| Oatmeal scones are often not quite as good at their brethren. They languish on the racks at the bakery because they are often made just like other scones. This is a big mistake. The oats need a good toasting to bring out their full flavor and the raisins must be plumped in rum to give them a vanilla flavor these treats desperately need and are almost always missing.
Oatmeal Raisin Scones
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups rolled (not instant or quick!) oats
1 ½ cups raisins
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups water
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar (Dark is preferred, but either will do.)
1 tablespoon baking powder (If you are baking above 5000 feet, use 2 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold butter
1 cup whole milk, plus two tablespoons for brushing the tops
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Baking Pans: 1 baking sheets lined with parchment paper
Method: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Scatter the rolled oats on a baking sheet in a single layer. Toast in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Check them after 8 minutes, but you will probably need 10. The oats will be just a little bit brown and fragrant when they are done.
Remove them from oven and set aside.
In a small sauce pan, combine the raisins, water and vanilla. Place it over medium high heat just until the water boils. Remove it from the heat and allow it to cool.
Turn the oven up to 450 degrees.
Into a large bowl measure the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into 10 roughly equal pieces and drop into the flour.
Using your hands, rub the flour onto the butter pieces until it has been equally distributed. It will look something like rough cornmeal at this point.
Mix in the oats. Drain the raisins and mix them into the dough mixture.
Make a well in the flour and pour in the milk. Using a fork, mix it until the dough comes together. It will be rather wet and sticky.
Turn the dough out onto a liberally-floured work surface and turn the dough a couple of times to coat it with flour.
Now if you want scone shaped scones you can follow the direction below.
Divide the dough into three equal portions and form them into disks about 5" wide. Using a sharp, floured knife; cut each disk into four triangles by cutting once vertically and once horizontally.
For this application I decided that I could get more scones (of the same quality) by cutting them with a 3" biscuit cutter. If you would like to use this method just roll the dough to about ¾ thick and cut. Quickly knead the scrapes together and roll again. This will allow you to get 15 scones per batch instead of 12.
Place the scones on the baking sheet with the parchment paper.
In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Brush the tops of the scones with the remaining milk and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the top.
Baking: Slip thee baking pan into the oven on a middle rack and bake for 12 minutes. Check to see if they are done by pressing on one of the scones. It should be firm, but not hard. If they are still wet, give them up to another three minutes; but watch it. If these are overcooked, they will be dry.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place the scones on a wire rack to cool.
These are not as sweet as some scones but they are a really hearty meal if you need to grab something and run or if you are outside all day protesting.
So there we are Kossacks, there is what the protesters got yesterday. Today I'll be baking 8 batches of Pumpkin bread for them.
The flour is yours!
Note a close inspection will notice that the picture is not of Oatmeal Raisin Scones, but Chocolate Chip ones. I was going to take a pic of the Oatmeal scones but totally forgot! Sorry! |
