Buttermilk Currant Scones

Who likes a good scone? I do! There is nothing like a fresh hot scone and a big cup of coffee. It is a real treat for breakfast or snack during the day. I particularly enjoy baking and eating them on Sunday morning. Why Sunday? Because it is the one morning of the week that is more relaxed than the others. Sunday is when I make a nice breakfast instead of having the usual protein bar and iced coffee before exercising.

Most scones are made with cream. One morning I was short on cream and had some buttermilk. I looked for recipes for scones made with buttermilk and found one for Cran Oat Scones on Food Network’s website. I used the FN recipe but made some changes; different fruit and butter, plus a little more buttermilk. I use European style butter (Plugrá) for some baking and frostings. The amount of buttermilk in the original recipe was not enough to bring the ingredients together. They may have used a different flour which can make a difference in how much liquid is needed. (I use King Arthur all-purpose flour).

A few notes when making the scones. Cut the butter into small pieces and put back into the refrigerator to keep cold. Do this first before turning on the oven. Stir in the buttermilk as best as possible but do not work the dough too much. It will be crumbly but will come together when you knead it lightly on a floured surface.

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Buttermilk Currant Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting work surface
½ cup oatmeal
6 tablespoons sugar
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons European style unsalted butter
½ cup dried currants
¾ cup buttermilk plus 1 or 2 tablespoons as needed
Cream
Turbinado sugar

Cut butter into small pieces and put back in refrigerator to keep cold. Preheat oven to 375° farenheit.

Combine flour, oatmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients using a pasty blender until mixture is crumbly (there will be small pea sized pieces of butter). Stir in the currants. Add the ¾ cup of buttermilk and stir with a wooden spoon. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons more of buttermilk if it looks too dry. Some of it will still be a bit crumbly.

Put the mixture from the bowl on a lightly floured surface. It is okay for there to be some dry ingredients. Lightly knead until all the ingredients come together into a ball. Pat down to a circle about 8 inches wide. Cut into 8 wedges. Transfer the wedges to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat. Brush scones with cream and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

Bake for 21 to 24 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Transfer scones to a wire rack. Serve warm. Keep leftovers in an airtight container. Makes 8 large scones.

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