So…

Just in case you wake up on a Sunday morning
And you decide to go all out on breakfast
And along with the sausage and eggs and grapefruit
You decide to make scones

Just in case you decide to make the scones free-hand
And you decide to base them on Irish soda bread
With big handfuls of zante currants or chopped dried apricot bits
And just a hint of caraway seeds crushed with the blade of your kitchen knife

Only you decide to make them Scottish soda bread
Using one cup all-purpose flour
And one cup of delicate organic “quick cook” rolled oats
Blended first in a food processor
With two and a half teaspoons of baking powder
Half a teaspoon of salt
And maybe a tablespoon of table sugar

Then blending in 4-6 tablespoons of cold butter
Then adding the currants (about a cup)
And the caraway (maybe half a teaspoon)
And half a cup of milk mixed with half a cup of buttermilk or plain yogurt
Tossing very lightly, until just moistened
So it forms a (suspiciously) sticky, loose, thick batter

Then letting it stand a moment so the moisture absorbs
Before pouring it into a roughly circular shape on a non-stick baking surface (silpat, parchment paper, or non-stick baking pan)
And sprinkling a handful of flour over the roughly-textured top
And using a knife or block scraper dipped in more flour to cut your circle into triangles
And then baking at 450 degrees for roughly 10 minutes or till golden brown around the edges

If you do all that…
If you do all that as I did…
If you do all that as I did you’ll learn…

That coarsely ground oat flour doesn’t bind as strongly as gluten-rich flour does
You’ll learn instead that you get incredibly fluffy, delicate scones
Beautiful, astonishingly complexly flavored (from the currants and butter plus an ethereal hint of caraway) yes,
But so fragile they’ll almost fall apart in your fingers
Into big, soft, steaming, deliciously buttery crumbles…

That feel wonderful and taste taste divine
When nibbled from a partner’s bare skin

Why ask me how I know this…
When you could try it yourself?

—-

Recipe: Figleaf’s Lightest-Possible Scottish Soda-Bread Scones

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit
Prepare a cookie sheet with something non-stick (parchment paper works well)

In a food processor blend till almost completely smooth

- 1 cup all-purpose flour – 1 cup “quick cook” oatmeal flakes – 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder – 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt – 1 tablespoon sugar (optional)

Add and process till nearly smooth again

4-6 tablespoons cold butter (half a stick more or less)

Stir in

- 1 cup currants, raisins, chopped dried apricots – 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed caraway seeds

Add

- 1/2 cup milk – 1/2 cup buttermilk or plain (unflavored, unsweetened) yogurt

Mix well — more than you would for all-flour biscuits (unless you want to try the partner’s-bare-skin trick)
Let stand for a minute
Form into a rough circle on the baking pan
Sprinkle with flour (the batter will be very sticky)
Repeatedly dip a knife or block scraper in flour while slicing into six to eight slices

Bake 10-12 minutes or till golden brown on tops and edges
Remove from oven, Let stand for five minutes
What I should have done: If you’re going to take photographs do so now, because it’ll be your only chance.
Serve

Enjoy your weekend