Lori Leckmans Buttermilk Scones Recipes

BUTTERMILK SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line a large lipped baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Put the flour into a bowl with the baking soda, cream of tartar, and sugar. Chop the butter and the vegetable shortening into pieces and drop them into the flour. Rub the fats into the flour - or just mix any old how - and then pour in the buttermilk, working everything together to form a dough.
• Lightly flour your work surface. Pat the dough into a round-edged oblong about 1 3/4 inches thick and cut out 2-inch scones with a biscuit cutter. (Mine are never a uniform height, as I only pat the dough into its shape without worrying whether it's irregular or not.)
• Arrange the scones fairly close together on your lined baking sheet, and brush with beaten egg (to give golden tops) or not as you wish.
• Bake for 12 minutes, by which time the scones will be dry on the bottom and have a relatively light feel. Remove them to a wire rack to cool, and serve with clotted cream and your favourite jam.
• Make Ahead Note: Scones are best on the day they are made but day-old scones can be revived by warming in oven preheated to 300 degrees F for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Freeze Note: Baked scones can be frozen in airtight containers or resealable bags for up to one month. Thaw for 1 hour at room temperature and warm as above. Unbaked scones can be put on parchment-lined trays and frozen until solid. Transfer to resealable bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake direct from frozen, as directed in recipe, but allowing extra 2 to 3 minutes baking time.

BUTTERMILK SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add butter and buttermilk; stir until a soft dough is formed.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and press dough into a rectangle about 3/4 inch thick and 4 inches wide. Cut into 8 even sized pieces.
• Place the scones on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

LORI LECKMAN'S BUTTERMILK SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 420 degrees.
• Mix flour with baking powder and sugar. Rub butter into the flour until it forms the texture of fine bread crumbs (this can be done in a food processor).
• Beat eggs lightly. Place dry mixture in a mixing bowl and form a well in the center. Pour all but 2 tablespoons of the eggs and 1/4 pint of buttermilk into the well. Add the raisins and mix thoroughly, adding more buttermilk if needed to form a sticky but homogenous dough that can be kneaded lightly on a floured board.
• Knead dough lightly on a floured board, and roll out into a rectangular shape, approximately one-inch thick. Cut dough into roughly two-inch squares. Place squares on a well-greased baking sheet. Brush with remaining eggs and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until scones have puffed and are golden.

BUTTERMILK SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl. Add butter and mix with your fingertips to a coarse meal. Add buttermilk and mix just until combined. Add currants, if desired.
• Transfer dough to a floured board and divide into 2 parts. Roll each to 3/4 inch thick rounds. Cut each round into 8 wedges and place slightly separated on a greased baking sheet. Brush the tops with the cream, and bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve warm, split in half with butter and marmalade.

MEAN CHEF'S BUTTERMILK SCONES

Steps:

• Put dry ingredients in food processor, pulse to mix.
• Add butter, pulse until butter is in pieces about the size of a hazelnut.
• Dump into bowl.
• Pour in buttermilk and mix with a fork until a shaggy mass forms.
• Form into a disk about 1 1/2 inches high, cut disk in half and in half again.
• Cut each of the 4 pieces either into thirds to get 12 or in half again to get 8.
• Place on parchment lined sheet pan and freeze for 20 minutes Remove from freezer, brush tops with egg yolk/cream mixture sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake for about 12 minutes at 400.

LORI LECKMAN'S LEMON-MADEIRA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Line two loaf pans (approximately 10-inch-by-6-inch) with buttered baking parchment, and dust with flour.
• Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Combine flour and baking powder.
• Beat the eggs. Add eggs gradually to the butter, beating well with a wooden spoon. If the mixture shows signs of curdling add a spoonful of flour.
• Gradually mix in the almonds, lemon peel and lemon zests. The mixture may require a little milk to reach the ''dropping'' consistency: that is, thick enough to require a sharp tap to dislodge it from the spoon, but not light enough to pour.
• Distribute batter evenly in the loaf pans - it should reach a little more than half way up the sides. Bake for 1 1/2 hours at 325 degrees, then reduce oven to 300 and bake another hour. Test by inserting a warm knife in the center: if it comes out clean the cake is done. Let the cake cool in its tin.

FLAKY BUTTERMILK SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Stack to baking sheets together and line the top baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange oven rack to upper one third position.
• In a food processor bowl, add flour, sugar, salt baking powder, and baking soda and blend briefly. Add butter and pulse to make a grainy mixture. Alternately, combine the dry ingredients and cut in butter with a pastry knife.
• Turn into a large bowl. Lightly beat egg with buttermilk and then add to the dry ingredients. Combine with fork until you have a soft shaggy dough.
• Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and knead 8 to 10 times until mixture is just barely rollable. Divide dough into two halves. Shape each half into a ball. Roll ball into a circle about 1 inch thick. Cut each circle into 4 wedges or more depending on how big you want your scones.
• Place wedges on prepared baking sheets. Brush tops with milk or melted butter.
• Bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. If making smaller scones check on them after 15 minutes. It will take a bit longer to cook the larger ones.