Albanian Butter Scones Recipes

ULTRA-BUTTERY IRISH SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Whisk milk, granulated sugar, and kosher salt in a medium bowl until sugar and salt dissolve. Whisk flour and baking powder in a large bowl. Cut 10 Tbsp. butter into 1/2" cubes, add to flour mixture, and blend with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until pea-size pieces form with some larger chunks remaining. Add milk mixture and stir with a fork until large clumps form. Gently knead in the bowl until dough just comes together. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface.
• With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out dough to a 14x8" rectangle, with long side facing you. Heat 2 Tbsp. butter in a small, microwave-proof bowl in the microwave until softened but not melted, about 20 seconds. Spread evenly over dough with fingertips, then sprinkle currants evenly on top and press to adhere. Fold up bottom third of dough over center, then fold down top third to meet bottom edge, as if folding a letter. Fold in half crosswise, then, using a rolling pin, gently flatten into an 8x4" rectangle.
• Cut dough in half lengthwise and in quarters crosswise to form 8 even squares. Transfer to prepared pan, spacing 2" apart. Sprinkle tops generously with demerara sugar and lightly with flaky sea salt.
• Bake until scones are golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Meanwhile, melt remaining 4 Tbsp. butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. When butter bubbles, remove from heat and skim off foam from surface. As soon as the scones come out of the oven, lightly brush tops with clarified butter, leaving behind white solids in bottom of saucepan. Cool scones on sheet on a wire rack and serve hot, warm, or room temperature.

BUTTERMILK SCONES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the buttermilk, raisins and lemon peel until a soft dough forms. , Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead gently 5-6 times or until no longer sticky. On a lightly greased baking sheet, pat dough into a 5-in. circle about 3/4 in. thick. Score the top, making six wedges. , Combine cinnamon and remaining sugar; sprinkle over the top. Bake at 375° for 23-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to a wire rack. Break into wedges. Serve warm.

SCONES WITH HONEY BUTTER

Steps:

• For the buttermilk and honey butter: combine the first 4 ingredients in a food processor and turn on high. The liquid will slosh, whip, and then separate after 4 minutes. When the mixture separates, stop processing and strain out the buttermilk--there should be exactly 3/4 cup, which is what you need for the scones. Strain out the butter and squeeze dry.
• For the scones: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• In a food processor bowl add flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Add cold butter cubes and pulse until you have a texture of coarse bread crumbs.
• Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Toss berries (which have been washed and dried thoroughly) in a small amount of flour and add them to the mixture.
• Add the buttermilk and either toss with a fork or fold with a spatula to incorporate the berries without smashing them. Mix to combine, but don't over mix.
• Drop spoonfuls of dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, paint the tops of each scone lightly with buttermilk or a bit of milk and sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake until golden brown, and nice and puffy, about 10-15 minutes.
• Serve warm with orange honey butter.
• Notes: if you are making a scone with juice, add that after you do the buttermilk step. When I use fresh fruit juice, I don't put any sugar in the dough recipe because I think it makes it too sweet. You want to stick with small to medium scones here. Large ones will be too dark outside and under cooked inside.

BUTTERMILK-BANANA SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicon mat (such as Silpat®).
• Combine 2 3/4 cups flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl; stir to blend. Toss in cold butter and cut it into the dry mixture with a pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Blend mashed bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla together in a small bowl. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir gently until the mixture comes together. If it's a little too wet, add just a little bit more flour. Handle as lightly as possible and form into a disc on the prepared baking sheet. Gently cut into 12 wedges or just score the disc.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and baked all the way through, 22 to 28 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving to a rack to complete cooling.