Scones and strawberry jam is such a classic pairing
that, naturally, it’s rife with debate.
First, there’s the pronunciation of scone. Does it rhyme
with “phone” (as in the
US, Ireland, and some parts of England) or with “gone”
(as said by many Britons, including Queen Elizabeth)?
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Then, there’s the issue of jam placement. Do you smear it
directly on the split pastry before dolloping it with clotted cream (called the
Cornish method), or are you team cream-first, jam-second (the go-to in Devon)?
Having consumed the majority of scones in
New York City, I
draw out the “o” (as in “hello, I made scones”). And, in terms of strawberry
jam, I have taken to mixing dried strawberries directly into the dough, which
bake up into jammy pockets in the tender crumb. This evenly distributes the
berries, giving you bits of intense fruit all the way through — and doesn’t
preclude you from adding more jam after baking.
But perhaps the biggest way my scone recipe deviates from
more traditional versions is that, instead of shaping the dough into individual
wedges, I pat it into a round loaf, then score it, cutting halfway through.
This helps keep the interior particularly moist and fluffy,
while the crust bakes up golden and craggy, with edges that crunch. And it’s
fun to pull apart the warm pieces with your hands for serving. (For more
elegant presentations, a serrated knife also works.)
One thing to note: Because dried
strawberries can be hard to
find, you might be tempted to use fresh or frozen berries here.
Resist this urge
Fresh and frozen berries contain large amounts of moisture,
which will steam during baking and can make the surrounding crumb soggy. It’s
better to mix in other dried fruit. Dates, which have a similar sticky
denseness, work especially well.
Like all scones, these are best served within a few hours of
baking. But they also freeze well and can be reheated just before serving.
While testing this recipe, I stored leftovers of different
versions in the freezer and was grateful every morning when I could just pop
one in the toaster oven, then eat it hot, topped with softened butter. Of
course, if you can get it, clotted cream would be an ideal accompaniment — with
or without the strawberry jam.
Instructions:
> Step 1: Heat oven to 190 degrees Celsius with a
rack in the upper third. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
> Step 2: Place strawberries in a bowl and cover
with boiling water. Let sit until soft and pliable, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain, pat
dry and coarsely chop.
> Step 3: Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt
and baking soda in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Using the large holes of
a box grater, grate the butter into the bowl, then toss until mixture resembles
oatmeal. Alternatively, pulse all the dry ingredients together in a food
processor. Cube the butter, add to the processor, and pulse until the mixture
looks like oatmeal. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.
> Step 4: Add strawberries and toss well.
> Step 5: In a small bowl, whisk together
buttermilk and egg. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture. Using a wooden
spoon, stir until all the dry flour bits are incorporated, but the dough is
still shaggy. Using your hands, knead and press the dough a few times while
it’s still in the bowl until the dough just holds together.
> Step 6: Dump the dough out onto the prepared
sheet pan. Pat the dough into a round loaf about 20cm in diameter. Using a
sharp knife, deeply score the loaf into 8 wedges (but do not cut all the way
through). Brush the loaf all over with buttermilk and sprinkle generously with
sugar.
> Step 7: Bake until golden
brown, 25 to 35 minutes. Let cool slightly. Cut or break into wedges and serve
warm with butter and clotted cream.
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