Sunday, July 10, 2016

Flaky Scones

Still riding high of the success of our blueberry muffins, this month the group tackled Rose's flaky scones. What a treat these are - buttery, flaky, sinfully decadent, and elegantly simple! The most rewarding and exciting part of seeing the results this month is that everyone's scones are so fabulously unique - from lemon poppy seed to lime blueberry, currant to cranberry, savory, and simply plain.. We all put our own spin on these lovely treats with great success!



Lee Phing decided to use colorful cranberries for her go at these scones. She was on the hunt for a satisfying, wholly-delicious scone for afternoon tea that wouldn't end up sticking to the roof of her mouth or be too doughy. Did she find the perfect scone? Sounds like it! They turned out beautifully, with a delicate crumb and charmingly rustic shapes.



Elle is a long-time lover of scones so she couldn't wait to try them, and hoped fervently that she would have success at making her own. She decided to omit the currants because offspring #1 doesn't care for the texture of currants/raisins/cranberries, etc in her baked goods. These were a win with her and her daughter and they enjoyed them with breakfast tea.



Jeniffer was game to try the recipe even though this style of scone was not to her usual taste. It was a treat to see her break out her vintage round-cutter and make both circular and triangular shapes. Her expertise in baking shone through as you could see the lovely, flaky layers in the finished scone.




Jennifer decided to try the lemon poppyseed variation of these scones. This was also her first time making these, and thought they turned out great. They look wonderfully golden brown and ready to be smothered in jam and cream.


Nancy was extra creative and made her own flavor variation - lime and blueberry! She also utilized the smart trick of grating the butter to keep it chilled, and chilling her baking tools to further limit the ambient heat that comes from handling. With scones, the colder the butter, the better the result! She also calculated out the WW points, which made us all gulp. But worth the calories! (I'm reminded of Han Solo's quote from Star Wars before attempting a dangerous ship maneuver,  "Never tell me the odds!") In baking, never tell us the calories. Our ignorance (if not our waistlines) is bliss.



Ginny decided to throw together a medley of dried fruits, which sounds spectacular. Although she thought they overcooked a tad and got a little more brown than golden, they still look heavenly, especially smeared with a pat of creamy butter. Like the rest of us, she decided to share the wealth and give some to friends, neighbors, and acquaintances to keep from devouring them all.


Billie is new this month, joining up with Ginny. We are happy to have new bakers joining the group this month! She chopped up dates for these scones - very yummy! She too shared the wealth, knowing how dangerous and delicious these are. She also points out that these are great frozen, to be enjoyed later on.


Vicki felt a little trepidation at making scone dough, but she needn't have feared. Even having to add in a bit of extra cream to combat dryness, these scones turned out beautiful! They look so inviting with her special lemon curd and some cream. The golden tops and colorful currants give it just the right touch. And they tasted amazing!



Sheryl was truly the most creative of the group. Not really a fan of scones to begin with (but still up for trying out the recipe, with a new food processor too!) she decided to go the savory route and substituted ingredients like chives and mexican cheeses blend. Buttery goodness, chives, and cheese - how could these not be a winner? These were tasty enough that Sheryl could definitely see herself making these again. Looks like that food processor worked great!

We still have some of our group that is slated to make these scones - we'll update the Round Up with their fabulous creations when completed.

Here comes July - with Rose's Caramel Sticky Buns!