Currant Scone Recipe | East Olivia

I don't know if I should start this post with, "Thank you!" or "Why oh why?!" I did not love scones until the day I hosted this shoot!

At 7AM I quietly walked down our two flights of stairs that offered such a grand presence to where I called home for a moment. I opened the door of the beautiful brownstone that is tucked away in the borough of Brooklyn. Behind the glass door encased with a solid wooden frame stood my sweet friend, Kelsea, hands full with more items plcaed on the ground at the base of the stairs, where her cab waited to have the car unloaded so it could depart from its stop. The early morning sun had just begun to melt the snow from the sidewalks and it warmly peered into the living room through windowpanes in order to illuminate this old home. While most of my roommates were still resting and the brownstone sat quietly, Kelsea and I began laying everything out for our shoot. We had flowers, gold flatware, cute dishes and all of the ingredients in order to prepare her Aunt Rhoda's Currant Scones.

I'm not sure if it was the flour being strewn about the countertop, the way the fragrance filled the air or the love that was put into the preparation but this morning in 2014 my love for scones came to life. Drama? Possibly but also no... I'm telling you, these scones are everything. I cherish every bite of a good scone these days. These photos were taken by me for a magazine that I used to contract with. You can click the link below here to see the now online magazine.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling dough, coating utensils
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 1-2 tablespoons for sprinkling
• 1/3 cup chilled unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons to melt for brushing
• 1/2 cup uncooked rolled oats
• 1/4 cup dried currants or favorite dried fruit
  • 2/3 cup whole milk or half & half at room temperature

PREPARATION

 

1. Set out the milk 1/2 hour before mixing dry ingredients. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter; set aside with your pastry brush ( you can use a new 1/2 inch paint brush).
3. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Cut in slices of chilled butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs (if you do not have a pastry cutter use a dinner fork).
4. Gradually stir in the rolled oats and then the currants. Add milk, stir only until the dry ingredients are moistened (do not beat the dough).
5. Turn out dough onto the floured board. Knead gently (only a few seconds, 3-4 times). With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to 1/4 to 1/3 inch thickness.
6. Cut out the scones. Brush each with melted butter and sprinkle granulated sugar on top. Place each scone on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, 1 inch apart. Bake 12-15 minutes until lightly browned and serve immediately with butter, clotted cream, or stiffly whipped cream.

Yields approximately one dozen.