Cranberry Scones

After an hour of sloughing my hands in doughy dough, I've finally produced what I can confidently say (at least at this point of time), one of my finer works of art (culinarily speaking) - Cranberry Scones!

My fascination, desire and love for scones originated during internship in Australia. I had them for breakfast and they were so scrummy and delicious and soft. Basically a carbohydrate-fueled rush of pure pleasure. So once I got my oven, I decided that I just had to have scones, and what was more, I couldn't find scones here in Singapore, which is a tad scandalizing. I wanted to ask the bakers at Bakerzin if they know how to make scones, but I figured I'd end up more confused in translation. Besides, they told me they use only flour imported from France, called Type 55 Flour & using other flour to make the artisan breads would produce breads with different textures and taste.

Plus, I don't think they're allowed to reveal the receipe. Which isn't fair if you ask me because I'm part of the Bakerzin family aren't I? My secrets are your secrets, that kinda thing? Whatever.

Anyway, the original recipe for the scones called for dried apricots being mixed inside as well, but I didn't buy those so I just added an extra serving of dried cranberries in place of it. I woke up in the morning, all set to begin baking and send an air of baked bread permeating the house, but realized with dismay that I had no yoghurt or eggs. So I rushed to the convenience store to grab them.

Mixing the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients together was easy, but the challenging part as kneading and rolling the dough into the shapes of balls that would eventually rise to become the delicate scones I so love. The batter was, due to lack of a batter term, waxy and glutinous. Bits of batter was stuck to my fingers and I just couldn't rub them off, like candle wax. Unlike cookie batter, which has a softer and firmer consisteny and very easy to cut and knead.

It took me about 15 minutes to seperate the dough into 5 individual balls of batter. Again, the recipe said 4, but each one would have been huge! So I split them into 5 and stuck them into the oven for 15 minutes. The worst thing about baking is waiting for the goods to come out. I hate waiting, and never have been good at it. So in anticipattion of the birth of my scones, I bustled off to wash up my utensils and equipment. It gives me such joy washing and cleaning up the kitchen; wiping the mixing bowl free off batter, sweepeing flour off the granite table like fallen pixie dust. Moreover, I like the idea of bringing fresh yummy smelling goods into a world that's sparkling clean so I can enjoy it with a peace of mind without having to worry about the mess in front of me and prevent me from enjoying my fruits of labour.

So finally 15 minutes later, which felt like such an awful long long time, the timer rang and I launched myself at the oven, yanked the oven door open and slid the tray with my 5 babies out and onto the table, smelling so crisp and full of goodness.