BRUNCH: Mixed Berry Mango Scones

I’m finally enjoying a Saturday all to myself! Its been a while. Mostly my “weekends” have been packed with 6 say a week work schedules, cakes, and family obligations, hence the lack of new recipes, or pictures. Its hard to bake in a New York City heat wave, let alone when it feels like just one more thing to do. But lately I’ve been in the midst of whats become a summer long project of rearranging my entire apartment. I’ve given up the spacious master bedroom to (eventually) convert it to my Master baking/ decorating room and have arduously gone through the task of rearranging closets, setting up my bed in the smaller but cozy guest room, and am still pulling apart and reassembling my kitchen. The irony: I’m probably not renewing my lease in my spacious bronx apartment, but I’ll figure that out later.

Not wanting to make a giant mess within the mess I’ve opted to make breakfast out of a few scones sitting in my freezer I made not to long ago and figure a recipe was far overdue.

And as I sit here and type I’m contemplating when am I gonna get rid of all this crap in my house I don’t want?! That mountain bike, that extra tv, flower vases, the books I’ve had since college.  And then procrastination sets in and I’m dreaming of more recipes for my long ignored blog: Lemon Meringue pie, Blueberry muffins– Its August –berry season after all, Tiramisu by Tony Danza, Yeah I just mentioned Tony Danza,  The french macarons I’ve been lusting after, and Humble Pie– a recipe that includes peanut butter and chocolate, and story about Paul McCartney.

But alas I sit and sip my coffee, and munch on a scone.

Scones, from Alton Brown

2 cups flour

4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/3 c sugar

4 tablespoons butter

2 tbsp shortening

3/4 c cream

1 egg

In a large bowl combine dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, sugar. Cut in butter and shortening with a pastry blender.

In a separate bowl whisk cream with the egg.

Add egg and cream to dry ingredients.

Dough will be a little sticky, but thats okay.

From here I diverge a bit. Scones traditionally contain dried cranberries, or fresh blueberries.  I grabbes some mixed berries starwberries, blueberries and blackberries and added some mangos– all in my freezer.  The extra moisture will make you dough sticker, but make sure to add some additional flour when you roll it out and you’re set.

Chop fruit…I was probably a bit over zealous with the amount I added. (1 cup of each– you can add less)

Fold in to the dough. The juice from you fruit fresh or frozen will color the dough.  Aim for a marbled effect rather than blue scones.

Roll out on a well floured surface, to about one inch– or thicker. You can use a biscuit cutter or just haphazardly slice into triangular wedges like I did.

Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown at 375 degrees.

Procrastination on a Saturday.

2 comments August 13, 2011