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Makes about 1½ dozen 2-inch scones
To help ensure tender scones, try not to over-knead the soft dough — stop just after it becomes cohesive. Serve with jam and clotted cream, and/or lemon curd.
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¼ cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour plus extra for rolling dough and cutting scones
1½ tablespoons baking powder
Salt
6 tablespoons cold un-salted butter, cut into roughly ½-inch cubes
½ cup dried currants
1 large egg
2/3 cup whole milk or half-and-half
With the rack in the upper-middle position, heat the oven to 500 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment or a nonstick liner and set aside. In a food processor, pulse the sugar, flour, baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt several times to combine. Scatter the butter over the flour mixture and pulse until butter and flour are thoroughly combined and have a mealy texture, about 8 3-second pulses. Pour the mixture into a large bowl, add the currants, stir to distribute, and make a well in the center. In a small bowl, whisk the egg and milk or half-and-half until uniform; remove 1½ tablespoons milk mixture to another small bowl and set aside. Add remaining milk mixture to the flour mixture; using a flexible spatula, fold together until the mixture looks shaggy and very little dry flour remains at bottom.
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Flour a clean work surface, turn out the dough, sprinkle a little flour over the top, and knead gently just until uniform and cohesive (try to keep the kneading to a minimum). Re-flour the work surface, if necessary, and gently roll the dough into a circle roughly 9 inches in diameter and ¾ inch thick (thickness is more important than the shape or diameter, which may vary). Flour a sharp 2-inch biscuit cutter and briskly punch out rounds of dough (push the cutter straight down and avoid rotating it), cutting the rounds as close to one another as possible and re-flouring the cutter as necessary. Arrange the rounds about 1 inch apart on the lined baking sheet. Gently knead the leftover dough scraps together until cohesive, about 3 times, roll ¾ inch thick, and repeat the cutting to punch out as many rounds as possible; add to baking sheet.
Brush the tops of the rounds with the reserved milk mixture and bake, immediately decreasing the temperature to 425 degrees, until the scones are puffed, light golden on top, and deep brown on the bottom, about 10 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through baking. Transfer the scones to a wire rack, cool for about 8 minutes, and serve warm.
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LEMON CURD
Makes about 1½ cups
This thickens suddenly near the end of the cooking time. Keep a close eye on it.
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated zest plus 1/3 cup juice from 1 large lemon
2 large eggs plus 4 large egg yolks
Salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons creme fraiche
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Set a strainer over a medium, nonreactive bowl. In a small saucepan off heat, stir the sugar and zest until moist and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the eggs, yolks, and ¼ teaspoon salt, and whisk to blend well and begin dissolving the sugar. Add half of the lemon juice at a time, whisking well after each addition. Set the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly (reach into the corners of the pan), until the mixture thickens and registers about 175 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 6 to 8 minutes. Immediately remove the pan from the heat, add the butter, creme fraiche, and vanilla, and stir vigorously until the butter is melted and the mixture is uniform. Pour the mixture into the strainer and stir to work it through the mesh until just the zest is left; discard the solids. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the curd (to prevent a skin from forming) and refrigerate to set and chill, at least 3 hours, and serve. (The curd will keep, covered and refrigerated, for about a week.)
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SAVORY TEA SANDWICHES
Makes 16 small sandwiches
The compound butter is tangy and savory. For a more neutral (and easier) spread, use room-temperature whipped cream cheese, and place tiny sprigs of dill on the cucumber slices.
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1½teaspoons finely grated zest plus ½ teaspoon juice from 1 lemon
1½ teaspoons minced anchovy (about 6 fillets, preferably oil-packed)
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
Salt
8 slices (about 3½ by 3½ inches by 3/8 inch thick) from 1 loaf white or light multi-grain bread
½ medium cucumber, peeled and very thinly sliced
Using a fork, in a small bowl mash together the butter, lemon zest and juice, anchovy, mint, and a pinch of salt until very well blended. Spread each slice of bread with about 1½ teaspoons of the flavored butter. Lay about 4 cucumber slices on each piece of buttered bread. Top with slice of bread, trim the crusts, cut each diagonally into 4 small triangles, and serve at once.
SMOKED TROUT TEA SANDWICHES
Makes 16 small sandwiches
8 slices (about 3½ by 3½ inches by 3/8 inch thick) from 1 loaf white or light multi-grain bread
About 3 tablespoons whipped cream cheese, at room temperature
¾ cup finely flaked or chopped smoked trout (about 3 ounces)
4 very thin slices sweet onion or 2 scallions, whites and greens thinly sliced
1 lemon wedge
Pepper
Spread each slice of bread with about 2 teaspoons cream cheese. Evenly sprinkle each of 4 slices with about 3 tablespoons of the chopped trout, 1 slice of onion or a portion of the scallions, a few drops of lemon juice, and pepper to taste. Top with slice of bread, trim the crusts, cut each diagonally into 4 small triangles, and serve at once.
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Adam Ried appears regularly on America’s Test Kitchen. Send comments to cooking@globe.com.
