Scones. I'm trying to make them but I just don't think they're coming out right. With 3 teaspoons of baking powder, I'd think they'd rise at least a little, like an American biscuit, but they're coming out of the oven just as flat as they went in. Are they supposed to rise?
Also, what is a cream slice? I figure that it's something edible that's served with tea but what, exactly, is it?
Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on October 22, 2011, 01:06:59 AM
Scones. I'm trying to make them but I just don't think they're coming out right. With 3 teaspoons of baking powder, I'd think they'd rise at least a little, like an American biscuit, but they're coming out of the oven just as flat as they went in. Are they supposed to rise?
They certainly are supposed to! A quick suggestion to start with, before I get out my trusty Delia Smith recipe book. Are you rolling them out too thin? They should be 3/4" to 1 inch thick when they go into the oven. If they are too thin then they don't rise.
QuoteAlso, what is a cream slice? I figure that it's something edible that's served with tea but what, exactly, is it?
Pretty much the British name for a millefeuille, puff pastry with a sickly sweet icing and filled with artificial cream or sometimes a rather solid custard. Typically sold in bakers' shops rather than made at home. Google images will show you.
Hi, Cats.
I'm no expert, but I'll chip in for what it's worth.
Scones should definitely rise and be the consistency of a dense sponge, but a bit drier/crumblier.
Cream slices are made with layered puff, or filou pastry and cream (with the discretionary addition of cooked or soft fresh fruit). The French version uses millefeuille. The sign of a good cream slice is that they are impossible to eat without making a mess of both confection and t-shirt. It is however illegal in many countries to eat them with cutlery.
I'm looking forward to trying some...I'll be over at 5...
Strangely I am British and have never eaten a scone.
Quote from: Crow on October 22, 2011, 03:43:45 PM
Strangely I am British and have never eaten a scone.
Well next time you're at the supermarket you know what to buy.
Quote from: Tank on October 22, 2011, 03:46:22 PM
Quote from: Crow on October 22, 2011, 03:43:45 PM
Strangely I am British and have never eaten a scone.
Well next time you're at the supermarket you know what to buy.
I have never had the desire to try one as I don't like cakes (or any deserts for that matter), but if that is a recommendation I will give it a go.
Quote from: Crow on October 22, 2011, 04:08:45 PM
Quote from: Tank on October 22, 2011, 03:46:22 PM
Quote from: Crow on October 22, 2011, 03:43:45 PM
Strangely I am British and have never eaten a scone.
Well next time you're at the supermarket you know what to buy.
I have never had the desire to try one as I don't like cakes (or any deserts for that matter), but if that is a recommendation I will give it a go.
Plain (no fruit) Scones are more bread-like than cake-like. If you use salted butter on them with strawberry jam they have an interesting flavour and texture. I like them, but if you don't have a sweet tooth I doubt they'd be your cup-of-tea. You could try one with marmite.
Quote from: Tank on October 22, 2011, 04:13:40 PM
Plain (no fruit) Scones are more bread-like than cake-like. If you use salted butter on them with strawberry jam they have an interesting flavour and texture. I like them, but if you don't have a sweet tooth I doubt they'd be your cup-of-tea. You could try one with marmite.
Or try cheese scones - warm from the oven with unsalted butter. Yum!
Quote from: Ildiko on October 22, 2011, 04:18:01 PM
Quote from: Tank on October 22, 2011, 04:13:40 PM
Plain (no fruit) Scones are more bread-like than cake-like. If you use salted butter on them with strawberry jam they have an interesting flavour and texture. I like them, but if you don't have a sweet tooth I doubt they'd be your cup-of-tea. You could try one with marmite.
Or try cheese scones - warm from the oven with unsalted butter. Yum!
Yep, they're good to.
Quote from: Crow on October 22, 2011, 03:43:45 PM
Strangely I am British and have never eaten a scone.
You're a charlatan and a fraud, sir...
Quote from: Ildiko on October 22, 2011, 08:18:38 AM
They certainly are supposed to! A quick suggestion to start with, before I get out my trusty Delia Smith recipe book. Are you rolling them out too thin? They should be 3/4" to 1 inch thick when they go into the oven. If they are too thin then they don't rise.
Bingo! I have been rolling them out too thin. Thanks, Ildiko.
Quote from: Scissorlegs on October 22, 2011, 08:39:33 AM
Cream slices are made with layered puff, or filou pastry and cream (with the discretionary addition of cooked or soft fresh fruit). The French version uses millefeuille. The sign of a good cream slice is that they are impossible to eat without making a mess of both confection and t-shirt. It is however illegal in many countries to eat them with cutlery.
I'm looking forward to trying some...I'll be over at 5...
Pfff. Like I could master something like that in one day. I think I'll be taking Ildiko's suggestion and trying to find one in a bakery. Supposing I can find an English bakery in Southern Cal. Maybe it would be faster to learn to make them.
Quote from: Tank on October 22, 2011, 04:13:40 PM
You could try one with marmite.
OK, now tell me what marmite is.
My grandmother was from England and she made the best scones! ;D
...
Now I want scones and tea.
Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on October 22, 2011, 09:43:02 PM
Quote from: Tank on October 22, 2011, 04:13:40 PM
You could try one with marmite.
OK, now tell me what marmite is.
Marmite (http://www.marmite.com/) is yeast extract. The product has become a byword in the UK for something that creates very polarised views i.e. you love it or hate it. I hate Marmite but love the Australian version Vegemite! (http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/VegemiteHistory.htm)
Quote from: Tank on October 22, 2011, 11:40:27 PM
Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on October 22, 2011, 09:43:02 PM
Quote from: Tank on October 22, 2011, 04:13:40 PM
You could try one with marmite.
OK, now tell me what marmite is.
Marmite (http://www.marmite.com/) is yeast extract. The product has become a byword in the UK for something that creates very polarised views i.e. you love it or hate it. I hate Marmite but love the Australian version Vegemite! (http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/VegemiteHistory.htm)
Tank is, of course, completely wrong as Marmite is the food of the gods...
Quote from: DeterminedJuliet on October 22, 2011, 09:52:37 PM
...
Now I want scones and tea.
I know -- all this talk has made me want to take another crack at those scones and brew up a nice pot of tea.
Quote from: Scissorlegs on October 22, 2011, 11:56:43 PM
Quote from: Tank on October 22, 2011, 11:40:27 PM
Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on October 22, 2011, 09:43:02 PM
Quote from: Tank on October 22, 2011, 04:13:40 PM
You could try one with marmite.
OK, now tell me what marmite is.
Marmite (http://www.marmite.com/) is yeast extract. The product has become a byword in the UK for something that creates very polarised views i.e. you love it or hate it. I hate Marmite but love the Australian version Vegemite! (http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/VegemiteHistory.htm)
Tank is, of course, completely wrong as Marmite is the food of the gods...
How can a myth have an opinion?
Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on October 23, 2011, 12:38:35 AM
Quote from: DeterminedJuliet on October 22, 2011, 09:52:37 PM
...
Now I want scones and tea.
I know -- all this talk has made me want to take another crack at those scones and brew up a nice pot of tea.
An American, brewing a nice pot of tea! Never gonna happen ;D
Quote from: Tank on October 23, 2011, 01:56:16 AM
Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on October 23, 2011, 12:38:35 AM
Quote from: DeterminedJuliet on October 22, 2011, 09:52:37 PM
...
Now I want scones and tea.
I know -- all this talk has made me want to take another crack at those scones and brew up a nice pot of tea.
An American, brewing a nice pot of tea! Never gonna happen ;D
OooOoooo! Fightin' words!
I'm a Newfoundlander, so I think I'm a qualified tea brewer :P We drink it with "tinned milk", though.
Quote from: Tank on October 23, 2011, 01:56:16 AM
Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on October 23, 2011, 12:38:35 AM
Quote from: DeterminedJuliet on October 22, 2011, 09:52:37 PM
...
Now I want scones and tea.
I know -- all this talk has made me want to take another crack at those scones and brew up a nice pot of tea.
An American, brewing a nice pot of tea! Never gonna happen ;D
Hey! I'll have you know I can brew tea just as well as . . . well, maybe not the next person, but I can brew tea! I've been drinking tea since my teens, and it's been decades since I used Liptons.
Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on October 22, 2011, 09:43:02 PM
Quote from: Ildiko on October 22, 2011, 08:18:38 AM
They certainly are supposed to! A quick suggestion to start with, before I get out my trusty Delia Smith recipe book. Are you rolling them out too thin? They should be 3/4" to 1 inch thick when they go into the oven. If they are too thin then they don't rise.
Bingo! I have been rolling them out too thin. Thanks, Ildiko.
Hooray! You need a very light touch with the rolling pin so as not to squish all the air out - often I don't use one at all for scones, just use the palm of my hand to even out the dough.
Re the cream slices, at the risk of being yelled at by the other Brits, you'll probably get better ones in a French patisserie if you have one.
In the Marmite/Vegemite war, I'm with Scissorlegs (and so is the cat).
Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on October 23, 2011, 03:32:10 AM
Quote from: Tank on October 23, 2011, 01:56:16 AM
Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on October 23, 2011, 12:38:35 AM
Quote from: DeterminedJuliet on October 22, 2011, 09:52:37 PM
...
Now I want scones and tea.
I know -- all this talk has made me want to take another crack at those scones and brew up a nice pot of tea.
An American, brewing a nice pot of tea! Never gonna happen ;D
Hey! I'll have you know I can brew tea just as well as . . . well, maybe not the next person, but I can brew tea! I've been drinking tea since my teens, and it's been decades since I used Liptons.
Pass friend, you unterstand that a cup of tepid water and a L*****s leaf bag is not, and has never been, tea. ;D
Quote from: DeterminedJuliet on October 23, 2011, 03:07:43 AM
Quote from: Tank on October 23, 2011, 01:56:16 AM
Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on October 23, 2011, 12:38:35 AM
Quote from: DeterminedJuliet on October 22, 2011, 09:52:37 PM
...
Now I want scones and tea.
I know -- all this talk has made me want to take another crack at those scones and brew up a nice pot of tea.
An American, brewing a nice pot of tea! Never gonna happen ;D
OooOoooo! Fightin' words!
I'm a Newfoundlander, so I think I'm a qualified tea brewer :P We drink it with "tinned milk", though.
Having spent some time in Chicago I understand why the majority of Americans don't like 'tea', they have never had a good cup in their lives. And what's more as long as L*****s is considered 'tea' they never will!
Quote from: Scissorlegs on October 22, 2011, 09:04:11 PM
Quote from: Crow on October 22, 2011, 03:43:45 PM
Strangely I am British and have never eaten a scone.
You're a charlatan and a fraud, sir...
I find scones dry and boring, even with butter on.
I'd rather eat proper cakes.
Quote from: Tank on October 23, 2011, 09:16:57 AM
Having spent some time in Chicago I understand why the majority of Americans don't like 'tea', they have never had a good cup in their lives. And what's more as long as L*****s is considered 'tea' they never will!
For a long time, that's pretty much all the tea there was here. Some areas had a regional tea, but Lipton's was the only one you could get anywhere and if you could drink Lipton's then you had a craving for tea. That's changed in the last several years tho, tea and tea rooms are getting popular -- there are three tea rooms that I know of in Long Beach, and one in Seal Beach where I work. Also one in the next city over that's run by actual Brits so I regard it as the authentic tea room. And loose-leaf tea is becoming more popular even if it is inconvenient (and therefore unAmerican), there are lots of places where we can buy it or order it now. There is hope of America eventually becoming a tea drinking ex-colony, even if it did take us awhile after our little snit at Boston Harbor.
Now drinking creme Earl Grey and having blueberry tea biscuits ;D
Update on the scones . . .
(https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm7.static.flickr.com%2F6227%2F6281996816_553cf6b8a3.jpg&hash=e778946769f716ff62642cf90ec64d86ada93537)
And yes, I did include the tea and teapot just to prove I can brew tea. (I'm a little anal some times)
I patted the dough out to about 3/4" thick and they did rise very nicely. I added some diced dried apricots which made the dough really sticky, and caused an extra long baking time. Next batch I'm going with raisins, a nice dry fruit. Also think I'll use biscuit cutters to keep the size under control -- these came out rather large.
Yum, fresh scones and jam. You have to eat them fresh, there is no other way.
My grandmother used to make really nice ones.
I too have the issue that they don't rise when I make them, they end up pretty hard almost like biscuits.
I don't think I will ever win Master Chef.
Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on October 26, 2011, 03:05:49 AM
I added some diced dried apricots which made the dough really sticky, and caused an extra long baking time. Next batch I'm going with raisins, a nice dry fruit. Also think I'll use biscuit cutters to keep the size under control -- these came out rather large.
Those look good! Best not to comment on using dried apricots, though, except to say they are an Abomination Before the Lord of Scones. Raisins are the usual fruit. Or plain scones with butter, jam, clotted cream (and a heart attack). :D
Yep; they need to be circular to rise more evenly - about 2" in diameter works best for my oven. I don't have any cutters so use a small upturned glass, with the rim dipped in flour between "cuts" so the dough doesn't stick.
Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on October 26, 2011, 03:05:49 AM
Update on the scones . . .
(https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm7.static.flickr.com%2F6227%2F6281996816_553cf6b8a3.jpg&hash=e778946769f716ff62642cf90ec64d86ada93537)
And yes, I did include the tea and teapot just to prove I can brew tea. (I'm a little anal some times)
I patted the dough out to about 3/4" thick and they did rise very nicely. I added some diced dried apricots which made the dough really sticky, and caused an extra long baking time. Next batch I'm going with raisins, a nice dry fruit. Also think I'll use biscuit cutters to keep the size under control -- these came out rather large.
You're getting there! You'll be a honourery Brit soon!
Quote from: Tank on October 26, 2011, 09:27:37 AM
You'll be a honourery Brit soon!
That's all I've ever really wanted.
QuoteThose look good! Best not to comment on using dried apricots, though, except to say they are an Abomination Before the Lord of Scones. Raisins are the usual fruit. Or plain scones with butter, jam, clotted cream (and a heart attack).
Despite the fact that I love dried apricots, I have to agree with you about putting them in scones. In addition to making the dough so sticky, they seemed to interfere with the flavor of the scone. Next time, raisins for sure. Is there any other fruit I could use, if I wanted to get fancy with them?
Looks yummy to me!
Quote from: DeterminedJuliet on October 27, 2011, 01:23:42 AM
Looks yummy to me!
Thanks! Maybe some day I'll tackle crumpets.
QuoteYum, fresh scones and jam. You have to eat them fresh, there is no other way.
You're right. I took one to work with me for breakfast this morning and it was still tasty, but nothing like when it was fresh from the oven.
Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on October 27, 2011, 01:07:52 AM
QuoteThose look good! Best not to comment on using dried apricots, though, except to say they are an Abomination Before the Lord of Scones. Raisins are the usual fruit. Or plain scones with butter, jam, clotted cream (and a heart attack).
Despite the fact that I love dried apricots, I have to agree with you about putting them in scones. In addition to making the dough so sticky, they seemed to interfere with the flavor of the scone. Next time, raisins for sure. Is there any other fruit I could use, if I wanted to get fancy with them?
Can't think of any offhand. I
really like cheese scones, though, especially with a little bit of English mustard powder in the mix to give them some "bite".
Try adding chopped up glacé cherries with raisins, 1:3 by weight cherries:raisins is good. The pieces of cherry need to be about 1/8 of a cherry so they add a bit of concentrated sweetness without overpowering the flavour.