blend in the cold butter at the lowest speed and mix until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Combine the eggs and heavy cream and quickly add to the flour/butter mixture. Combine until just blended. Add the raisins and pine nuts to the dough and mix quickly. The dough may be a bit sticky.

Dump the dough out onto a floured surface and be sure it is well combined. Flour your hands and a rolling pin well and roll the dough out to 3/4-inch to 1-inch thick. You will see lumps of butter in the dough. Cut into squares with a 4-inch cutter and then cut in half diagonally to make triangles. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Brush the scones with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the outsides are crisp and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and transfer scones to a drying rack. They are outstanding fresh out of the oven with a little marmalade or a dollop of butter.