It is that time of the week again where I need to glance through my To Try recipes and choose something to make. The problem is the list just keeps growing and I don't think there are enough days in the week to try them all. This week I chose a scone recipe that I had printed out from Epicurious. It is funny though how the recipe I printed out isn't exactly what I ended up making. Originally this recipe was a Meyer Lemon and Dried Blueberry Scone, which I will be making and blogging about this weekend. However, I had signed up to do a baking class last weekend at KCC, and I had about 30 minutes to spare before class, so I wandered around the Farmers' Market. I saw some wonderful little calamansi and they were calling my name.
Calamansi (also known as calamondin) is a small citrus fruit that resembles a lime, but it is orange inside. I always thought they were a fruit from the Philippines, but according to Wikipedia they are actually a hybrid, possibly being a cross between a mandarin orange or tangerine and a kumquat. I was surprised that something so small could have such large seeds. Mine had four seeds in each (and a few smaller pieces that looked somewhat like a seed) and they were as large as a lemon seed. Also be warned to watch out for your knuckles when you are zesting them - there isn't much to grab on to when you are running that microplane across the peel. To me they taste like a lime that has a hint of mandarin orange.
I was very pleased with the end result. I barely let them cool before I glazed one so I could bite into the yumminess. They are so tender, with just a hint of spice from the ginger and tartness from the calamansi juice, and I just loved the sweet-tart glaze on top. Buttermilk helps to produce a softer texture in baked goods, and it definitely worked its' magic here. I doubt these are going to last long around here.
Calamansi-Ginger Scones
Ingredients
- 3 cups self-rising flour
- ½ cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- ¾ cup (11/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk
- 1 ½ tablespoons calamansi zest
- 2 tablespoon crystallized ginger, finely minced
- 3 tablespoon calamansi juice, divided
- ½ cup of powdered sugar, sifted.
Preparation
- Position rack in top third of oven and preheat to 425°F.
- Line large baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper.
- Whisk self-rising flour and 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl.
- Using fingertips, rub in chilled butter until pieces are size of small peas.
- Mix 1 cup buttermilk, 1 tablespoon calamansi juice, and calamansi zest in glass measuring cup.
- Pour buttermilk mixture into dry ingredients and stir until dough begins to form (some of flour will not be incorporated).
- Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and gather together.
- Knead dough briefly, about 5 turns.
- Divide dough in half. Form each dough half into ball and flatten into 1-inch-thick disk. Cut each disk into 6 wedges.
- Transfer scones to prepared baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart.
- Brush tops with remaining 1 tablespoon buttermilk and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar.
- Bake until scones are golden brown on top and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes (watch them because mine were done in about 18 minutes).
- Allow to cool.
- While scones are cooling make glaze by combing powdered sugar and remaining 2 tablespoons of calamansi juice. Brush over scones with a pastry brush.
Recipes adapted from this recipe at Epicurious.com
