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Cornmeal Scones Tested Recipe
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I love a good scone. This Cornmeal Scone,
as its name implies, contains cornmeal which adds a pleasing hint of nuttiness
and grittiness. They are baked in a hot oven which gives the scones a crisp
outside crust yet inside they are still nice and tender. Currants, which are
dried tiny dark seedless Zante grapes, are also added to these scones. They have
a sweet flavor that is excellent in baked goods. If they are nice and soft
nothing needs to be done before adding them to the scone dough. But if they are
a little hard and dry, you may want to soften them first in water, orange juice,
or even rum or brandy, before adding them to the scones.
A Cornmeal Scone is different than Cornmeal Bread which contains lots of cornmeal
and just a little flour. Cornmeal Scones are the other way around. They
contain just 1/3 cup (50 grams) of cornmeal to 2 cups (280 grams) of
flour. But that is all the cornmeal it takes to give these scones the
taste and texture of cornmeal. These scones are also unique in that they
do not have any butter in them. Instead, they contain extra liquid, in the
form of cream, which gives them a rich flavor with a crumbly texture while
still being tender and moist.
Cornmeal is made from corn kernels that have been dried and ground. It
is known as Polenta in Italy and Maize Meal in other parts of the world.
It comes in different colors and textures with 'stone ground' cornmeal
having a coarser grind. Whereas regular cornmeal is made from corn that
has had its germ removed during the milling process, 'stone ground'
cornmeal uses the entire grain. This gives it a more pronounced nutty toasted
corn flavor and crunchy texture. I mention stone ground cornmeal because
that is what I like to use in this recipe although regular fine ground
cornmeal is perfectly good. When buying cornmeal make sure to check the
expiration date on the container and store in a cool dry place.
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Cornmeal Scones: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) and place
the oven rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment
paper.
In a large
bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, and orange
zest. Add the currants to the
flour mixture and stir well. In a small measuring cup whisk together the cream,
egg, and vanilla extract. Add this to the flour mixture and stir just until the
dough comes together.
Transfer to a lightly floured surface and
knead
dough gently four or five times and then pat, or roll, the dough into a circle
that is about 7 inches (18 cm) round and about 1 1/2 inches (3.75 cm) thick. Cut this
circle in half, then cut each half into 4 pie-shaped wedges (triangles).
Place the scones on the baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with a
little cream.
Bake
for about 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the
middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Makes 8
scones.
References:
Daley, Regan. 'In
the Sweet Kitchen'. Random House Canada. Toronto: 2000.
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Cornmeal Scones:
2 cups (260 grams) all purpose
flour
1/3 cup (50 grams) fine
cornmeal
1/3 cup (65 grams) granulated white
sugar
1 tablespoon
baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons freshly grated
orange zest
1 cup (100 grams) currants
1 cup (240 ml) half & half
cream, milk, or whipping cream
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
extract
Glaze:
Cream
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