Cherry marzipan scones

These are rather posh scones and are a little more fiddly than usual but are ideal for a treat or of course for tea on the verandah with Hugh Grant and Colin Firth ….

This recipe is from a food blog called the Bonjon Gourmet and I’ve been waiting impatiently for cherry season to try it out.  I love the almondy flavour of the scone dough and the cherry sandwich layer becomes quite oozy and jammy.  You could probably use tinned cherries, but you’d need to squish quite a lot of the liquid out of them first.

Cherry Marzipan scones

Ingredients

1/2 cup fresh marzipan, crumbled
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups plain flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, in 1/2″ cubes
3/4 cup plain greek yoghurt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cups fresh sweet cherries, pitted and quartered:
1-2 tablespoons milk
a small handful of sliced almonds (preferably unblanched)
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Using a food processor, combine the marzipan, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Pulse to combine and break up the almond paste. Add the butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles sand. Add the yoghurt and the almond extract, and pulse just until the mixture begins to form a ball.

Put the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, dust the top lightly with flour, and roll into a 12 by 8″ rectangle, turning and flipping the dough, dusting with flour as needed to prevent sticking.

Lay the prepared cherries over half the dough. Fold the other half of the dough over the cherries, and press down gently but firmly (this will help the cherries stay in place when you slice and move the scones). Freeze the whole thing until fairly firm, but not frozen, 20 minutes.

Put a rack towards the top of the oven and preheat to 210ºC. Line a heavy baking tray with parchment paper, and stack it on top of a second heavy baking sheet (this helps to stop the scones from burning on the bottom).

Trim away the outer 1/4″ from each side of the scone, then cut into 12 squares. Brush the tops with milk, sprinkle with the almonds, pressing them lightly into the scones, then sprinkle with the coarse sugar.

Transfer the scones to the baking tray, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Bake the scones until they are golden brown on top, 18-20 minutes.  Serve warm with cream or creme fraiche.

Scones

I always had trouble making scones and pastry until I figured out that I have very warm hands and that if I over-handled the dough the butter would melt and the scones would be tough.  The secret is to make sure the butter is really cold and to handle the dough as little as possible.  Now I make pastry in the food processor so I hardly have to touch it at all, and this scone recipe of Lindy’s requires very little kneading so it works well if I use very cold butter.  The second recipe is one I've just discovered - the scones are very light and fluffy because of the bubbles in the lemonade - and they are so easy to make.

Lindy’s scones

3 cups self raising flour
100 g cold butter (cut into chunks)
1 cup of milk
extra flour for kneading and dusting

Preheat the oven to 220C

Rub the butter into the flour with your fingers, breaking up the butter until the mixture’s a fine breadcrumb consistency.  Make a well in the centre and add the milk and mix gently with your fingers until the mixture comes together into a soft, loose dough.  Turn the dough out onto a floured surface gently knead for about 30 seconds (don’t overwork it).  Using your hand, pat the dough gently into a 2cm thick round (don’t roll it out).  Cut scones out with a cookie cutter or just make squares using a knife.   Put on a prepared baking tray, dust with a little flour, and bake in a hot oven (200 C) for about 12 mins until just golden. 

Variations :

Cheese and herb scones :

Add half a cup of grated cheese, 2 tbsp finely chopped chives and 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley to the flour and butter mixture, just before adding the milk.

Date scones :

Soak 1/2 cup roughly chopped pitted dates in a bowl of boiling water for 10 mins.  Drain well, coll and add to the flour and butter mixture, just before adding the milk.

Mama Mia’s even quicker Three Ingredient Scones 

4 cups self raising flour 300 ml cream
1 can (375 ml) lemonade

Pre heat the oven to 200 C (180C fan-forced).  Add the cream and lemonade to the flour.  Mix the liquid in with a flat bladed knife (this stops the lemonade from losing its fizz).  When the mixture turns doughy, turn it out onto a flat, floured surface and knead lightly for about 30 secs.  Pat the dough into a 2 cm thick round and cut into 12 scones with a cookie cutter or a cup.   Bake for 15 mins until just golden.  Serve with Jo's lemon curd or jam and cream.