Thursday, December 1, 2011

Chive Scones (Don't run away--Yes there's Tofu in these Scones)

Hello! A few weeks back, I made Hungry Couple's pumpkin scones. And then I made them again. Yummy. Here they are for you to see:

I thought that'd I'd like to make a savory scone, and I wanted to serve them for Thanksgiving. Since I was happy with the Hungry Couple's recipe with regards to its consistency, I wanted to use it as a base. I knew that removing the pumpkin from the scone would alter how it baked entirely, so I wanted to figure out something that was a similar texture. I settled on silken tofu, though I also considered sour cream and feta, and I will revisit those another time. Here they are:

Listened to: WTF Podcast. Not very Thanskgiving-y. 

Chive Scones (makes about 9 scones)
  • 2 C AP flour
  • 1 Tbsp baking powder
  • 1 heaping tsp fine salt
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, chilled
  • 1/2 C soft silken tofu
  • 1/4 C milk, plus extra
  • 1/3 C chopped chives
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tsp rosemary, partially crushed
  • cracked black pepper, to taste
1. Preheat the oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside. 
2. In a medium bowl, combine the tofu, milk, chives, egg, rosemary, and black pepper. Stir until well-mixed and smooth. Set aside.
3. Cut the chilled butter into small pieces. Add to the flour mixture, and using 2 butter knives, cut the butter into the mixture until it forms coarse crumbs.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well. Prepare a lightly oiled baking sheet or sheet with a silpat. With your hands, form the scones. If needed, add a bit more milk to the mixture, though it should be fairly dry.  Place on the baking sheet.
5. Bake for 30-40 mins or until golden brown.

 Kitchen Notes: It's important to get the butter into small pieces, but not so small that the butter melts. If the butter melts, the scones will not have that lovely flaky consistency. If the butter pieces are too big, they won't incorporate into the baking scones but melt everywhere. These scones dry out fast, but are phenomenal the day you make them, and even better fresh out of the oven.

Verdict? Why didn't I try to make savory scones long ago? They are flavorful & biscuity, and will satisfy even the most tofu-phobic friends. The tofu bakes into the scones perfectly and undetected. Enjoy!

3 comments:

  1. I'm so happy that you enjoyed our pumpkin scones and I really appreciate the attribution! I also love savory scones (especially as a side to some creamy hot soup) but I just use buttermilk in the dough. Never thought about silken tofu :) Try adding some cheddar cheese to your scones next time for a really great taste with the chives.

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  2. Lovely, lovely scones. I'm a big fan of savory over sweet, I must say!!!

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