A Scone, a Scone, My Kingdom for a Scone!

Scones are a recurring theme on Sunday mornings here at GSNW Central, aka our house, where nothing short of the apocalypse could keep us from reading the New York Times (print, please!) and slurping down copious amounts of (half-decaf) coffee.

Dave's always been in charge of breakfast on this holy day, and his favorite currant scone recipe has served us well. But lately he's been looking around for a new challenge, and he ran across a recipe that called for toasting oats in the oven, then folding them into the dough. It makes a cakey, slightly crumbly scone that plays nicely with coffee and the New York Times. Enjoy!

Toasted Oat Scones

Adapted from an America’s Test Kitchen recipe

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. sugar
2  tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
10 Tbsp. cold butter or margarine
1 1/2 c. rolled oats
1/4  c. cream
1/4 c. milk (or replace milk and cream with whole milk)
1 egg
1 Tbsp. sugar

Spread oats on shallow pan and place in 375 degree oven for 8-9 minutes, until they begin to turn toast, browning slightly. Remove from oven.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Pulse flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in processor to mix. Cut butter into bits and add to ingredients in processor. Pulse 12-14 times until mix has coarse cornmeal texture. Put mixture into large bowl. Reserve 2 Tablespoons of oats in a separate bowl. Put rest of oats into large bowl with other ingredients.

Put cream and milk into a separate bowl. Add egg and whisk until well combined. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the liquid in another bowl. Toss dry ingredients briefly. Add liquid. Mix gently with spatula, then use hands to knead gently to form into a mass. Put half the reserved oats on a flat surface like a counter. Place dough on top of oats. Sprinkle the rest of the oats on top and press into a 7-inch diameter circle, 1 inch thick. Cut into 8 wedges. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Glaze with egg-cream-milk mixture. Sprinkle sugar on wedges. Place in oven. Check at 11-12 minutes, baking as long as 14 minutes until slightly browned. Rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then put on cooling rack for half an hour.