Cook the Book
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[Photograph: Oof Verschuren]

Not much beats a warm scone slathered with butter and marmalade—flaky, rich, and sticky—for a breakfast treat. In Home Made Winter, Yvette van Boven takes this breakfast staple and adds her own funky twists. Instead of simply adding the orange marmalade to the hot scones at the table, she incorporates the preserve into the dough as well as a bright glaze and creamy mascarpone-orange cream. The marmalade's bittersweet flavor is complemented by the richness of the butter and cream, and its floral character is amplified by a generous dose of ground cardamom throughout.

Never mind that these Irish scones look much more like our American biscuits. They're wonderful just the same.

Why I picked this recipe: Scones and marmalade are natural companions on the breakfast table; why not combine the two?

What worked: Everything, from the scone dough to the orange glaze to the heavenly mascarpone cream, was spot on.

What didn't: I was able to eke out closer to 16 scones from the dough, but this was not really a problem.

Suggested tweaks: It would be easy to swap out the orange marmalade for another preserve if you'd like; stick to something on the lower end of the sugar spectrum, though. I'd also image that the scones would freeze well before baking (I had too many mouths to feed to try out this trick). Bake a few minutes longer, straight from the freezer.

Reprinted with permission from Home Made Winter by Yvette van Boven, copyright 2012. Published by Stewart, Tabori, & Chang. All rights reserved. Available wherever books are sold.

About This Recipe

Yield: makes about 12 scones
Active time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

  • For the Scones
  • 4 cups (500 g) self-rising flour
  • 3 tablespoons superfine sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 3 tablespoons (40 g) butter
  • 1 cup (250 ml) milk
  • 3 tablespoons (65 g) marmalade
  • 1 tsp freshly ground cardamom seeds
  •  
  • For the Glaze
  • 1/4 cup (85 g) marmalade
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom seeds
  • Grated zest of 1 orange
  •  
  • For the Mascarpone Cream
  • 1 tablespoon orange blossom water
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon (250 g) mascarpone

Procedures

  1. Make the scones: Sift the flour, sugar, and salt into a bowl. Cut the butter into small chunks and add it to the flour mixture; use a fork to work the mixture into a crumbly dough. Add the milk, marmalade, and cardamom. Work the mixture quickly and lightly into a smooth dough. Don't knead too long or the scones will be tough.

  2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 3/4-inch (2-cm) thick. With a cutter or drinking glass, cut 1 1/2-inch (6-cm) rounds. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Reroll the scraps and cut more rounds.

  3. Let the scones stand for 15 minutes before baking, or make them the night before and let them rest in a cool spot.

  4. Preheat the oven to 450°F (240°C). That's hot! Bake the scones for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown.

  5. Make the glaze: In a saucepan, heat the marmalade with 2 tbsp water, stir in the cardamom, then press the mixture through a sieve into a bowl. Brush the scones with the syrup and sprinkle them with the orange zest.

  6. Make the cream: Fold the orange blossom water and honey into the mascarpone and whip until airy. Serve the scones with the mascarpone cream.