Better-Than-Bisquit Scones [from my ISP deleted journal Playing with Food]
    Did I elaborate on that scone recipe, the one mentioned in “My Fan Club”? I should have. The Scone Episode is classic “Playing With Food.”
    When I lived in Seattle, I visited Larry’s Market at least once a week, on Sundays, and, if I was working in Bellevue, more often. I fell in love with many of their baked and deli goods. Larry’s Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins, for instance. Larry’s Curried Rice, which was wonderful with a little shredded chicken, warmed in the oven on a bleak February day. Larry’s Cranberry Scones.
    Larry’s Cranberry Scones are the only reason I like scones. I’d never tried scones before, being only a recent and reluctant bisquit fan. I couldn’t see any more sense to sweet bisquits than to bisquit-bisquits. I tried a (rather large) free sample, though, one morning, and went home with four scones for the next four mornings.
    These scones were so peculiarly good that I decided to crack the recipe code. The next Sunday morning I bought a pre-packaged “set” of scones that had been baked the previous day. It had a list of ingredients on it. I wasn’t expecting a recipe, but I was expecting to find out what the secret was to Larry’s scones.
    I found it, toward the end of the list. Grated orange peel. That’s right; and a listing of baking soda and baking powder that put it further down on the list than I would have thought wise (Ingredients on packaged products are typically listed in descending order of their percentage of the whole.).
    Since I’d never dealt with scone recipes at length, I scouted for a base recipe to work from that featured traditional ingredients and richness (cream instead of milk, for example; no substitution of fruit pulp for fat). I found a likely candidate in a Sunset Bread Book someone had given me for Christmas years ago. Then, I started to play. I added grated orange peel, of course, fresh off the rind, and dried cranberries. I cut back on the baking powder/soda but increased the amount of sugar. This is the scone recipe I came up with:

A Tribute to Larry’s Scones

Preheat Oven to 400°

Dry Ingredients: 1 3/4 cups white flour 1/4 cup whole wheat flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/3 cup sugar 1/4 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients: 4 Tbl margarine 2 eggs, beaten 1/3 cup whipping cream 3 Tbl grated orange peel 2 handfuls dried cranberies

Preparation:

• In a large mixing bowl blend flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut in the margarine with a pastry blender or two knives balanced between nervous fingers until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in eggs, orange peel and cream to make a stiff dough. Dump in the cranberries and mix them, by hand, into the dough.
• Knead the dough on a lightly floured board until it sticks together. Divide the dough in half. Roll each half into a circle 6” wide by 1” thick. Serrate each circle into quarters. Place serrated circles 1” apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush tops with egg white, if desired.
• Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Eat fresh. Bisquits don’t keep well.

    I nailed these delicious breakfast bisquits on the first try. I became famous for them in Seattle. My boss expected scones whenever I visited the home office. I even negotiated job terms with scones.
    Several friends of mine tried the recipe. Donna made them with non-fat milk and was pleased with the results. I experimented with adding more wheat flour and discovered that the scones became grainy if I raised the ratio of wheat to white over 25% per batch. I also tried inserting chopped Turkish apricots and finely ground pecans. Those went over well at Rittenhouse, Zeman and Associates.

    What else might you find in the list of ingredients for any particular item?

1. A-1 Steak Sauce includes puréed raisins. Imagine that!
2. I deduced the use of cinnamon and currants in curry from the list of ingredients taped to the bottom of Larry’s Curried Rice.
3. Any Ceasar dressing worth its salt includes anchovy paste. So does Worchestershire Sauce.

    The ideas you can get from the ingredients lists on processed foods for tweaking recipes are endless. Pay attention to what you like. Follow your likes around the side to the list of ingredients. Figure out what (besides the chemicals) it is that you’re tasting. Try it, the next time you prepare the food from scratch.

    What finally happened between Larry’s and me? I continued buying their Curried Rice, until they changed it (they added what was clearly canned chicken and some creamy, disgusting sauce base) and then discontinued it. Although I liked the emotional resonance of buying Cranberry Scones at Larry’s, I eventually supplied all my own scones. Larry’s increased the fat content to where the scones were downright greasy. I couldn’t handle that. Fortunately, due to a life time of playing with food, I don’t have to.
- posted by Gail Rae @ 11:14   email...this post