Chew on This | Scones with Whipped Cream and Preserves

Scones are marvelous! They're more delicate than cake and much better tasting than a biscuits. Or maybe it's all that sweet fruit preserves and scrumptious whipped cream (clotted cream in England) you top them with that makes Cares and me such fans! 

Scones have a crisp coarse sugar top and a tender buttery inside. Enjoy scones for breakfast

with the family, or serve them to your favorite guests with all the pomp and ceremony of an

English Afternoon Tea, like Cares and I are doing today.

  

This is what you'll need:  Self-rising flour, sugar, salt, egg, butter and milk.

Optional: ground ginger and crystallized ginger.   

Serve with heavy whipped cream and your choice of preserves.

Preheat oven to 425℉.  Using a large wide-mouthed bowl, combine the self-rising flour, salt and the optional ground ginger and crystallized ginger. Next, using the large side of a grater, grate very cold butter into your flour mixture, stirring to combine once, about half way through.
 

This is a hands on recipe, so, with clean hands, very quickly mix to blend in the butter, lifting to incorporate as much air into the mix as possible.

When the butter is just incorporated, break an egg into a measuring cup and fill with milk to measure 1/2 cup liquid.  Stir to mix.

To the flour mixture, add milk/egg mixture a little at a time, alternating with 3 T of sugar.   

Stir after each addition.

When dough just begins to come away from the side of the bowl, transfer to a floured surface.

Without really working the dough, use enough flour to shape it into a round.  Then cut into 8-10 pieces. I like to cut into triangles because you're less likely to over-work the dough.

Transfer the scones to a greased baking sheet and brush with milk.

Sprinkle with granulated sugar.  I also gave them a little extra sprinkle with Wilton Sparkling Sugar. Wow, how sweet it is!

Pop scones into a hot oven for 10-12 minutes.  While the scones are baking, whip up some heavy whipping cream and transfer to a small dish. Serve scones with whipped cream along with a dish of  preserves.  

Oh, I almost forgot the most important thing, and that is the proper way to enjoy these awesomely delicious bits of goodness! The preserves are spooned onto the sugared top of the scones, then the fluffy cloud of sweetened whipped cream (in England it would be clotted cream) is spooned on top of the preserves. Our big family debate goes on as to what goes first, the jam or the cream.  The important thing is eating them - how ever you decide to do it, you'll find them totally marvelous!

Mimi

Here is the recipe:

                     Scones with Whipped Cream and Preserves

1 1/3 cup self rising flour

1/8 t salt
1/2 t ground ginger, optional
2 T crystallized ginger, cut into small pieces, optional

4 T butter

1 egg

3 T granulated sugar, + extra for sprinkling on top of scones

milk, enough to make a 1/2 cup liquid when added to 1 egg, + some to brush on scone tops


Accompaniments: 

1/2 cup preserves, your flavor choice

1 pint heavy whipping cream (whip cream to stiff peaks with 2 t of granulated sugar added)

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, and optional ground ginger, and crystallized ginger.  Shave or cut into your flour very cold butter, and with hands blend in the butter, lifting mixture to incorporate as much air as possible.

Crack 1 egg into a measuring cup, then add enough milk to measure a half cup of liquid.   Stir to blend.

To the flour mixture, add milk mixture, a little at a time, alternating with 3 T of sugar. Stir after each addition.  When the dough just begins to come away from the side of the bowl, transfer to a lightly floured surface.  Shape into a round and cut into 8-10 pieces (triangles).  

Place on a greased baking sheet.  Brush tops with milk and sprinkle with granulated sugar.  Bake at 425℉ for 10-12 minutes. While scones are baking, whip your heavy cream into stiff peaks, adding 2 t of sugar while whipping. Place whipped cream into a bowl and also bowl some of your favorite preserves. When scones are done, serve immediately with your accompaniments!  Enjoy, luvs!