The Baking Podcast Ep9: Delicous Scones for the Winter Season

Taunya and Melody talk all about their love of scones; a topic that will keep coming back as the seasons change.  Taunya introduces two of her favorite Winter scones, both created by Joanna Chang of Flour Bakery fame in Boston, MA (which are just slightly adapted).  Melody and Taunya also talk about their love of Sesame Street and their dream of being extras on the show. Melody introduces a Curry paste recipe that she founds that uses 4 heads of roasted garlic (not a typo!)—and he thoughts on using the recipe in our future café The sisters give an update on the business; they discuss the possibility of selling at a Summer Farmer’s Market. You can email the sisters at thebakingpodcast@gmail.com. Be sure to join the facebook group, it’s happening! Just search for “the baking podcast group” in facebook. You can also check us out on Instagram “the baking podcast”   Recipes! Maple Oat Scones Minimally adapted from Joanna Chang’s Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston’s Flour Bakery + Cafe Ingredients 1 ½ cups (210 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour 1 ¼ cups (125 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant or quick cooking) 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon kosher salt ½ cup (50 grams) pecan halves, toasted and chopped (to toast, 350 degrees in oven on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes) OPTIONAL ½ cup dried cranberries, or currants, or raisins, or dried cherries, or whatever dried fruit you like! ½ cup (1 stick, 114 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into 8-10 pieces ½ cup (80 grams) cold heavy cream ½ cup (160 grams) maple syrup 1 cold egg   Maple glaze 1 cup (140 grams) confectioners’ sugar 3 tablespoons maple syrup   Position the rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 350°F. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a handheld mixer), mix together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pecans, and cranberries on low speed for 10-15 seconds, or until combined. Scatter the butter over the top and beat on low speed for about 30 seconds, or until the butter is somewhat broken down and grape-size pieces are still visible. In a small bowl, whisk together the cream, maple syrup, and egg until thoroughly mixed. On low speed, pour the cream mixture into the flour-butter mixture and beat for 20-30 seconds, or just until the dough comes together. It will be fairly wet. Remove the bowl form the mixer stand. With a rubber spatula, scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure that all the dry ingredients are mixed into the dough. Using a 1/3-cup dry-measuring cup, drop mounded scoops of the dough onto a baking sheet, forming 8 scones and spacing them 2-3 inches apart. At this point, the unbaked scones can be frozen, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 2 weeks. Proceed as directed, baking directly from the freezer and adding 5-10 minutes to the baking time. Bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until the cones are golden brown on top. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. To make the maple glaze: While the scones are cooling, in a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, maple syrup, and enough of the water to make a smooth, pourable glaze. You should have about ½ cup. The glaze can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. When the scones have cooled, brush the tops evenly with the maple glaze and then serve. Link for Joanna Chang's Cheddar-Scallion Scones (NOTE SUBSTITUTE CORN FLOUR FOR CORN MEAL) http://s3.amazonaws.com/media.wbur.org/wordpress/4/files/2010/10/Cheddar-Scallion-Scones.pdf   Crème Fraiche Recipe Combine 1 cup heavy cream and 2 tablespoons buttermilk in a glass container. Cover and let stand at room temperature (about 70°F) from 8 to 24 hours, or until very thick. Stir well before covering and refrigerate up to 10 days. To refresh, you don’t need to buy buttermilk just sub your Crème Fraiche instead (ie. 2 tbs to one cup heavy cream)   Link for Yellow Curry Paste http://pinchofyum.com/easy-homemade-yellow-curry-paste