A Welcome Change

I spoke to a few people this past weekend who could not sleep Saturday evening. I was sleepless, not something that happens often... Was it the blue moon? That seemed to be the popular possibility. After finally catching a few hours in the very early morning, Sunday, we woke up hungry. I scrambled eggs with cheddar and set out coffee and fruit for some tasty fuel. Then, I decided that the whim of making a slab scone, something on mind for awhile, was ripe to occur, so I rolled out scone dough instead of cutting it, and tucked it up like a sleeping bag around a layer of Damson plum preserves. With each fold I hoped I was bringing luck to that night's sleep, and thankfully, it was a good one, especially since we woke up to these today.

The slab puffed in the oven, and cooled on the sheet pan. Before we left the house for a drive down to see family, I sliced a few triangles off and took it for the ride with us. A slab scone isn't that different from a regular scone, after all, but is a welcome change. It's a typical dough, an eggless dough. just dry enough to be rolled and folded. I kept the slab under a cake dome overnight and sliced off slivers the next day. They rewarm for a few minutes beautifully. Serve with soft butter and extra jam. Yum.

"Slab" Scone with Jam

2/3 cup half and half, or half heavy cream, half milk, plus more for brushing
1 cup/125 grams all-purpose flour
1 cup/ 120 grams whole spelt (or whole wheat pastry) flour
1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp orange zest
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 tsp cardamom or ginger or cinnamon (I used cardamom)
5 tablespoons / 60 grams  unsalted butter, cold, in 1/4″ dice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3-1/2 cup Jam, chilled, plus more for serving
coarse sugar and flaked almonds for sprinkling

Heat the oven to 400. In a large bowl, combine sugar and zest until moist and fragrant. Add flours, salt, spice, baking powder and whisk well. 

In a pitcher mix vanilla with milk/cream mix, keep chilled. Work cold butter into flower with  a snapping motion, tossing as you go, until coarse and shaggy, with butter flakes no larger than peas.

Make a well in center, add milk mix and stir to form a dough, gently as it starts to hold together. Dump dough onto a bench and gather into a mound, folding it over itself. On parchment, begin to gently roll dough into a 12 x 9 rectangle to 3/8 inch thick, and spread jam into the center. Fold one side in, then the other, like a book. Brush with cream and sprinkle with sugar, almonds, and bake 25-30 minutes until bubbly and golden and firm to touch. 

Let cool and slice.


More Jammy Scones...

Buckwheat Jam Scones
Rye Jam Scones
Almond flour Jam Scones