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Jam Thumbprint Scones Photo Susie Iventosch
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Scones are just an all around special breakfast treat. They seem so fancy! We love them with a bit of a shortbread texture . nice and crispy on the edges, but still soft in the center. What makes scones especially fun is the myriad ways you can make them - plain or with currants, with caramelized apples and icing, toasted pecans with maple glaze, or this way - with a big jam thumbprint. You can add oats, or you can leave them plain and you can use part whole wheat flour for a little nubbier version. Having a favorite scone recipe is kind of like having a blank (albeit tasty) canvas for your favorite food colors and textures.
Because we prefer a shortbread texture for our scones, our basic recipe does not call for eggs. Instead, we simply use flour, sugar, baking powder, a little salt, some kind of flavoring extract and butter.
I first saw these jam scones in a local coffee shop and bought one because it looked so tasty. Then, I decided to make an entire batch for some guests that were coming to our cabin a few weeks later. I just used my basic scone recipe, and then with a clean thumb, made a big indentation and filled it with our favorite raspberry jam. You can actually use whatever jam you like best and I think the Bonne Maman Mixed Berries Preserves would be fantastic in this recipe, although I've yet to try it.
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons brown sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, (4 oz.), cold and cut into small 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 +/- cup cream or milk (more or less as needed to gather the dough into a ball)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg white (for brushing on top of the scones before baking)
1/4 cup raw sugar or Swedish pearl sugar
1/2 cup raspberry jam (or your favorite jam)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 F. Prepare a large baking sheet with cooking spray or parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt.
With a pastry cutter, or your fingertips, cut butter into flour mixture until well blended and butter is reduced to tiny pea-size pieces.
Stir vanilla extract into the cream (or milk). With a large fork or spoon, stir the cream with vanilla extract into the flour-butter mixture. Blend well. Form into a ball, and on a floured cutting board, press the ball into a flat circle with your hands. The circle should be about 8-inches in diameter for taller shorter scones and 10 inches for flatter, longer scones, and roughly 3/4 to 1-inch thick.
Using a long knife, cut the dough into 12 even triangles for small scones, or 8 triangles for large scones, and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
Using your thumb, make an indentation in the wide part of the scone that goes almost to the bottom of the scone. Brush the scones with egg white. Then fill the indentation with the jam. Finally, sprinkle the raw sugar or Swedish pearl sugar over the scone.
Bake for approximately 12-14 minutes, or until tops begin to turn golden-brown. Remove from oven and cool completely. Then drizzle icing over the top of the cooled scones.
ICING INGREDIENTS
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoons milk (may not need this depending upon the berry juice)
ICING DIRECTIONS
Mix all with a whisk until smooth. Set aside until scones are cooled.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA