Lovely things, scones. Not too sweet, crisp on the outside, tender on the inside. Wonderful with coffee or tea, as a light snack.
I wanted scones the other day but I had no cream with which to make them. Oh, I could have used milk, and indeed, I've done so on many occasions. The results are a lovely light breadstuff. But, due
to a shopping misunderstanding, there are several unopened tubs of sour cream sitting in the
back of my refrigerator sighing in their abandonment. So, since I know sour cream is luscious in pastries, I thought to myself, why not?
From thence came this recipe for sour cream scones. They are much like regular scones, although I would say they are much more robust in texture. Actually, they're more than robust, they're hard. There is no mistaking them for a classic cream scone. If I wanted a scone to stick in my pocket as I'm dashing out the door, these would survive the handling. If I felt the need to pelt my enemies with breadstuffs, I would use these. Indeed, if I wanted to make something to approximate Hagrid's rock scones for a Potter party, I would use this recipe. It's not that they are too hard to eat. However, they do stiffen up significantly when they cool and I don't recommend biting into a cold one as it really is hard enough to cut one's mouth. Still, they are quite tasty, barely sweet with a distinct buttery cream flavor and scent from the sour cream. They are best served hot out of the oven, ideally with a cup of tea. Fresh out of the oven, they are crisp/crunchy on the outside and wonderfully tender on the inside. Toasting restores some of the interior tenderness, but they never return to their initial glory. These aren't really something to stock up on unless you like eating rocks.... Still, hot or cold, dipping morsels into that cup of Earl Grey is not amiss.
Sour Cream Stones, er Scones
Makes 8
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280g (2c.) all-purpose flour
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1/4 c. sugar
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2 tsp. baking powder
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1/8 tsp. salt
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6 tbsp. chilled butter
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1/3 c. sour cream
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1/3 c. milk
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1 large egg
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1 1/2 tsp. vanilla, or finely grated lemon zest
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking pan with parchment paper.
Mix the dry ingredients together with a whisk or a fork, and then cut the butter into the flour mixture as if making a pie crust. Stop when all the flour has been coated in butter, but there are still lumps of butter about the size of small peas or lentils.
Briskly beat the sour cream with a fork into the milk to eliminate lumps. Beat in the egg and then add the vanilla and beat again to combine. It should be a little less than a cup of liquid, about 7 fluid ounces.
Add the liquid to the flour mixture and stir until it comes together. It will clump into large smooth lumps rather than form a cohesive dough. Avoid over working it, the dough is wetter than it appears. Stir just until all the loose flour is absorbed.
Flour a surface and your hands, pat the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Cut into 8 triangles or squares. Place at least 1 inch apart on the baking tray, and bake until medium golden brown, about 20 minutes.
These have the best texture when still warm from the oven. They are a very firm when cool, downright hard. Toast them to restore about 90% of their texture.
I've also posted this recipe at the LJ community Molly's Cauldron under the moniker Rock Scones.