RECIPES & ARCHIVES
Scones with clotted cream and jam
Clotted cream differs from whipped cream in both flavor and texture. As it
cooks, it develops a slightly caramel flavor and thickens to the consistency
of a soft cream cheese. Whipped cream is like a cloud of mild foam. Note: Do
not use ultrapasteurized cream. Use pasteurized cream and buy the richest you
can find.
For the clotted cream:
2 cups pasteurized heavy cream
For the scones:
About 3/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup currants or raisins
1 tablespoon cream or additional milk
Strawberry, raspberry, or cherry jam for serving
To make the clotted cream: Turn the oven to warm. Pour the cream into a
shallow pan such as a 9-inch pie plate. Cover with foil, then place it in the
oven and leave untouched for 8 hours. (You can leave it overnight if you
like.)
Carefully remove it and let cool. Take care not to shake the pan or move it
while the cream is cooling. With a slotted spatula, skim the thick cream from
the surface, leaving the thin residue behind. The cream will have a yellow
skin and a slightly lumpy clotted texture. Smooth it by blending it with a
teaspoon if you like.
Store it in the refrigerator but serve at room temperature. Use the residue
in baking or soups.
Makes about 1 cup of clotted cream.
To make the scones: Set the oven to 425 degrees and grease a large baking
sheet.
Mix the milk and lemon juice. (If you happen to have some sour milk, use
this instead of the milk and lemon juice mixture.)
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut the
butter into a dozen or so pieces and rub them into the flour mixture.
Stir in all but 2 teaspoons of the sugar and then the currants.
Make a well in the center and pour in a 1/2 cup of the milk. Stir to
combine with the dry ingredients. Add the rest of the milk only if needed to
make a soft but not sloppy dough.
Form the dough into 12 rounds, either by shaping quickly with your hands or
by patting it into a circle and cutting it with cookie cutters. Alternatively,
form into 2 large rounds and use a knife blade to make 6 wedges in each.
Lightly brush the surface with the cream and sprinkle with the reserved
sugar.
Bake for about 18 minutes or until golden.
To serve, split in two, spread with the clotted cream and top with jam. In
season, raspberries or sliced strawberries are an excellent substitute for
jam. (If you like, you can substitute chopped crystallized cherries or dried
cranberries for the currants or raisins. Or you can make plain scones without
any fruit.)
Makes 12 medium scones.
