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Musical pairing – Brighter Than the Sun by Colbie Caillat
I promised you scones this week and I’m here to deliver with not only white chocolate but I’m also topping these with a Meyer lemon curd . . . you’re quite welcome!
I’ll come back to these little gems in just a moment but first – can we just talk about this crazy weather we’ve all had this year??? What is up with Mother Nature lately? Believe me when I say I’m not complaining about being the recipient of a near snow-less winter (seriously, less than an entire week of maybe 1-2 inches of snow all winter???) And overnight, our daytime temps have reached the 80s already – in March!! What gives? Mother Nature hot flashes? Whatever it is, I’ll take it.
And I’m betting you’ll take a White Chocolate Scone with a dab of Meyer Lemon Curd too, yes? The Meyer lemon curd can be made several days ahead which is a big plus for moi; I usually put together a recipe of scones, bake off two . . . okay four . . . and then freeze the rest on a cookie sheet. Once frozen, I bag them in zippys to bake off whenever the mood hits me – just add an extra 5-7 minutes to the bake time if frozen. One other tip I’ll share is that I no longer cut my scones into rounds; cutting rounds means I handle the dough thus, a warmer dough – which equals a tougher, more dense crumb – not what you’re looking for in a scone. Now I simply roll the dough into a rectangle, then using a bench scraper, cut the dough into squares – and if you want to get all fancy-schmancy, cut your square once again on the diagonal and you’ll have triangles – easy-peasy.
I think these would be perfect on any type of Spring celebration or brunch table – I promise there won’t be any left!
WHITE CHOCOLATE SCONES W/MEYER LEMON CURD
MAKES 8 Large or 16 Small Scones
NOTE: This recipe is a combination of this scone and this curd recipe – the scone recipe also includes a step-by-step short video on the method used and produces the best results – even for beginners!
INGREDIENTS:
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, frozen plus 2 tablespoons melted to brush on scone tops
- 5 ounces good quality White Chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus additional for work surface
- 1/2 cup (3.5 ounces) sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- teaspoon finely grated zest from 1 lemon
METHOD:
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees
- Remove wrapper from frozen butter and, using your grater attachment, process in food processor – you should have 8 tablespoons total; place grated butter in freezer until needed (no need to rinse out bowl). Melt 2 tablespoons of remaining ungrated butter and set aside.
- Whisk together milk and sour cream in medium bowl; refrigerate until needed.
- Add flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pinch of nutmeg, salt, and lemon zest to processor bowl and pulse a few times to ‘whisk’ the dry ingredients. Add frozen butter to flour mixture and pulse a few more times to coat butter pieces.
- Add milk mixture to flour mixture; pulse again until just combined. With rubber spatula, transfer dough to liberally-floured work surface. Dust surface of dough with flour; with floured hands, knead dough 6 to 8 times until it just holds together in ragged ball, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking.
- Roll dough into approximate 12-inch square. Fold dough into thirds like a business letter, using bench scraper or metal spatula to release dough if it sticks to work surface. Lift short ends of dough and fold into thirds again to form approximate 4-inch square. Transfer dough to plate lightly dusted with flour and chill in freezer 5 minutes.
- Transfer dough to floured work surface and roll into approximate 12-inch square again. Sprinkle white chocolate chips evenly over surface of dough, then press down so they are slightly embedded in dough. Using bench scraper or thin metal spatula, loosen dough from work surface. Roll dough, pressing to form tight log. Lay seam side down and press log into 12 by 4-inch rectangle. Using sharp, floured knife, cut rectangle crosswise into 4 equal rectangles. Cut each rectangle diagonally to form 2 triangles and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon sugar. Bake until tops and bottoms are golden brown, 18 to 25 minutes. Transfer scones to wire rack and let cool 10 minutes before serving.
FOR THE CURD:
INGREDIENTS:
- 6 large egg yolks, at room temperature
- 6 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1-1/2 Cups granulated sugar
- 1 Cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons grated Meyer lemon zest (from about 3 Meyer lemons)
- 6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cubed
METHOD:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, eggs, and sugar; whisk in the lemon juice.
- Transfer to a double boiler. Cook over barely simmering water, whisking constantly, until the lemon mixture thickens and reaches 170 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer – about 20 minutes – it should coat the back of a spoon and leave a clean strip when running your finger across
- Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the lemon zest and butter
SMITH BITES NOTE: Meyer lemon curd freezes well and will keep for up to one year – but it doesn’t last that long in our house!
Of course I’ll eat it with a lemon curd. And I looove chocolate. White is a bit too sweet, but in a mix with scones will be just great.
Chocolate and lemon are great together. White chocolate brings an elegance I had not considered before. GREG
I’m not a white chocolate fan, Debra, but I might make an exception here. 🙂 And Meyer lemon curd?? How divine. That slightly bitter tang on Meyer lemons makes the curd even better.
I’d never thought to pair the two, but I can totally see how it could work. It may actually get me to like white chocolate.
I very much like the pairing of white chocolate and Meyer lemons! An exceptional idea!
But then I am very fond of all things citrus. Delightful!
Lemon and white chocolate: a perfect match. White chocolate I often find cloying if not balanced by something sharp or acidic. Perfect! (and yes–the weather has been ridiculous! Even here in the south (NC) it was waaaayy warmer than normal, and we didn’t get any snow at all). Hoping that’s not a sign of a hellish summer ahead)! I also always cut my biscuits/scones in rectangles. No re-rolling, no tough second-rolls, no waste. Nice:)
Can you believe I’ve never had a scone? And I’m half Scottish? These look really good, and they also give me an excuse to replenish my lemon curd. 😉
Jessie ~ you being Scottish and not having eaten a scone gave me a chuckle – don’t know why but there you have it! super easy to make and yes – replenish that lemon curd!
I need a video for your dough folding/rolling technique. I needs it.
And wowzer these look stupendous! Great flavor combo.
Will put together a ‘dough folding/rolling technique’ video soon; hadn’t thought about it so thanks for asking!!
wow. Looks wonderful. It’s very different from the scone recipe I usually do and with all of the milk and sour cream in addition to the butter…?! That’s got to be good! 🙂 thank you thank you thank you! 🙂
Wow! Thank you indeed! 🙂