There is nothing better for the human mind than a good challenge, and trying new adventures. I thought you would enjoy my adventure with making scones, clotted cream and lemon curd.
Having tried several scone recipes, I never really enjoyed the way the recipes turned out. That may be part of my problem- my expectations of what I think a scone should be. I want a scone that is soft, flaky, and somewhat moist. My recipe adventure turned felt more like I got stuck in the “peat bogs of scone recipes” and couldn’t find my way out.
Tessa Arias has a wonderful recipe for scones. For those of you reading this digitally, Handletheheat.com will lead you to her website.
Old fashioned buttermilk vs. Modern Day Buttermilk
In my opinion, the secret to this scone recipe is buttermilk. The buttermilk adds a bit of tang to a recipe. But, before I continue, we should talk quickly about buttermilk. Way back in “the day”, after milking the cows, the cream was separated from the milk and left at room temperature for a period of time (this gave the butter a better flavor). Then they hand-churned it into butter. The buttermilk was the liquid that was leftover after the cream into butter. This liquid was rich in cultures, had a longer shelf life than milk and was used in cooking and baking.
Modern-day buttermilk is the result of fresh, pasteurized dairy milk, inoculated with lactic acid bacteria. The buttermilk is bottled and sold to stores and then to you. I will include this nice Youtube video on buttermilk. He does a good job explaining modern day buttermilk.
Scones
Continuing on in my adventure, the scone recipe was easy to follow and went together nicely. I like the fact that you can freeze the dough if you choose, or the dough can be kept covered in the refrigerator overnight. Both make great options and add to the versatility of the recipe.
Scones are meant to be eaten when freshly baked. Preferably not left overnight. They lose their warm, fresh, soft taste and then it’s just not the same. You’ll understand what I am talking about after you make a batch.
Clotted Cream
Onto my adventure with clotted cream. Let me just say right at the get-go here- this made me pull out my hair. This in no way was a hard recipe. You just need to pay attention to the “coolings” one must do AFTER it has baked for 12 hours. There are two coolings. The first cooling is after it comes out of the oven and then the second cooling is for 24 hours in the refrigerator. THEN you drain the liquid off. Ug! So after messing up twice, I just called it a day and threw it in the frig and hoped for the best. Guess I am a recipe sinner in need of some grace.
Twenty-four hours later, redemption awaited me in the refrigerator. I was able to drain off the liquid and retain the clotted cream. It was delicious. I would say it tastes somewhat like cream cheese, but not as heavy tasting, or thick. Really light and creamy.
The cream will store well for about 5 days and makes about one and a half cups. Don’t throw away the skin that is on top after it has baked. Just mix it right with the cream. Yum! Also, do not ask about the fat or calories, some things you’re better off not knowing. You only live once anyway.
Lemon Curd
My last adventure was making lemon curd. This too was easy to put together. As I am stirring, I felt like I was making lemon filling for a lemon meringue pie. I was afraid of overcooking it, so I turned the heat lower than I should have had, and it ended up taking 20 minutes to thicken. Next time I will just keep the temperature higher.
The curd will continue to thicken as it cools. You don’t want the curd to develop a skin, so place some plastic wrap over top. Having had several tastes of the lemon curd I decided it was delicious! I look forward to trying it out on sugar cookies, angle food, and blueberry scones.
Take the time to make these simple and fun recipes. They will be a great part of your baking adventure.
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Michele Bruxvoort is sure to draw you in with her delightful sense of humor and love for living life. She enjoys reading, repurposing, as well as remodeling the family home with her husband. Drawing from her life experience as wife, mom, and follower of Jesus, Michele brings you a very honest and real perspective on life. When you don’t find her writing, you can find her mowing lawns, stocking shelves, taking care of her grandbaby and tackling her latest life adventure.
Wisconsin native and empty-nester, she now makes her home with her husband of 27 years in the South West Prairie plains of Minnesota.
used to make double batches of 5 or 6 different kinds of cookies. Remember how we used to gather with our cousins and 
