Author Notes
A fragrant, yellow-hued, Spanish-inspired scone. Basically, there are a number of ways that you can get flavor into a scone, the most straightforward being by throwing chunks of something directly into the dough, like chocolate chips or blueberries. Or, if you happen to be making a cream scone, you can infuse the cream like you would to make a flavored ganache. Saffron is expensive, but a little goes a long way. —sugarmountaintreats
Ingredients
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1 cup
heavy cream
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1/2 teaspoon
saffron threads
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2 cups
all-purpose flour
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1 tablespoon
baking powder
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1/2 teaspoon
salt
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3 tablespoons
sugar
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4 tablespoons
unsalted butter
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1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
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1/2 cup
marcona almonds
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1 tablespoon
roughly chopped candied ginger
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raw sugar, for sprinkling
Directions
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In a small saucepan, bring cream and saffron to a boil. Lower heat and let simmer for 5 minutes. Chill in refrigerator, at least 1 hour and preferably overnight.
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Preheat oven to 425 F. Slice butter very thinly, then return to refrigerator to keep cold. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner. Remove the cream from the refrigerator; it should be a pale golden color.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt until very fluffy. Add in cold butter slices and work together quickly until no pieces of butter larger than a small pea remain. Do not overwork the dough. Add in the almonds and ginger and mix thoroughly. Pour about 2/3 cup heavy cream over the dry ingredients, mixing with a fork until a wet but cohesive dough forms. If necessary, add more cream by the tablespoon. Knead a few times with your hands.
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Turn the dough out onto the baking sheet and pat into a round about 3/4-inch thick and 8 inches wide. Brush another tablespoon or so of the saffron cream on top and sprinkle all over with raw sugar. Cut into eight equal wedges, then gently pull the wedges apart to give them room to expand. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until very lightly browned at the edges and no longer soft to the touch. Let cool on the baking sheet. Scones are best if eaten within 24 hours and left uncovered.
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