Does anyone not remember these from their childhood?
This morning I came upon these wild summer berries in my yard. I ran for the camera, instantly having the most nostalgic memories of scoffing these down with my cousins when I was a kid. I have to confess, I don’t know exactly what variety these are, but I am bound and determined to see what kind of goodies I can make with them – that is if the birds and I don’t eat them right off the bush first.
Before I spotted these, I had been thumbing through a bunch of my Summer cookbooks and looking for new and interesting recipes to try. In Rick Rodger’s Summer Gatherings, I came upon a scone recipe with a new ingredient – small morsels of almond paste which were to be mixed into the batter along with raspberries. I thought this was worth a try (didn’t need to think about that too long). Well, I didn’t have any raspberries left but used some strawberries instead. Here is a pic:
I have to tell you I am having a running argument with my son, Ryan about what is a “real” scone. He insists that a scone is not baked in a circle cut into wedges, my usual, and the format called for in this recipe, as well. He says they should be “stand-alone” with all sides baking to air and getting the coveted crunchy texture. I get his point, but the shape has nothing to do with whether it’s a scone or not. I mean, really, when did he become an authority on scones? Well, I usually ignore these types of comments from the kids, but today fashioned my batch into some circles and a couple of triangles. These were very good! – I will definitely make them again, but I have to confess that I’m not crazy with what happens to strawberries when they bake in a muffin or a scone – unless they are tiny and don’t have to be cut. So, next time, unless I am lucky enough to have some fraise des bois (sometimes I see them at the Cape) it’ll be another choice of fruit. The texture of these was very nice, and the flavors different and satisfying. Try some- I’ve made a couple of little adaptations for next time:
RICK RODGERS’ RASPBERRY AND ALMOND SCONES
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour, plus more for the baking sheet
1 tblsp sugar (I’d prob use 2 next time)
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 plus 1/8 tsp salt, divided
4 tblsp unsalted butter, chilled, cut into tablespoons
2 large eggs
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp lemon or orange zest (I would add next time)
1/2 pint fresh raspberries
2 oz almond paste or marzipan, cut into 1/4″ dice
2 tblsp sliced almonds, I crumbled them in my hand
Muscovado sugar for dusting
1. Position rack in the top third of the oven and preheat to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly dust with flour.
2. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt together in a medium bowl. Add the butter and, using a pastry blender, (or your fingertips) cut the butter into the flour mixture until the butter pieces are about 1/4 inch square (I think, smaller than this). The mixture should have a rough texture, just short of the coarse crumbs consistency used in making pastry dough.
3. Beat the eggs and the remaining 1/8 tsp salt in a small bowl until the eggs are well combined. Transfer 2 tblsp of the beaten egg to another small bowl and set aside. Add the heavy cream, zest and the almond extract to the remaining, larger portion of eggs and mix to combine. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Add the raspberries and the almond paste and stir just until the dough holds together.
4. Gather up the dough and place on the lined baking sheet. Using floured hands, pat the dough into a 3/4″ thick round. Using a sharp knife, cut into 6 equal wedges but do not separate them (or form into individual scones if you are Ryan – the scone oficionado). Brush the scones with some of the reserved beaten egg, then sprinkle with the almonds (and some muscovado sugar).
5. Bake until the scones are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve warm or cooled to room temperature. The scones are best the day baked. (NEVER EAT A DAY OLD SCONE).
Yield: 6 Scones
Well, I am going outside in the SUN!!!!!!! It’s supposed to be great for at least 4 days! Rejoice!
Pics from outside today:
Endless Summer Hydrangea
Just about ready for picking!!!!!!!