Oh hot damn, these scones are my jam. # 86: Fruit Scones: Roasted Nectarine & Chocolate and Plum Jam-Filled

 

I’m sure Flo-Rida would approve of these scones too! I decided to try out two new recipes for scones in one evening – go big or go home, right?

 

 

 

They turned out so differently that I’m glad I made both for contrast. Usually when someone says “scone,” it conjures an image of a half-biscuit, half-shortcake lump of dough served with cream and jam. It makes me crave high tea and think my thoughts in a British accent. But scones have so much more potential that just that one classic stereotype! They can be savory or sweet, and served in a variety of shapes and sizes.

 

To me, the mark of a good scone is that it’s not too dry. If you can’t eat it without copious amounts of tea, then it is officially too chalky and dry. They contain a small amount of baking soda, so they rise a little more than a shortcake would, but they are super similar besides that. A (usually) sweetened dough that is mostly butter and flour, with an egg and a splash of cream to pull it together. Alright, a large splash of cream.

 

I chose to make them separately, back-to-back, instead of simultaneously. Otherwise, I’d end up with double the butter in one and no cream in the other. I was also listening to an audiobook while baking so I was truly setting the scene for distracted baking. Yolo.

 

I’d never roasted fruit before. It made the kitchen smell amazing – highly recommend. Side note: put them in the freezer after roasting them so you don’t have to wait forever for them to be cool enough to mix in with the dough.

 

Cold butter and chilled chunks of roasted nectarine. Reporting for duty.

 

Lesson learned after mixing it all up: choose less ripe fruit so it maintains some sort of structural integrity. Oops! Upside: the nommy roasted nectarine flavor is now evenly spread within the batter.

 

They turned out darker than I’d like due to a few silly factors. 1. I put too much egg wash on them (facepalm) and 2. Remember that audiobook I was listening too? Yep, I didn’t hear the timer go off and they hung out in the sauna for too long (double facepalm). As a result, they have a slightly crispy exterior which I really like! Remember, baking is an art and there are no mistakes in art.

 

Back to butter for scones round 2. Mmm, Kerry Gold.

 

Instead of sifting the flour, I lightly whisked it with the sugar and baking powder. Worked like a charm.

 

I love kneading dough! It’s so satisfying. I added a bit more cream to help the dough stick together, hence the puddle in the dip in the dough mountain.

 

No knead for rolling. (Ba-dum-ssssshh)

 

The hidden treasure within! Homemade plum preserves made expertly by my roommate, from plums picked in my parents’ backyard. How local can ya get.

 

Before and after sauna time. I did a cream wash and sprinkled sugar on top before baking. The cream wash is similar to an egg wash in that it helps brown the top of baked goods (the sugar in dairy reacts with the amino acids and starts to caramelize at high temperatures, called a Maillard Reaction!)

 

I let it cool for at least a half hour before slicing into it. The suspense was killing me, but I wanted to the jam to be more set.

 

Happy munching!

 

Recipes mostly from: https://smittenkitchen.com/2012/10/roasted-pear-and-chocolate-chunk-scones/ & http://thewoodandspoon.com/jam-filled-scones/