The following recipe comes from one of our dear neighbors and a terrific cook, Emma Burns. Itâs not too big a surprise to find out that Emmaâs an expert in the kitchen, when you consider sheâs Italian and learned from the best in her family. The surprise comes when you find out that the recipe has nothing to do with her Italian heritage. It is her version of a British staple: the scone. Believe me, my mouth waters just thinking about Emmaâs blueberry scones, served hot and fresh out of the oven. Emma promises to send some of her Italian recipes in the near future, but in the meantime, give this recipe a try and let me know how it worked out. Donât forget to send your favorite or special recipes along with your comments and questions to greengeezer9@comcast.net.
— Sammy
Blueberry and other flavored Scones â Courtesy of Emma Burns, N-33
Several years ago, the tennis club at Sun City at its annual âWelcome Back to Tennisâ event used the theme, âBreakfast at Wimbledon.â The committee decided that, along with the strawberries and cream, we offer a variety of scones. Having just moved to Huntley from Seattle the previous year, I was a fan of the British pastry. On occasion, I would buy a box mix and serve them, especially if we had houseguests. I took charge of the scones.
After trekking to all the local supermarkets, I discovered that scone mixes were not to be found in Illinois. Although Tomâs sold them, they were too pricey for our budget. So, I âGoogledâ scones on the Internet; several simple recipes were available. My first batch was so delicious that I decided it was the way to go. Unfortunately, one recipe made only eight scones, and we needed approximately 300 scones! Welcome Back was a month away, so I immediately began baking, sometimes three or four batches a day. Each batch was placed in a freezer bag and marked. I varied the recipe with blueberries, cranberries, chocolate chips, cinnamon, and pumpkin.
One day my husband complained to a neighbor that he hadnât had ice cream in weeks. When she asked why, he said there wasnât any room in the freezer since I had bagged over 350 scones!
Breakfast for the event was a success. The strawberries and cream, thanks to Pat Parr and Norie Seino, were fresh and delicious. The scones, along with some added jams, were more than enough to satisfy the tennis players. Most everyone said they went back for seconds.
The recipe is simple and takes only a few minutes to prepare. Oven temperatures vary, so keep an eye on your first batch and be sure to remove them from the oven when they appear slightly browned. By the way, they freeze well.
Scones (unknown source)
1 cup flour
1 cup cake flour (Softasilk)
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, cut up into small pieces
2/3 cup buttermilk (either low fat or regular works)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup blueberries or dried cranberries or chocolate chips or 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Combine all dry ingredients and cut in the butter so the mixture looks like cornmeal; add buttermilk and vanilla (I mix them together first before adding to flour mixture). Knead the dough briefly, carefully adding berries or chips or cinnamon, and form into a 7-inch circle (about 2-inches thick). Cut into 8 triangles, arrange 2â apart on a cookie sheet, and bake at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes.
Pumpkin scones: Combine 1/3 cup of canned pumpkin, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg to other ingredients. Also, replace the buttermilk with 1/3 cup heavy cream. Bake 14 minutes. Enjoy!
— Emma
