Cook\'s Country - 2019-06-07

24 COOK’S COUNTRY • JUNE/JULY 2019

COOKING CLASS

MIXED BERRY SCONES

Makes 8 scones

Work the dough just until it comes togeth-

er; do not overmix. For the best results,

work quickly to keep the butter and berries

as cold as possible. Note that the butter

is divided in this recipe. If your berry mix

contains strawberries, cut them in half be-

fore tossing them with the confectioners’

sugar in step 1. An equal amount of frozen

blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, or

strawberries (halved) can be used in place

of the mixed berries, if desired.

SCONES

8¾ ounces (13⁄4 cups) frozen mixed

berries

3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

3 cups (15 ounces) all-purpose fl our

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into

1⁄2-inch pieces and chilled, divided

1⁄3 cup (21⁄3 ounces) granulated sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1¼ teaspoons table salt

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk

1 large egg plus 1 large yolk

GLAZE

2 tablespoons unsalted butter,

melted

1 tablespoon honey

1. FOR THE SCONES: Adjust oven rack
   to upper-middle position and heat oven to
   425 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet
   with parchment paper. Toss berries with
   confectioners’ sugar in bowl until evenly
   covered; freeze until needed.
   2. Process fl our, 6 tablespoons butter,
   granulated sugar, baking powder, and
   salt in food processor until butter is fully
   incorporated, about 15 seconds. Add
   remaining 6 tablespoons butter and pulse
   until butter is reduced to pea-size pieces,
   10 to 12 pulses. Transfer mixture to large
   bowl. Stir in berries.
   3. Beat milk and egg and yolk together in
   separate bowl. Make well in center of fl our
   mixture and pour in milk mixture. Using
   rubber spatula, gently stir, scraping from
   sides of bowl and folding inward until very
   shaggy dough forms and some bits of
   fl our remain. Do not overmix.
   4. Turn out dough onto well-fl oured
   counter and, if necessary, knead briefl y
   until dough just comes together, about
   3 turns. Using your fl oured hands and
   bench scraper, shape dough into 12 by
   4-inch rectangle, about 11⁄2 inches thick.
   Using knife or bench scraper, cut dough
   crosswise into 4 equal rectangles. Cut
   each rectangle diagonally into 2 triangles
   (you should have 8 triangles total).
   Transfer triangles to prepared sheet.
   Bake until scones are lightly golden,
   16 to 18 minutes, rotating sheet halfway
   through baking.
   5. FOR THE GLAZE: While scones bake,
   combine melted butter and honey in
   small bowl.
   6. Remove sheet from oven and brush
   tops of scones evenly with glaze. Return
   sheet to oven and continue to bake until
   scones are golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes
   longer. Transfer scones to wire rack and let
   cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.


2. Prepare
   Heat the oven; prepare the baking
   sheet; freeze the sugared berries.
   Why? Sugaring the berries adds
   sweetness; plus, the cornstarch in
   the confectioners’ sugar absorbs
   excess juice. Freezing the berries
   helps prevent their juice from
   bleeding into the dough.


3. Process dry ingredients
   Process the fl our, half the butter,
   the sugar, the baking powder, and
   the salt until the butter is fully
   incorporated.
   Why? The key is to coat the fl our
   with the butter so that the fl our
   doesn’t form as much gluten and
   the scones stay tender.


4. Add more butter
   Add the remaining butter and
   pulse until the butter is broken
   into pea-size pieces.
   Why? The larger pieces of butter
   melt in the oven, creating small
   pockets of buttery fl avor and
   producing steam that promotes a
   fl aky, tender texture.


5. Add berries
   Transfer the fl our mixture to a
   bowl and gently stir in the berries.
   Why? Use a light hand when stir-
   ring in the berries so they don’t
   break apart and make a juicy
   mess. It’s easier to incorporate
   the berries before adding the
   heavy liquids.


6. Mix in wet ingredients
   Combine the milk and the egg and
   yolk. Make a well in the fl our mix-
   ture and pour in the milk mixture.
   Why? Milk and eggs add richness
   and structure. Pouring them into
   a well makes it easier to incorpo-
   rate them into the dry ingredients
   and keeps the berries intact.

Step by Step

Mixed Berry Scones

These berry scones, a favorite from our archive, are sweet, buttery, and simple to make.

by Matthew Fairman