Scones with Currants Recipe

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If you're intimidated by the thought of baking, consider easing into it by baking tea breads or muffins.

Scones also fit into the easy-baking repertoire. Scones can be sweet or savory and couldn't be simpler to prepare. The best way to describe them is that they resemble a rustic-looking biscuit. They are meant to be golden brown on top and flaky in the center.

Most scones include a bit of heavy cream to give a buttery consistency. In this recipe, low-fat milk is used for making and glazing the scones instead of the usual cream -- you'll find the scones still have a delicious flavor.

You can also pat the mixture down into a round and cut them into "pie-like" slices if you don't feel like cutting them into rounds. The currants, while traditional, can be substituted with diced dried apricots, cranberries or cherries.

For a lighter alternative, serve a basketful of these warm, crumbly treats with your favorite fruit spread instead of the traditional thick clotted cream. This currant-studded quick bread is perfect for breakfast, brunch or a late afternoon tea break.

Easy Scones with Currants

Makes 16 to 18 scones

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of salt

1/4 cup sugar

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

1/3 cup dried currants

1 large egg plus enough low-fat milk to make 3/4 cup

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Sift the flour with baking powder, soda and salt into a bowl. Stir in the sugar.

2. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend it with the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon to create a crumbly mixture. Add the currants.

3. In a glass measuring cup, mix the egg and milk and reserve 2 tablespoons to glaze the scones. Add the rest to the mixture, mixing just enough to create a dough mixture that can be pressed into a ball. Pat dough into a circle.

4. On a floured board, roll or pat out the scone dough about 1 inch thick.

5. Dust a round 1 1/2 to 2-inch cookie cutter with flour and cut the dough in rounds. Pat the trimmings into a ball, roll out again and cut more scones. Place the scones on a large greased baking sheet. Brush the remaining glaze on the scones.

6. Place the scones in the middle of the oven and bake them for about 18 minutes or until they are golden brown and firm to the touch. Serve them hot, with small bowls of assorted fruit spreads.

 

Diane Rossen Worthington is an authority on new American cooking. She is the author of 18 cookbooks (click here), including "Seriously Simple Holidays: Recipes and Ideas to Celebrate the Season," and also a James Beard award-winning radio show host.

Available at Amazon.com:

Simply Organic: A Cookbook for Sustainable, Seasonal, and Local Ingredients

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Scones with Currants Recipe - Diane Rossen Worthington Recipes

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