Double-Decker Filled Scones from King Arthur Flour

I had picked these out awhile ago to make for scone week. When I re-read the recipe yesterday, I almost said nope, because there were some “steps” I didn’t recall seeing and it just sounded too labor intensive for the energy level I had. But then, I said what the heck, give it a go – with a modification!

The ingredients are all things I had on hand:

DOUGH

• King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour; or King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
• salt
• granulated sugar
• baking powder
• butter
• eggs
• milk
• vanilla extract
• coarse white sugar, for sprinkling on top

FILLING

• about 1 to 1 1/2 cups prepared filling: jam, nut butter, cookie butter, sweetened cream cheese, or the filling of your choice

The directions are really easy, (they just seemed like they had too many steps to me on 2nd read through), – you mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl and cut in your butter. In another bowl you combine the eggs, milk & vanilla. Then, stir into the dry ingredients until just combined.

Now, at this point the directions tell you to divide the dough into thirds, and shape each third into a disk, 1 inch thick and 4 inches in diameter on a parchment or greased baking pan. Once that’s done, you pop into the freezer for about 30 minutes, pull them out then cut them in half around their circumference with a serrated knife. Well, instead of doing that, I thought it would be easier to just make 6 disks 1/2 inch thick & the 4 inches in diameter as directed and thereby cut out the splitting in half step!

So, that’s what I did. I then stuck the 6 disks into the freezer for 30 min, but each on a piece of waxed paper for easier handling when they came out.

While they were in the freezer I prepared my filling. I used about 1 cup of apricot jam, which is one of my favorites. They suggest 1 to 1 1/2 cups of filling. I’d read another recipe by KAF similar to this one that uses seedless raspberry jam to which they add sugar plus some Instant Clearjel, so I did that as well for this one because I was worried about my jam melting into nothing in the oven, or melting right out of the edges. (I used 1 tbsp sugar plus 2 tbsp Instant ClearJel)

To build them, you spread 1/3 of your filling onto 3 of the disks, then top with the other 3. I was really skeptical at this point about it turning out as it should. I still worried my filling would slide right out of the edges as it baked. But I kept the faith and kept on rolling along.

Once they’re “built”, you can brush with milk and sprinkle on coarse sugar if you want to. I don’t normally use it because my guys don’t like the “crunchy texture” the coarse sugar gives things – but I did it anyway for prettiness! You leave them in uncut circles to bake.

I didn’t need to worry at all – these baked up perfectly! The top disks curve down to “seal” up the edges before anything could melt out, and I think it would’ve been fine without the Instant ClearJel in my jam, but I don’t think it hurt either! Once they’ve cooled on the sheet pan for about 10 minutes, you then cut each round into 6 wedges. Mine even cut fairly nice too!

What started out as a big “I don’t know about this…” sort of thing, turned out to be a “I am so glad I made these!” endeavor. And it wasn’t hard or complicated at all – just sounded like it was, when in actually doing it was super easy. I’m sure I must sound like a broken record when I say I will be making these again – but I will for sure be making them not only again, but often!! Jeremy’s already requested a seedless black raspberry-blackberry jam version!

 

from Kris B.

Triple Cinnamon Scones

These scones have been on my “to-make_ list for a while.  For some reason, cinnamon says autumn to me; I’m not sure why. Maybe it is because of the cinnamon scented pine cones that fill the entry way to the grocery store at this time of year.  Who knows.  For whatever reason, they sounded like the perfect recipe for our November scones week.  How can you go wrong with triple cinnamon?

The dough is a basic dough except for the inclusion of the first of the triple cinnamon ingredients – cinnamon chips.

DOUGH

• King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• sugar
• baking powder
• salt
• cold butter, cut into pats
• cinnamon sweet bits or cinnamon chips
• half & half or evaporated milk
• eggs, lightly beaten
• vanilla extract

The most difficult part of making the dough is finding the cinnamon chips.  I remember a time when they were easily gotten in the baking aisle of the grocery store.  This is not so anymore, at least here in Texas.  Fortunately, I remembered needing them for a previous recipe that I wanted to make and not being able to find them so on one of my King Arthur Flour shopping binges I ordered the cinnamon sweet bits “just in case.”  The making of the dough follows the same process as Tracey’s recipe – the dry ingredients are mixed; the butter is cut in: the wet ingredients are added; and finally the chips are stirred in.

The thing that makes these scones so delicious, in my opinion, is the second of the triple cinnamon ingredients – the filling.

FILLING

• Baker’s Cinnamon Filling
• water

I will admit that I was skeptical about buying the King Arthur Baker’s Cinnamon Filling.  Why in the world did I need to buy cinnamon sugar?  In a moment of weakness, I bought it anyway.  This stuff is not just cinnamon sugar.  It is a combination of Vietnamese cinnamon, extra-fine sugar, and dry shortening.  Don’t worry.  If you tracked down the cinnamon chips and don’t have this, you can make a substitute filling with brown sugar, cinnamon, corn starch, and milk.  I love brown sugar and cinnamon, but I have to say that for this recipe, it is worth purchasing the Baker’s Cinnamon Filling.  All you do is mix it with water.

Once the dough and filling are made, it is time to assemble the scones.  The dough is patted out into either a square or a rectangle.  There are some math/geometry inconsistencies in the recipe on the King Arthur website, but it really doesn’t matter.  I made mine into a 12 inch square.  Then you spread the filling on top.  The dough is then folded like a letter – one side into the center nd then the other.  At this point, I had a 4×12 inch rectangle.  You then pat the dough thin until it becomes roughly a 6×18 rectangle.  (Remember it is now tree times its original thickness.)  I found the dough quite easy to work with.

I then deviated slightly from the instructions as far as forming the scones.  I cut my rectangle into 3 6×6 squares and the cut each square into four triangles for a total of a dozen scones.  The scones are then placed on a lightly greased parchment-lined baking sheet and placed in the freezer for thirty minutes.  This helps them to rise better during the baking.

The scones bake for 18-20 minutes in a 425 degree oven.  They are done when they are a light golden brown.  Once out of the oven, allow the scones to cool completely still on the baking tray.

Once completely cooled, it;s time for cinnamon glaze.

GLAZE

• confectioners’ sugar
• ground cinnamon
• water

The recipe calls for the entire scone to be glazed – top and bottom.  I chose only to glaze the top by mixing the glaze ingredients in a wide shallow bowl and dipping each scone.

Every time scones come up in a conversation, someone always says that they don’t like scones because they are too dry.  And, that is often true.  In this case, however, it is most definitely not the case!  These things are perfect!

My daughter said, “These scones are what would happen if a scone and a cinnamon roll had babies.”

I also sent some home with a friend who stopped by the house.  We don’t need to eat a dozen scones!  I got a message from him the next day saying that they were AMAZING!  He is one who said that he normally doesn’t eat scones because of their dryness.  He volunteered to take extras off of my hands anytime that I needed to get rid or extras.

I have to agree.  These are the best scones that I have ever had.  Paired with a nice strong cup of black coffee, it is nirvana!