Satisfied Cravings: Favorite recipes from cookbooks I've reviewed.



Whole-Wheat Currant Scones
Makes 8 scones


Go To Recipe Archive






From Hay Day Country Market Cookbook

1 cup whole-wheat or whole-grain pastry flour
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into several chunks
1/2 cup dried currants
finely grated zest of 1 orange
1 egg
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons turbinado sugar*.
*Turbinado is a popular form of natural "raw" sugar. Harvested from 100 percent sugar cane, it is coarse-textured and golden brown because of a natural coating of golden molasses that remains on the crystals.
 
1 Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. Combine the flours, salt, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda in a food processor and pulse several times to mix.
3. Add the chilled butter and pulse several times, until the bits of butter are no larger than small grains of rice. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, and stir in the currants and orange zest.
4. In another bowl, whisk the egg with the 1/2 cup buttermilk. Add this to the dry ingredients, and stir just until a soft, slightly crumbly dough forms. With lightly floured hands, gather the dough together and, using the palm of your hand, press it out on a parchment-lined or ungreased baking sheet to form a 7-inch round.
5. If you like your scones to have crisp edges, use a sharp knife or a dough cutter to divide the dough into eight wedges; pull the wedges apart. If you prefer tender edges, leave the round intact and simply score the divisions.
6. Brush the dough with the remaining 1 tablespoon buttermilk and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Bake until nicely browned and nearly doubled in height, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool further.