Breakfast at Albion Manor Victoria BC Bed and Breakfast

Albion Manor Scones

 

Much thanks to Deborah Zimmer who finally gave me the kicking to get this done.

When we first bought the Manor, I was really worried about the scones. It seemed that every bnb had exactly the perfect recipe for scones and the reputation of the bnb would be destroyed if they were not perfect. So I fretted about following a recipe and getting the amount just exactly right. But then you find that your blood pressure has gone up and you're starting to twitch and you've thrown a pot at one of the guests. And all because you might have put in a bit too little or too much flour or not quite enough baking powder. This recipe has evolved to the point where everyone, the guests and I, can just relax and do it.

 

 

3 1/3 cups flour exactly (I run a knive across the top of the scoup to get a level measure)

½ cup sugar (a bit more is okay)

3 tsp baking powder (more or less, but I usually use a bit more)

¾ tsp baking soda

¾ tsp salt

300 grams ( 10 ½ ounces or 1 ¼ cups) of really good quality margarine (or you can use butter, but we try to make healthy choices, don't we)

 

7/8 cups of liquid of which
1 ½ to 2 ½  tbsp almond extract and make up the rest with
buttermilk
1 egg

 

Mix well I put the almond extract into the measuring cup and then top up to 7/8 with the buttermilk.  Note: all almond extract is not created equal.  I used to get a brand for which I needed only 1 ½ tbsp; tbsp.  However this is not always available and the brand I now get requires 2 ½ tbsp.  You will have to play with this a bit, but start with 1 ½ tbsp.

Mix the dry things together. I use a Chinese seive (one of those things that they use to scoup things out of the wok) to mix all the ingredients together. Then add the marg to make a piecrust-like dough I use an electric mixer.  Then add the liquid ingredients.  Add whatever else you want to add: pecans, currents, cranberries, ginger, about a handful.   I have started to using orange rind, juice and chocolate chips.  I don’t use raisins- too common: doesn't impress the guests. 

This is when you have to think a bit. If the dough is way too sticky, mix in a bit more flour. Carefully- the dough will be a bit sticky, but you should be able to get it out of the bowl. You can't add more liquid and you musn't overwork the dough. Sprinkle a bit of flour onto a surface and press out the dough.  Don’t work it too much.  Use your cooker cutter, any shape, or a glass with straight sides, dipping it into flour between each use and put the scones on a baking tray. Brush with a beaten egg.  Bake at 400 degrees for 16, 17, 18 minutes, depends on your oven.  Well, it doesn't depend on your oven, it depends on MY oven which will one day leave them as uncooked gobs of dough after 20 minutes and the next day turn out charrred chunks of rock after 12.

The latest addition is to dip sugar cubes into orange juice and press them into the top just before putting them in the oven which I got from some magazine I think but I can't remember which one. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Albion Manor Bed and Breakfast
224 Superior Street
Victoria, BC, V8V 1T3 Canada
(250) 389-0012
www.albionmanor.com