“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you” Maya Angelou
Thank you, Maya Angelou – I always wonder why people wait until someone dies to gush all over about them. Not that this was the case with Maya Angelou who was immensely popular and valued in her lifetime. But, yesterday and today, everyone is indeed creating an extraordinary profile in the media of the poet who died yesterday. I wonder how she would have felt about this. Hmmmm.
Why do I make the same scone over and over? Well there are a myriad of reasons, but mostly it’s due to: I just keep trying to improve it, it’s the fruit I have in the house, the kids have flavor preferences. Overall, I think it is because I like to tinker with the recipe and see how much I can notice the differences and the overall improvement-or-not in the product. The biggest complaint I get from Christin is that there isn’t enough fruit in the scones. Today, I’m trying to remedy this.
Today, I am anxiously awaiting my first box of peaches from Frog Hollow Farm. I have one eye out the window looking for my UPS man. They will be my first taste of Summertime directly shipped-“stat”, and fresh picked, from the west coast – and not the hard as rocks -picked too early green peaches I’ve seen in the grocery store this week.
In honor of this shipment, I tried a new iteration of the ever-present Peach and Raspberry combo that I love so much. We all need to nod a thank you to Auguste Escoffier for this classic combo from the Savoy and in honor of Nellie Melba, the Australian soprano circa 1892.
looking luscious, Classic Peach Melba – photo courtesy Wikipedia
Here is what’s coming out of the oven this morning – with twice the fruit:
THE PEACH MELBA SCONE
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/8 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup muscavado sugar
1 tblsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
zest of one lemon
2 eggs
6 tblsp cold unsalted butter, cut in to small cubes
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/8 cup sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup chopped peaches
1 1/2 pint container fresh raspberries
egg wash
muscavado sugar for sprinkling
Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a food processor combine the flour, sugar, almonds, baking powder, salt and lemon zest until well blended. Add the butter and pulse around 8 times until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Remove the mixture to a low wide bowl. Make a well in center. In a large measuring cup mix together the eggs, buttermilk, sour cream and almond extract. Add the fruit to the dry ingredients and toss lightly to coat. Add the wet ingredients and mix nimbly with a dough scraper just until the dough comes together. With your hands work the dough into a coherent mass but don’t over handle it. Divide the dough into 8 individual scones and place on the baking sheet. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with muscavado sugar. Bake for 18 minutes or until well browned and crunchy on top. Enjoy!
not the Frog Hollow Farm peaches
my first peony – looks so elegant, yet so reluctant to open on this cool morning