CALLING ALL SCONE LOVERS...
Now serving: Toasted Semolina Golden Raisin Goodness
Hi!
I can’t believe I’m writing these words but: we booked a trip. A very last minute trip, leaving tomorrow (!!). I’m pretty darn excited because I was starting to feel like spring break was for other people’s families. (You know, when you watch people frolicking on the beach via social media, year after year, while you’re home, in the rain—entertaining children?)
I’ve become a fan of the last-minute trip, because, well I’m a PLANNER, married to an ANTI-PLANNER. Except where work is concerned, he doesn’t like committing to much beyond tomorrow, so I’ve had to give into the joy of possibility—the little surprises that come with not deciding until it is almost too late. That’s when he goes for bust. To wit: He once booked us a ten day cruise, the night before it left. I agreed, having ZERO expectation about the food and the whole experience (I’d previously been fairly anti-cruise) and had a crazy wonderful trip.
Sometimes the unknown is alive with delight.
This is a long way of saying, tomorrow we fly across the Atlantic and I have my husband’s (occasionally irksome) philosophy of living deeply in the present to thank.
Since I’ll be away, I’m advancing you next week’s letter—with a recipe I deeply love—something that you might want to sneak into your Palm Sunday or Easter menu, and certainly bookmark this one for Mother’s Day. It kind of sniffs of the flavors we’ll be experiencing next week where we’re headed (much more on that when I’m back, to be sure).
Quick thoughts about these scones—Toasted Semolina Raisin Scones. There’s enough going on in there in the title for you to understand where I’m going with this. There’s also lemon and anise—the later of which you can keep if you like that very subtle note (think Spanish sugar crisps, or a perfect Italian cookie you might enjoy with espresso)—or skip if that’s not your thing. I love it.
This is also a good time for me to introduce you to my (occasional) partner in the kitchen, Brenda Jolicoeur. She’s been an integral part of things around here for quite some time. She helped me run my book tour for Every Day is Saturday three summers ago, was behind the scenes on my show Every Day is Saturday, and now pops into my studio a few times a month like a magic fairy to bake and shoot with me (my very favorite days!). Brenda shot these images (while I baked and prop styled), and she has thoughts about these scones, too.
When you make these smaller, as pictured here, Brenda noted that these fall somewhere between a scone and a biscotti. For sure they are perfect with coffee. When you make them bigger, they get crisp on the outside (thanks to the high heat, semolina, egg wash, and sprinkling of sugar) and tender moist in the inside. I love them both ways, for different purposes. Smaller for brunches and company, for packing and giving or for afternoon snacks—bigger for family breakfast, treating mom on mother’s day, or toasting when they are a day-old (little ones get lost in toaster slots) and serving with salted butter and marmalade—do not miss this treat.
That’s all, no time to waste. It’s time to pack (maybe for you too?) and if not, turn off your social this week, turn on your oven, bake and soak in your people. Love love love to you.
xx
Sarah
[RECIPE BELOW]
TOASTED SEMOLINA RAISIN SCONES
MAKES 6 SCONES
1 CUP/125 G ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR (OR GLUTEN-FREE ALL PURPOSE FLOUR, GF)
½ CUP/60 G WHOLE-WHEAT FLOUR (OR BROWN RICE FLOUR, GF)
½ CUP/90 G SEMOLINA FLOUR
3 TBSP UNBLEACHED RAW SUGAR, PLUS FOR SPRINKLING
2 TSP BAKING POWDER
1 TSP LEMON ZEST
½ TSP ANISE SEEDS (OPTIONAL)
¼ TSP SEL GRIS
6 TBSP/85 G COLD UNSALTED BUTTER, CUT INTO CUBES, PLUS MORE FOR SERVING
²⁄₃ CUP/115 G GOLDEN RAISINS
²⁄₃ CUP/165 ML CREAM OR HALF-AND-HALF, PLUS FOR BRUSHING
1 EGG, LIGHTLY BEATEN, FOR EGG WASH
ORANGE MARMALADE OR CONSERVE FOR SERVING
PREHEAT A CONVENTIONAL OVEN TO 375°F/190°C/GAS 5 OR A CONVECTION OVEN TO 350°F/ 180°C/GAS 4. LINE A BAKING SHEET WITH PARCHMENT PAPER.
WHISK TOGETHER THE ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR, WHOLE-WHEAT FLOUR, SEMOLINA FLOUR, 2 TO 3 TBSP SUGAR (DEPENDING ON HOW SWEET YOU LIKE YOUR SCONES), BAKING POWDER, LEMON ZEST, ANISE SEEDS, AND SEL GRIS IN A LARGE BOWL. USING YOUR FINGERS OR A PASTRY CUTTER, BLEND THE BUTTER CUBES INTO THE FLOUR UNTIL IT IS MOSTLY INCORPORATED WITH SOME PEA-SIZE PIECES OF BUTTER REMAINING. STIR IN THE RAISINS AND MILK WITH A FORK UNTIL THE DOUGH JUST FORMS.
TURN THE DOUGH ONTO A LIGHTLY FLOURED WORK SURFACE. GENTLY PAT (WITHOUT KNEADING) THE DOUGH INTO A RECTANGLE OR ROUND ABOUT ¾ IN/2 CM THICK AND 6 IN/15 CM ACROSS. USING A SHARP KNIFE OR BENCH SCRAPER, CUT THE ROUND INTO SIX LARGE WEDGES OR 12 SMALL WEDGES.
PLACE THE SCONES ON THE PREPARED BAKING SHEET, LEAVING A BIT OF SPACE BETWEEN THEM, AND REFRIGERATE FOR 15 MINUTES.
ADD 1 TABLESPOON CREAM TO THE BEATEN EGG (EGG WASH). BRUSH THE TOP OF THE SCONES WITH THE EGG WASH AND LIGHTLY SPRINKLE WITH SUGAR.
BAKE UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN AND JUST COOKED THROUGH BUT STILL MOIST INSIDE, 15 TO 18 MINUTES IN A CONVENTIONAL OVEN OR 14 MINUTES IN A CONVECTION OVEN. WHEN FULLY COOKED, THE SCONES SHOULD FEEL FIRM ON THE OUTSIDE. IT’S OKAY TO CUT INTO ONE TO TEST THE DONENESS OF THE INSIDE. IF THE SCONES ARE A TOUCH UNDERCOOKED, TURN OFF THE OVEN AND LET THEM REMAIN IN THE OVEN FOR 5 MINUTES MORE—MY SECRET FOR THE BEST TEXTURE, WITH A CRISPY, CRUNCHY OUTSIDE AND MOIST, TENDER INSIDE. TRANSFER TO A WIRE RACK TO COOL FOR 15 MINUTES.
SERVE WARM WITH BUTTER AND ORANGE MARMALADE.
BUY MY BOOK, EVERY DAY IS SATURDAY, HERE
Photos for this post by Brenda Jolicoeur. Food + Prop Styling by Sarah Copeland. Ceramics by Lost Quarry.
I am so excited you get to TRAVEL!!!
Delicious!