When I had my first scone in England, I thought, I must be dreaming. It wasn’t the first time I’d had a scone, but it felt that way. I wasn’t sure if it was the taste of warm honey butter on my tongue, the mysterious rain outside, or the lovely feeling of laziness on a Sunday afternoon. Nonetheless, the scone became a staple in my diet during my time in Cambridge.
3 cups wheat gluten flour
1/2 cup Splenda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup currants or raisins (optional)
1 egg, for egg wash
Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a food processor, pulse flour, Splenda, cream of tartar, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles peas. Do not overmix or scones will be tough. Add the cream and pulse a few additional times. Stir in the currants by hand.
Press dough onto a surface lined with wax paper and roll out to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut scones into triangles and place on baking sheet. Brush scones with egg wash and sprinkle lightly with Splenda for shine. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Note: I use a food processor to make my scones because I like to minimize work in the kitchen. You have to be careful to pulse only as needed so that you don’t overmix the dough. If you have the patience, using your hands or two forks to mix together the ingredients can guard against overmixing.
Copyright SGR 2004