baking

Double butter buttermilk scones

November 10, 2014





One of the biggest things that has taken some getting use to over here is the different names of stuff. More so when the name that's been giving is a name we use for something else! Cookies is a prime example, in America cookie means all sweet, crunchy, crispy flour, sugar and butted based treat. In England cookie only means the chocolate chip variety, all the other types are biscuits... which in America is the word for what we call scones. Phew!

Flapjacks and pancakes are a whole other kettle of interchangeable edible madness.

Though I was initially baffle why anyone would want a Custard Cream with fried chicken, I finally realised what a Southern style biscuit was and immediately fell in love!

Mixing my love for a traditional British scone and my new love for Southern biscuits this indulgent, rich creation was born.

If you can't get buttermilk the here is Martha Stewart's home made recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups/250g all purpose flour
1 cup/230g cold butter- plus a little melted for brushing when baked
4oz/110g lard
1 1/2 cup/360g buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cream tartar

Method:

Divide the butter in half and add half to the flour, crumbling into a wet sand mixture with your finger tips (or pulse in a food processor of you're feeling lazy!)

Grate the remaining half of the butter into the flour mixture. You will want to keep the butter really cold so it's easier to grate, it will still get a bit melty towards the end but as long as it end up in little chunks within the flour it'll be fine.

Loosely mix in the butter so it's distributed throughout the flour but still chunky. Pour in the buttermilk and fold everything into a dough, do as little mixing as you can get away with, this will make your finished scones lovely and flakey.

Lay the dough onto a floured surface and pat it out flat with your hand rather than a rolling pin, it'll avoid overworking, pat it out to about half an inch thick into a loose rectangle shape. Fold one third of the dough over onto the remaining two thirds, then fold the third at the other end onto the top- like you would three-fold a letter to fit it into an envelope.

Pat it out again to about half an inch and repeat the folding another two times, finishing with the dough being about a inch thick.

Cut into squares then divide into triangles, this batch makes about eight large scones but you could probably get twelve smaller round scones.

Bake at 400F for about 15 minutes until the scones are golden brown, brush the scones with a little melted butter whilst the scones are still hot.

This are incredible with sweet or savoury accompaniments- and really indulgent when topped with cheese.



press

Rhode Island Monthly (and The Rhode Show): 'Plenty of Room'

November 09, 2014





I had an incredible time reminiscing and writing about my fabulously fun, international Thanksgiving for Rhode Island Monthly's November edition.

"At first, my husband Charlie calls the undertaking a “nice lunch” for a “couple of students.” It doesn’t seem like a huge deal. I fancy trying my hand at roasting a whole turkey, something that is usually set aside for the Christmas feast back in England and, until now, solely the job of my mum. You see, I’m a British import to Providence, and thanks to my husband Charlie’s new role at a nearby international college, this will be our very first Thanksgiving spent stateside."

I also had the honor of my article being mentioned by Rhode Island Monthly editor Jamie Coelho and The Rhode Show presenter Will Gilbert:


I'm hugely thankful to the incredible talented Rachael Saunders (coincidentally a fellow Falmouth University graduate!) for the beautiful illustrations of my crazy, wonderful Thanksgiving!