Everything Bagel Drop Scones. I confess I am a bit late to the Everything Bagel Craze. Apparently it is all about the seasoning and it isn't something which I had really experienced over in the UK.
I did buy myself a bottle of Trader Joes Everything Bagel Seasoning online (at a premium price) while I was still over there, but I never did have a chance to use it. I had thought that all of my spices were packed to come here to Canada, but in all truth very few arrived. I don't know what happened to them.
And so I have had to start again from scratch for the most part. Not cheap I can tell you! Most bottles of herbs and spices cost around $8 and not everything is available. I am really missing out on middle Eastern and Indian spices.
Oh well. I was able to budge together my own mix of Everything Bagel Seasoning which is what I have used here today to make/enhance these lovely drop scones.
If there is anything I love more than a simple scone, its a drop scone! So much easier. No faffing about.
Quick to make, you simply stir all of the ingredients together and drop them onto a baking sheet. SO, maybe it is a little bit more than stir, but not much I can assure you!
And not only that but this is a slow batch recipe, making only half a dozen scones. Perfect for the smaller family or for when you are wanting a bread on the side with your lunch or dinner, but not wanting leftovers!
These Everything Bagel Drop Scones have crunchy flavor-filled outsides and soft fluffy, flaky insides. I would consider them to be the perfect savory scone!
You begin by making the seasoning. Of course if you have ready made seasoning you can skip this step. I wanted to make some to satisfy those who don't have it or who are not able to readily find it in their shops (UK).
It probably doesn't have quite everything in it that you would find in a readymade version, but it is close enough and I think it is delicious.
Its garlicky, oniony, crunchy and just salty enough. What more could you ask for! Its pretty tasty stuff!!
Once you have that made you can get busy with making the scones. Sift all of the dry ingredients into a bowl. Flour, baking powder and salt.
Two kinds of fat are used. Butter and cream cheese. Flaky and soft inside, the cream cheese adds another element of texture, an almost creamy texture which is difficult to describe.
But trust me when I say it is incredibly moreish. You just drop those two fats into the flour and rub them in with your fingertips.
Use a snapping motion and kind of lift the flour as you go. This gets even more air into it, giving you extra flakiness and a lovely rise.
You only want to rub it in until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs, with some bits being smaller than others.
This means you will get lovely pockets of flakiness when these bake. You are almost done.
All you have to do now is to stir in some buttermilk. That's right. Just stir in some buttermilk. You can also use regular milk, but I like to use buttermilk.
Some days you will need more than others. I am not sure why that is. You are aiming for a somewhat claggy, thick and droppable mixture.
Drop this into six, evenly sized (or as evenly as you can) clumps on your baking sheet. Leave plenty of space in between for rising, spreading. I try to budge them up a bit so that they are rounder.
But let me tell you, little extra bits that stick out get moreishly crunchy. Just so you know.
Once you have done that all you have to do is to mix together your seed mixture and sprinkle it over top. Be generous. You may not need to use it all, but do be generous.
You can save any extra and store it tightly covered in the cupboard for the next time. Or better yet, double or triple the amounts and you have enough to last you for a goodly amount of time.
That's it! Bake them in a nice hot oven until they are golden brown. One advantage of drop scones is you don't need to pat and roll.
Another advantage is you end up with all these extra crispy bits that everyone enjoys eating. Trust me when I tell you these are going to be enjoyed!
On the side of soups or stews. With cold plates or salads.
As a part of a Ploughman's Lunch along with some cold meats, cheeses, salad and pickles. Today I enjoyed one with one of those cheese snack packs you can get which includes dried cranberries and cashew nuts. Perfect!
They are good all on their own, simply split and buttered. Doesn't that look good?
Because they have cream cheese in them they are flaky, maybe not as flaky as a regular bake, but flaky enough. I can't quite describe the texture actually, but when you bake them you will see what I mean.
I adapted the recipe from one I found in Smitten Kitchen Every Day by Deb Perelman. Her measurements were a bit off, the metric ones, but no problem I have sorted them out properly.
If you are looing for a quick, easy and delicious side bread, look no further. These fit the bill on all counts.
I reckon they would be delicious divided into four rather than six and baked a bit longer to use as breakfast biscuits with some egg, bacon and cheese in side. Oh baby, come to mama!
Everything Bagel Drop Scones
Yield: Makes 6 scones
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 12 MinTotal time: 22 Min
Nothing could be simpler or more delicious than these easy drop scones. Sprinkled with everything bagel spice they go really well with cold plates, soups, salads, cheeses, etc.
Ingredients
For the topping:
- 1 TBS sesame seeds
- 1 TBS poppy seeds
- 1/2 TBS dried minced onion
- 1 tsp dried minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
For the scones:
- 1 1/4 cups (210g) plain all purpose flour
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 TBS cold butter, cut into cubes
- 2 ounces (65g) cold cream cheese, cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup (120ml) cold buttermilk (May need more)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450*F/225*C/gas mark 7. Line a large baking sheet with some baking parchment or a silicone liner.
- Mix together all of the ingredients for the topping in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Drop in the butter and cream cheese. Rub them into the flour mixture using your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. Stir in the buttermilk, stirring everything together just until combined and the mixture starts to clump together. It should be damp and not dry. If you think it is too dry, add a bit more milk.
- Divide the mixture into six and drop onto the baking sheet, leaving plenty of space in between. You can budge them into a rounder shape if you wish. Sprinkle the seed mixture evenly over top, dividing it between the scones.
- Bake for 12 minutes, until golden brown on top and the bottoms are golden brown. Scoop off onto a metal rack to cool.
- Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. Best on the day but can be frozen.
I am so sorry that your spice collection has gone astray. You are right in saying that it is not cheap to replace them, but they are so vital to have in the kitchen. When I came here, my husband had a little spice rack with a few things only. I now have a complete spice drawer jammed full of exotic, fragrant herbs and spices - all used regularly and something I'd not want to be without.
ReplyDeleteI really like scones and as something to have with soup, you just can't beat a good savoury scone. You've posted some crackers over the years and I have tried them all and have my favourites. I've never tried them as "drop scones" - I have generally rolled them out and cut them, but this sounds so much faster and less of a bother. The topping is something I'd love - anything oniony and garlicky speaks to me. There's no buttermilk here, but kefir is a very good substitute in baked goods.
I shall save this for soup season which will be on us before we know it!