Currant Scones

As a Downton Abbey fan, it’s with great sadness that I’m counting down the final episodes of this program. Soon there will be no more bitchy Mary, sweet Branson, uptight Carson, or feisty Dowager Grantham. And while the characters and dialog are fantastic, let’s not forget the cinematography, and costumes, and grandeur of a bygone era that has captured my interest, and that of millions of other viewers world wide. I’m dreading the inevitable show hole that I’ll be in when this series ends, but meanwhile I’m going to celebrate Miss Patmore-style  in my kitchen. I’ll be cooking up some English classics, starting with this little keeper…Currant Scones. This is a recipe given to me by my mom. She got it from a popular B&B she and my stepfather visit when they go to Mendocino.

The original recipe calls for golden raisins also know as sultanas, but I like currants better. Currants are actually dried berries, not a type of raisin.

This recipe starts with creaming together butter, sugar, and eggs. You mix in a little flour by hand.

And then add buttermilk, which gives the scones a slightly tangy flavor.

I wanted to make these like the scones at Peet’s, so I added an egg wash and sprinkled the tops with raw sugar, to give a golden glaze and slightly sugary crust.

Bake for about 30 minutes, and you’re ready to enjoy a little bit of heaven.

Serving Suggestions

I have my scones with a cup of hot breakfast tea, a little bit of Irish butter, and lingonberry jam.

Dense, slightly sweetened, with a mildly tangy flavor, these are the perfect breakfast treat.

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Currant Scones

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Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Bread

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 scones

Author: Four to Cook For

Ingredients

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 pound two sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs plus one more four total
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup dried currants
• 1 tbsp coarse raw sugar (like Turbinado)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Mix flour and baking power in a small bowl. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream butter.
• Add sugar and using a hand-held mixer, beat until pale and fluffy.
• Add eggs one at a time beating after each.
• Add flour mixture a little at a time and mix with spoon or spatula. It will look crumbly. Do not over mix.
• Add buttermilk, and mix by hand only till blended. Do not over mix.
• Sprinkle in currants and fold in.
• Flatten into a large eight-inch round.
• Cut into eight portions. It will not be a clean cut, you are simple trying to score the dough.
• Make egg wash. Mix one egg and one tbsp water in a bowl.
• Brush the currants with egg wash, then sprinkle top with coarse sugar.
• Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicon mat.
• Bake for 15 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake for 15 more minutes.
• Remove and cool before eating.

Notes

You can substitute the dried currants for golden raisins (sultanas). These are larger scones, but if you want to make smaller scones, use an ice cream scooper to measure out drops of scones. This method should produce about a dozen.

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below or tag @fourtocookfor and hashtag #fourtocookfor on Instagram.

Recipe adapted from John Dougherty House B&B.