All content copyright Katrina Hall 2008 through 2025

Monday, December 3, 2012

Irish scones beside the fire



Apologies for the long between-posts.  There is always much to do, and when we had several very cold days, I spent hours wrestling with a cranky woodstove, taking lovely long hikes, picking up pine cones and fallen branches, courtesy of Hurricane Sandy, to add to my basket of kindling for that blue enameled beast that sits in the kitchen.  Early mornings, I run up the hill beside the house and greet the sun, and then?   I'm not quite sure what goes clattering through my head:  I think a lot.  As a sometime poet, I start with a random glance at a photograph of my grandmother-I-never-knew, and end up thinking about the Irish/Welsh/English threads that run on both sides of my family.

Today, instead of falling into a book, I made these charming, delicious scones again, happy to be mixing the dough, and, 25 minutes later, eating those hot, flaky bites, with puddles of melting butter, scented with lemon and nutmeg, juicy raisins, and a swift small sprinkling of sugar on top;  wondering if my grandmother-I-never-knew was as pleased with them as I am.  

To make about 8 scones:


Preheat oven to 375F.
Fit a baking sheet with foil or parchment.
6 T. cold butter, cut in small pieces
1/4 cup King Arthur whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
2 t. baking powder
pinch nutmeg, or 8 scrapings from a whole nutmeg
1/4 t. freshly grated lemon zest
pinch salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup raisins
Place flours and cold butter pieces into a mixer bowl and mix until incorporated. It should look crumbly.
Add the nutmeg, baking powder, lemon zest and salt.
Mix well.
Pour in the buttermilk and raisins and mix until it just holds together.
Using a normal size ice cream scoop, scoop batter out onto the baking sheet. This should make 8 scones. Sprinkle with a little sugar, if desired.
Place in oven for 25 minutes - they should be golden and craggy looking.
Remove to cool on cooling rack.
Serve with soft, sweet butter and marmalade or jam, as you wish. Delicious alone, too.





4 comments:

diary of a tomato said...

I always welcome these darkening days as the time for introspection and refueling. Sounds like you're having a wonderful time with both, thanks for the delicious-sounding scones as well as the visit with your grandmother...

katrina said...

Dear Diary:) I remember the days of growing vast gardens and setting up my stand every Saturday at the farmers market , taking care of the farm animals, and keeping track of my 2 children: winter was a huge relief, and, as you said, an important time to recharge and refuel. My grandmother. I so wish I had known her and my grandfather - and my other two grandparents, each of whom I only met once. Making a 3rd batch of those scones today, which is blustery and dark, hope you try them!

Barb said...

I think these are jut perfect for a dark, blustery late, late fall day. (Well they probably are just as delicious on a sunny, beautiful day but perfect for NOW!)

Thanks again for sharing this with us.

katrina said...

Thanks for stopping by, Barb! I think of it as early winter, since we've had snow, and am now on my fourth batch - I love making food for friends!