whole wheat scones with fresh currants
It’s been said (particularly by me) that I am not very good at baking. I find it difficult to suppress the urge to improvise in favor of precise measuring and timing. So to accompany my recent foray into “science” (in the form of nutrition-related courses), I’ve started baking here and there. John is around for quality control (“No Mitch, you can’t eyeball 1 1/2 cups of flour”), which, I’ll admit, leads to things like perfectly tender scones.
Some of you probably think whole wheat baked goods are too dry and too dense. I kind of agree, so I usually blend whole wheat with regular flour when baking. These scones, however, are pretty delicious the way they are (as long as you’re not a whole-wheat hater). Pastry flour has less gluten (the protein component of wheat that makes dough elastic and bread chewy) than regular flour, making the final product less tough and more tender.
These scones aren’t too sweet, so you won’t feel like you’re having dessert for breakfast. The steel-cut oats get a little chewy, and the currants are really tart (in a good way). You (and I!) can also substitute other small juicy berries or dried fruit for the less readily available fresh currants. (Read a current article about currants here.)
(adapted from cook.eat.think.)
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup steel cut oats
6 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
10 Tbsp chilled unsalted butter
1 cup fresh currants
3/4 cup buttermilk
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine flour with oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut butter into the mixture using a pastry blender or fork, until the mixture is crumbly. Gently fold in currants, and add buttermilk. Mix gently, just until combined. The dough should be very soft.
On a lightly floured surface, shape the dough into a long rectangle, about 3 inches wide and 1.5 inches thick. Cut into triangles, and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Brush tops of scones with heavy cream and sprinkle coarse sugar on top (optional). Bake for 22 minutes.
