Posts tagged biscuits

Blog-checking lines: Audax Artifex was our January 2012 Daring Bakers’ host. Aud worked tirelessly to master light and fluffy scones (a/k/a biscuits) to help us create delicious and perfect batches in our own kitchens!

I was so excited for this challenge because it included an Australia recipe for biscuits. One of my closest friends is studying abroad in Aussie right now and trying to get permanent residence there. Although I never got the chance to make that recipe I tried 3 others and will make that one as soon as possible.

The first recipe I tried was the basic scones recipe. It was just okay, nothing so special. Almost tasted like bisquick biscuits.

Basic Scones (a.k.a. Basic Biscuits)
Servings: about eight 2-inch (5 cm) scones or five 3-inch (7½ cm) scones
Recipe can be doubled

Ingredients:
1 cup (240 ml) (140 gm/5 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
2 teaspoons (10 ml) (10 gm) (⅓ oz) fresh baking powder
¼ teaspoon (1¼ ml) (1½ gm) salt
2 tablespoons (30 gm/1 oz) frozen grated butter (or a combination of lard and butter)
approximately ½ cup (120 ml) cold milk
optional 1 tablespoon milk, for glazing the tops of the scones

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to very hot 475°F/240°C/gas mark 9.
2. Triple sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. (If your room temperature is very hot refrigerate the sifted ingredients until cold.)
3. Rub the frozen grated butter (or combination of fats) into the dry ingredients until it resembles very coarse bread crumbs with some pea-sized pieces if you want flaky scones or until it resembles coarse beach sand if you want tender scones.
4. Add nearly all of the liquid at once into the rubbed-in flour/fat mixture and mix until it just forms a sticky dough (add the remaining liquid if needed). The wetter the dough the lighter the scones (biscuits) will be!
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board, lightly flour the top of the dough. To achieve an even homogeneous crumb to your scones knead very gently about 4 or 5 times (do not press too firmly) the dough until it is smooth. To achieve a layered effect in your scones knead very gently once (do not press too firmly) then fold and turn the kneaded dough about 3 or 4 times until the dough has formed a smooth texture. (Use a floured plastic scraper to help you knead and/or fold and turn the dough if you wish.)
6. Pat or roll out the dough into a 6 inch by 4 inch rectangle by about ¾ inch thick (15¼ cm by 10 cm by 2 cm thick). Using a well-floured 2-inch (5 cm) scone cutter (biscuit cutter), stamp out without twisting six 2-inch (5 cm) rounds, gently reform the scraps into another ¾ inch (2 cm) layer and cut two more scones (these two scones will not raise as well as the others since the extra handling will slightly toughen the dough). Or use a well-floured sharp knife to form squares or wedges as you desire.
7. Place the rounds just touching on a baking dish if you wish to have soft-sided scones or place the rounds spaced widely apart on the baking dish if you wish to have crisp-sided scones. Glaze the tops with milk if you want a golden colour on your scones or lightly flour if you want a more traditional look to your scones.
8. Bake in the preheated very hot oven for about 10 minutes (check at 8 minutes since home ovens at these high temperatures are very unreliable) until the scones are well risen and are lightly coloured on the tops. The scones are ready when the sides are set.
9. Immediately place onto cooling rack to stop the cooking process, serve while still warm.

Next I tried the Perfect English Scone recipe because my in-laws are from England. This is our new favorite scone recipe. We have made it three times in 2 weeks. Its that good!

Perfect English Scones

55g Butter (2oz)
30g Caster sugar (1oz)
150ml Milk (1/4 pint)
1 egg (maybe…depends on later steps..)
1/2 teaspoon salt

First off, preheat the oven to 220 deg C 425 deg f.
Speed is of the essence so you can’t be hanging around waiting for the oven to heat up or you’ll get flat, hard scones.

Cut up the butter into smallish chunks (2-3cm cubes) and rub into the flour with your fingertips until its loose and breadcrumby. Don’t do this in a blender or food processor as the texture will become to fine and the scones will go flat and hard again.

stir in the sugar if you want sweet scones or not if you don’t.

Make a big well in the centre of the flour and pour in the milk.

Mix together quickly with a table knife, NOT your hands, until you have a big gooey lump

Once the milk hits the flour a reaction begins which needs to also be happening in the oven, so speed and a light touch are required.

Then, sift all the flour and salt into a large bowl.

grab the dough out of the bowl and slap it on a floured surface.
Kneed it into a square(ish) about 2.5cm (an inch) thick and the stamp out circles with a cookie cutter.
If you twist the cookie cutter while cutting you’ll end up with wonky scones like mine, but I think that makes them look more rustic and cool.
Lay the circles out on a baking tray lined with grease proof paper, giving each one 2cm of room to grow…

To finish the scones before the oven we now have 3 options….

1)Brush with a beaten egg to produce a glossy glaze.
2)Dust with flour for a soft finish
3)Brush with milk for a light gloss AND soft crust

as soon as they’re glazed, slam them in the oven near the top for 20 to 25 minutes. Don’t get curious and open the oven door, you’ll just spoil them

After they’re done (tops are brown), let them cool a bit on a wire rack covered with a teatowel. This lets the centres go from doughy to crumbly, although it is kinda hard waiting.

IRISH SCONES

Last but not least I tried my hand at making some Irish Scones.

1-1/2  c. wholemeal self-raising flour **
1/2     c. white self-raising flour
          pinch salt
1        tbsp. sugar
1/2     tsp. baking soda
1        tsp. carroway seeds
1/4     c. currants
1        egg
2        oz. melted margarine
2/3     c. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Mix flours, salt, sugar and baking soda. Stir in seeds and currants.

Beat egg, margarine and buttermilk. Mix dry mix into wet mix until just combined. Turn out onto floured board and knead about 10 times until surface is smooth. Flatten to 1 inch thick. Cut scones with a 2 inch biscuit cutter and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Brush tops with a little milk and sprinkle sugar on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Yield: 12 Scones

** There is no substitute for self-rising flour but you can easily make your own out of all-purpose flour. To make 1 cup of self-rising flour: to a 1 cup measure, add 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add enough all-purpose flour to make 1 level cup.

All of the scones were delicious. My favorites were the English and Irish scones because they have the sweet sugary taste in them. I apologize for the delays with this blog lately. I have so many great things planned for the future.