07.26.09

A New Approach to a Tradition…

Posted in Chocolate, Dessert, Hazelnut at 10:15 am by cecilia

I was wandering around a specialty food store the other day and noticed some hazelnut flour on the shelf. What can I do with it? I wonder.

The first thought that came to mind was the 60-year-old hazelnut “Supercrema”, later renamed by the Ferrero family to Nutella. The combination of hazelnut and chocolate makes my knees weak and my stomach sing. Before I left this store, I found myself with the hazelnut flour in one hand, and some chocolate chips and dried currants in the other. 24 hours later, I made something I don’t normally find at any bakery. Developing this new recipe approach made me happy.

I must admit, I like my scones a little on the dark side. When baked fresh, it’s crunchy on the outside, and flaky and soft inside which is how I like it.  It was without a doubt a nice treat for a 4pm afternoon tea, like what the Scots started and the English have been enjoying. But I bet they haven’t had this particular flavor of scones before. If you can find hazelnut flour in your local stores, this will be worth a try. Note that if you like your scones flaky, use a light hand and make sure the butter is cold and straight from the refrigerator. Do not over-mix the batter. I used a non-refined cane sugar called Sucanat (which stands for Sugar Cane Natural) for the topping. You can substitute it with a grainy brown sugar if you prefer.

As always, I’d love to hear about what you think. Your comment at the end of this post will be greatly appreciated. Enjoy!

Hazelnut Scones with Currants and Chocolate Chips

Makes 8 large or 16 mini scones     (Printable Version Here)

Ingredients

• 1 cup hazelnut meal/flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
• 3/4 cup heavy cream, plus 2 Tbsp for brushing
• 1/2 cup dried currants
• 1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1-2 Tbsp of sucanat for topping

1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a bowl, combine the 2 kinds of flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
4. Add the cold butter. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut the butter in the dry ingredients until pea-size crumbs form.
5. Stir in the dried currants.
6. Pour in 3/4 cup of the heavy cream and incorporate it until all the ingredients are just moistened.
7. Turn the dough onto a piece of parchment paper. If making mini scones, divide the dough into 2 portions. Otherwise, use the entire dough.
8. Press the dough gently together until it forms a ball.
9. Place another piece of parchment paper on top. Using a rolling pin, lightly roll the dough into a evenly round disk about 1/2 inch (12mm) thick.
10. Using a knife, cut the round disk into 8 wedges.
11. Place the wedges 1 inch (2.5cm) apart on the baking sheet with parchment paper.
12. Top the wedges with chocolate chips.
13. Using a pastry brush, coat the wedges with the remaining 2 Tbsp heavy cream.
14. Sprinkle the sucanat evenly on the wedges.
15. Bake the scones for about 12-15 minutes depending on your oven, until they turn golden brown.
16. Transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm.

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