Back in Buenos Aires, there is a little panaderia called La Estrella de la Plata (The Silver Star). It just so happened to be around the corner from our very first apartment. And then a block from our second…and then four blocks from our third (and final). So, I remained loyal. Because they made some damn good facturas. But really because of Fridays.
You see, on Fridays, they make these RIDICULOUS scones. And you need to get them on Friday (or Saturday morning at the absolute latest) because once they’re gone, they’re gone. Til next week. But that’s a long time to wait for one of these scones, friends. Dense, crumbly, buttery, nutty, powdered sugary…perfection. And ever since we left Argentina, I’ve been trying to recreate this scone. I’m still not there, but I’m getting closer, so I thought I’d share my progress.
I first tried to use a recipe that called for less butter than I imagine they used. I really don’t know what I was thinking. You can’t skimp on the butter in a scone recipe. Well, certainly not this one.
I tried buttermilk. Not right. It needs the fat found in good old fashioned cream. And sugar. Scones aren’t always meant to be really sweet. But, here’s the thing. Argentines like their sugar. That’s just how they roll. And these scones are sweet. So, sugar’s got to be more than a hint. And I’m not talking about the dusting of powdered sugar on top. No, that’s a whole separate sugar issue. Also required.
And walnuts. They need to be in there as well. They are that bit of crunch that complements the butter-ladened denseness you’ve just sunk your teeth into.
So that’s where I’m at. And this is where it’s at. Have at it.
NOTE: The first photo is of the panaderia’s scones (they only had one powdered sugar scone left that day but you cannot just buy one). The last photo is my most recent approximation. Still not crumbly enough. Sigh.
If you’ve got any tips, please share. I’m getting a little desperate. Like get-on-a-plane-and-fly-for-12-hours-to-get-the-perfect-scone desperate.
Scones
Adapted from Julia Child’s Baking with Julia
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and chilled
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Powdered sugar for dusting
Preheat oven to 425ºF/220ºC.
Combine the dry ingredients (flour through salt) in a bowl or bowl of a food processor. Mix in the butter with a pastry cutter or pulse in the processor until the mixture resembles a very coarse cornmeal. It’s okay if you have little pieces of butter in there. That’s what’s going to make the scones nice and flaky.
Add the cream (holding back a bit) and stir with a fork just til the mixture comes together to make a rough, crumbly dough. Add more cream if it’s too dry. You want it to form a ball, but not be too wet. And don’t overmix!
Don’t forget to add the nuts like I did (and then be forced to push them into the dough rather haphazardly. Not recommended.).
Gather it up into a ball, scooping up all those crumbly bits hanging around the bowl and toss it onto a floured board or marble countertop. You only need to knead it (ha) about a dozen times. Roll it out to a thickness of 1/2″ and use either a biscuit cutter or a glass about 2-1/2″ in diameter to cut out the scones. You’ll need to gather up the scraps and re-roll and cut a few times. You can also divide the dough in half and roll 7″ circles and cut those into wedges (6 per circle). But then you wouldn’t be making my panaderia’s scones and why wouldn’t you want to do that? Don’t be ridiculous.
At this point, you can pop them onto a sheet pan and stick them in the freezer until they’re frozen. Then individually wrap and bag them and they’ll keep for, well, however long you can stand to have frozen scones sitting in your freezer.
To bake straight away, put the scones onto an ungreased sheet pan and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the tops and bottoms are golden brown. Remove from the oven, let cool briefly, then sift powdered sugar over the tops of each scone. Just bake off as many as you plan to eat (bonus points if you go for the whole batch). Unlike revenge, they really are not a dish best served cold.
