Cream Scones

2 C (10 oz/283 g) all-purpose flour
1 T (12 g) baking powder
3 T granulated sugar
½ t (3 g) salt
5 T (71 g) unsalted butter, chilled, ¼-inch pieces
½ C (70 g) currants
1 C (237 ml) heavy cream
finishing sugar

Position oven rack in middle position and heat to 425° F (220° C).

Place flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in large bowl or work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Whisk together or pulse six times.

If making by hand, use pastry blender, or fingertips and quickly cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few slightly larger butter lumps. Stir in currants. If using food processor, remove cover and distribute butter evenly over dry ingredients. Replace cover and pulse 12 times, each pulse lasting 1 second. Add currants and pulse one more time. Transfer dough to large bowl. Stir in heavy cream with spatula until dough begins to form, about 30 seconds. Dough will be craggily.

Transfer dough and all dry, floury bits to countertop and knead dough by hand just until it comes together into a rough, slightly sticky ball, 5 to 10 seconds. Place dough in round 8-inch cake pan and press dough to flatten until it evenly fills pan. Invert pan to remove dough and cut into 8 equal wedges. Place wedges on ungreased baking sheet. (Baking sheet can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 hours.) Just prior to baking, brush each scone with a light coating of heavy cream and sprinkle with large crystal finishing sugar.

Bake until scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes: 8 scones

15 Jan 18 – Followed original recipe with no major changes. Used food processor to mix dry ingredients and cutting in frozen butter. Froze butter pieces in freezer for approx. 15 mins before incorporating with dry ingredients. Used almost all (1 cup) heavy cream. Dough came together nicely after several kneading (approx. 1 min) on lightly floured counter. Dough malleable and not overly moist which made it easy to work with and shape. Shaped dough using 8-inch round cake pan and remove well by flipping pan over on counter. Cut into 8 triangular pieces using large chef knife. Placed on half sheet pan covered with silpat pad. Brushed each scone with heavy cream and sprinkled with finishing sugar. Baked in island oven for 13 mins. Tops turned a light brown as did bottoms. Cooled on wire rack for 10 mins.