Lemon Scones

The Art.
    I know you may find this hard to believe, but I have never made scones until recently. I'm not really sure how this happened, considering I drink approximately two gallons of Earl Gray a day and enjoy 4pm teatime, but here we are. I was having my Dear Friend Ben over for tea one afternoon, and decided to take a stab at some scones. This was a last minute baking adventure, so I didn't have much to work with for flavoring. I had a lemon in my fruit bowl, so I grated some zest into the dough and I was quite pleased with the result. I served the scones right out of the oven with honey butter and raspberry jam (yes, lemon and raspberry together again!) and they were delicious. I couldn't believe how easy it was, and they were the prefect treat for afternoon tea.

The Science.
    These scones are based off of a recipe that is a copycat of a duplicate of the scones served at the Dorchester Hotel in London. As such, they are more light and cakey than American scones and inherently more classy. Most scones from our side of the pond use all-purpose flour, while these call for cake flour. Cake flour is made from soft wheat, which has more starch and less gluten than hard wheat, resulting in a finer crumb [1]. British scones also have more butter, which acts as a shortening agent. This means that the butter interacts with the hydrophobic domains of the gluten protein and prevents them from forming long chains, further contributing to the tender texture [2]. Finally, an increased amount of baking powder causes these scones to be airy and delicate compared to the ones you may be used to.

The Recipe.
(Makes 8 scones)
2 cups cake flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons salted butter, cut into pieces
1 egg
6 tablespoons lowfat milk
Zest from one lemon

    Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl, then drop in the pieces of butter. If you have a mixer with a pastry attachment, you can blend the butter in on low speed. Alternatively, you can crumble it in with your fingertips or a pastry blender. Continue blending until the mixture is the consistency of coarse meal. In a small bowl, beat together the egg and the milk. Gradually stir the egg mixture into the dry mixture on low speed. Once combined, fold in lemon zest.

    Drop the dough onto a lightly floured baking sheet, approximately 1/3 cup for each scone, at least 3 inches apart. Bake on center rack for 17-20 minutes, or until tops are light golden. Scones are best served warm, but can also be kept at room temperature for two to three days.

1. Pasha, I et al. "Grain hardness: a major determinant of wheat quality." Food Science and Technology International, 2010. Vol. 16(6): pp. 511-22.
2. American Baking Essentials Course 201. "Butter, Shortening, and Oils: The Fats We Bake With." The Prepared Pantry, 2005.