Tuesday, July 1, 2008

TWD: Apple Cheddar Scones

I’m not a coffee drinker. And as such, I’ve always kind of stereotyped coffee-type of baked goods into the…. “Not for me pile.” So, this means that when it comes to scones, biscotti, tea cakes, coffee cake, etc… I’ve just completely ignored their realm of baked goods.

And then, as usual when I actually try something that I think I don’t like…. I end up loving it and wondering why I was so opposed to the darn thing in the first place.

Case in point: Scones.

A few months ago, while staying at the Elizabeth Street Inn, I heard from another hotel guest that their scones in the morning were “to die for.” Which seemed ridiculous. I mean, how could a scone be “to die for”? That phrase is saved for Pecan Pie Cheesecake or Guinness Chocolate Cake, something really decadent and luscious. Not some silly coffee accompaniment, right? Well, even though I wouldn’t describe a scone as to die for, the scones at the hotel were absolutely delicious. Especially a lemon flavored one they had. And ever since that morning, I’ve been craving more scones. I’ve looked for a recipe, but hadn’t decided one specific one yet.

Anyway, fast forward to this week's Tuesdays with Dorie selection: Apple Cheddar Scones. I was super excited when I saw this selection…. I mean, apples, cheese, and bread. Three of my favorite things (although, admittedly I’d never had them all together). These were a breeze to whip up, but you know what…. Mine turned into light, fluffy biscuits instead of crumbly scones. The scones I had at the Elizabeth Street Inn were a crumbly, harder texture. Whereas mine turned out light and fluffy (the best biscuit texture I’ve ever made, in fact). Maybe I did something wrong? I did use a cookie scoop to dollop them out, so that I’d have evenly sized pieces that I didn’t have to fight with bare hands. Could that have been the problem? Maybe it needs to cook as a larger mass?

Regardless… they were really, really good. I would definitely make these again as a brunch bread.

Thanks to Karina for the great choice and if you want to check out the recipe, head over to her blog… The Floured Apron.
And…. Guess who got to pick out next week’s selection? Yup, me. Woo