Eggnog Scones

 

 

One of the things I really like to enjoy during the holiday season is Eggnog.  It was  not something I could get when I lived in the U.K.  I used to make my own from scratch.  

There are a lot of complicated recipes out there, but I always used this simple one. It suited me to a "T" as it did not require any alcohol. 

 

I grew up on my mother's homemade eggnog.  We loved it when we were children. Probably because it was milky and sweet.  Mom never cooked the eggs. She just beat the raw eggs together with some sugar and milk and a bit of nutmeg and cinnamon.  It never killed us. I think we just got lucky.

I don't however recommend using raw eggs.  As an adult when I went to make my own I always made the version that started with a cooked egg custard.  It is not recommended to serve raw eggs to children or the elderly,, and I would not eat raw eggs myself.

 

Anyways, I found myself buying a couple of containers of the readymade stuff to enjoy over the holidays.  I love LOVE the stuff.  I ended up with a whole container leftover afterwards.  I didn't get as much company as I was expecting.

But, can you ever have too much of things like eggnog or mince tarts?  I think not!

Anyways, I was looking for something to do with some of it and I came across some recipes for Eggnog Scones.  I happen to be very fond of scones.

 

I decided to use the recipe that I found on e2 Bakes Brooklyn over any of the others.  It was the least fiddly. You don't need to drag out your food processor or anything. Just a bowl and a pastry blender, and a fork will do nicely.

I did adapt it a bit.  I added a sprinkle of demerara sugar on top for a bit of sparkle and crunch.  It comes as a nice surprise underneath the glaze.

 

From her recipe description it sounded like the dough was sticky, but my dough wasn't sticky at all.  I had no problems with any of it and didn't even have to flour my hands, knife, etc.

If you are in the U.K. You can use double cream instead of the eggnog, and just amp up the spices a bit.  They will still turn out beautifully!

 

I am no stranger to scones.  I have baked a bazillion of them through the years.  I have, personally never had any problems with them. Mine always rise nice and high and have a beautiful light texture.  There are a few hints and tips you need to follow in order to ensure success however.

HINTS AND TIPS FOR SCONE SUCCESS

1. Use quality ingredients.

2. Cold butter makes scones rise taller.

3. Work quickly when cutting in the fat so that you can keep it cold.

4. Don't overwork the dough. Use a light hand. Be careful not to over-process if using a food processor. I, personally, prefer to do them by hand.

5. Be gentle when you pat out the dough. Easy does it. You don't want to compress it too much.

6. Cut them out with a sharp knife or cutter, using a straight up and down motion.  Twisting the knife or cutter will create lop-sided scones and you won't get as nice of a rize.

 

 

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NORTH AMERICAN BISCUITS AND SCONES

People tend to lump them together, but really they are not the same thing, no matter how similar the method of preparation.

Biscuits (North American) contain very little or no sugar, and usually no additions of any kind. The classic baking powder biscuit is best served hot with butter, or honey. They go well with soups or stews, or other savory meals.

Scones, on the other hand, tend to be much sweeter and often contain fruits, nuts or spices and are generally not served with hot meals, but more often along with hot drinks.

Biscuits have a light and flaky texture. Scones have a dense and more crumbly texture.

So as you can see, while they might be similar in looks and preparation, they take different paths when it comes to baking and serving them.

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE EGGNOG SCONES

Some pretty simple and every day ingredients, at least at this time of the year.  I do believe that canned eggnog is available in the U.S. all year round. In any case it is easy to make your own from scratch, or you can use heavy double cream in its place. Just amp up the spice and the sugar a bit.

For the scones:

• 3/4 cup (180ml) eggnog, plus 2 TBS for brushing (cold from the refrigerator)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 3/4 cups plus 2 TBS (234g) plain all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (make sure it is fresh)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher or fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup (115g) cold butter , cut into bits
• demerara sugar to sprinkle

 

For the glaze:

• 1 cup (130g) icing sugar
• pinch ground cinnamon (plus more to garnish)
• pinch ground nutmeg (plus more to garnish)
• 3 TBS eggnog

 

I did use a commercial eggnog to make these.  As I said you could use cream, but you would need to add some sweetness to the dough and some spice.  Traditionally the spices are cinnamon and nutmeg.  In equal quantities.

I use plain unsalted butter. Cold from the refrigerator.  I buy my butter in sticks. A stick is half a cup, or 4 ounces/115g.  I cut it into TBS and drop it cold right into the dry ingredients.

 

I like to grate my own nutmeg. Nutmeg is one of those spices which deteriorates very quickly once it has been ground or grated.  You get a much nicer flavor by grating your own whole nutmegs, and it is very easily done.  I love the smell when I am grating it.

The demerara sugar is my own addition to the tops of the scones prior to baking. It adds a bit of sparkle and some crunch. You don't need a lot.  I just sprinkle it over the top equally.

 

HOW TO MAKE EGGNOG SCONES

Nothing could be easier. Just follow the cardinal rule of not overhandling the dough and you will be rewarded with lovely light and flakey scones!  

Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Line a lipped baking tray with baking parchment. Set aside.

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon together in a bowl. Drop in the cold butter and cut it in using your finger tips, two round bladed knives or a pastry blender. It should resemble coarse bread crumbs with some pieces being the size of small peas.

Whisk the cold eggnog together with the vanilla and add all at once to the dry ingredients. Stir it in with a fork until you have a soft dough that is not crumbly. (You may need more eggnog) The dough should be soft but not overly sticky.

Tip out onto a floured cutting board and knead gently a few times then shape into a flat round disc that is 1 inch in thickness. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 wedges. (I cut the disc into half and then the halves in half and then each piece in half yet again.)

Place on the lined baking sheet leaving plenty of room between each for spreading. Brush the tops lightly with some eggnog. Sprinkle with demerara sugar and a light dusting of cinnamon and nutmeg, if desired.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes until well risen and golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for about 10 minutes. Leave on the paper lined tray.

Whisk the icing sugar and eggnog together for the glaze until smooth. Drizzle this over top of the scones and sprinkle with additional nutmeg and cinnamon if desired.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Jam and butter go well with these.

Best on the day they are made but will keep (tightly covered) for up to 48 hours. You can also freeze them in an airtight container.

 

These scones were really lovely with a beautiful flavor and the perfect texture. I did sprinkle a bit of additional cinnamon and nutmeg over top to finish after glazing.  You can't really see it however, but it does add a little bit more spiciness.

They were lovely served with some soft butter, berry jam and a nice glass of cold eggnog from the refrigerator. A hot cuppa would have been really nice however. I highly recommend.

Some other scone recipes which you might also enjoy from my kitchen are:

CINNAMON ROLL SCONES - If you like cinnamon rolls, you will love these.  I like to think they are a bit healthy in that they use whole wheat flour.  Please don't burst my bubble.  Scone dough rolled up with layers of sweet cinnamon sugar, cut into triangles, baked to perfection and then sweetly glazed.

VANILLA GLAZED GINGER SCONES-These are simply spiced with ground ginger and cinnamon. They are also flavored  and sweetened with brown sugar, molasses and maple syrup. A trinity of good taste. Glazed with a vanilla icing and decorated with minced candied ginger, these are perfectly lovely.

Yield: 8 scones

Author: Marie Rayner

Eggnog Scones

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 15 MinInactive time: 15 MinTotal time: 45 Min

Something delicious to make with the leftover eggnog! Flaky, buttery and they freeze really well. Beautiful served with some butter and berry jam spread inside, oh and a glass of eggnog or hot drink!

Ingredients

For the scones:

• 3/4 cup (180ml) eggnog, plus 2 TBS for brushing (cold from the refrigerator)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 3/4 cups plus 2 TBS (234g) plain all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (make sure it is fresh)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher or fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup (115g) cold butter , cut into bits
• demerara sugar to sprinkle

For the glaze:

• 1 cup (130g) icing sugar
• pinch ground cinnamon (plus more to garnish)
• pinch ground nutmeg (plus more to garnish)
• 3 TBS eggnog

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Line a lipped baking tray with baking parchment. Set aside.
2. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon together in a bowl. Drop in the cold butter and cut it in using your finger tips, two round bladed knives or a pastry blender. It should resemble coarse bread crumbs with some pieces being the size of small peas.
3. Whisk the cold eggnog together with the vanilla and add all at once to the dry ingredients. Stir it in with a fork until you have a soft dough that is not crumbly. (You may need more eggnog) The dough should be soft but not overly sticky.
4. Tip out onto a floured cutting board and knead gently a few times then shape into a flat round disc that is 1 inch in thickness. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 wedges. (I cut the disc into half and then the halves in half and then each piece in half yet again.)
5. Place on the lined baking sheet leaving plenty of room between each for spreading. Brush the tops lightly with some eggnog. Sprinkle with demerara sugar and a light dusting of cinnamon and nutmeg, if desired.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes until well risen and golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for about 10 minutes. Leave on the paper lined tray.
7. Whisk the icing sugar and eggnog together for the glaze until smooth. Drizzle this over top of the scones and sprinkle with additional nutmeg and cinnamon if desired.
8. Serve warm or at room temperature. Jam and butter go well with these.
9. Best on the day they are made but will keep (tightly covered) for up to 48 hours. You can also freeze them in an airtight container.

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