Brunch; Lessons Learned

[xela]

Had a small but delightfully conversational turn-out for brunch. (Which I have decided to start doing regularly again, probably on a bi-monthly schedule; watch this space for details.)

Lessons learned:

• Two years ago, when I translated my scone recipe from English measures to metric (and switched the dry ingredients from volumes to weights), I also calculated it at three scales: small (which was double the recipe I'd originally started with), medium (triple the original), and large (4.5x). Today for the first time I actually tried the large — and once I saw all the dry ingredients (plus butter) in my KitchenAid's mixing bowl, decided that maybe it's too large: I might have been able to mix and knead it without getting dough all over the counter. But then again, I might not. (I'll probably actually try it some day — but one of those days I'm ahead of schedule, rather than one, like today, where I'm mixing the dough as the first guests arrive. As it was, I just divided the dry ingredients in half and made the dough in two batches. Since the large version of the recipe calls for 5 eggs, I ended up using an extra half-egg per half-batch, which leads to the next lesson.)
• Adding more egg just makes for fluffier scones, and has no downside I can see.
• Fewer than a dozen of my friends can devour a large batch of scones. And a jar-and-a-half of jam, and a quarter pound of butter. And three pounds of sausage.
• Next time, lay in more provisions.

Comments

[earthling177.livejournal.com]

Well, it's not our fault, really -- they were delicious, we had to eat them... ;-)

Thank you for the lovely brunch, it was very yummy!

One trick that I've recently learned, if you are using eggs in liquid form, it's easy to use half an egg, particularly if you can just whisk the entire thing, although it's also possible to separate the yolk and white and use half of each too.

[coraline]

sorry i missed it, but glad it was so successful!

mmm, scones.

[motodraconis.livejournal.com]

You ate scones without clotted cream? Nooooo!

Come to think of it, can you source real (Devon-style) clotted cream where you are? It has a unique texture and flavour and is unbeatable on scones with jam. If you can find it you must try it!

[sammason.livejournal.com]

I agree :-) Except that it's a Cornish tradition originally, not a Devonshire one. Why this fabulous recipe didn't just get invented everywhere is anybody's guess. I had a taste of Watson's scone, with raspberry jam and clotted cream yesterday. This is what she always orders when it's on the menu and oh my goodness, yum yum!

yakshaver, your scones are evidently different from ours. I'd never put egg into the dough. But I bet yours are delicious and if you can get clotted cream I'm sure it would go well on top.

[yakshaver.livejournal.com]

Early on I thought I had screwed up the recipe somehow: chopping-in the butter went very quickly, and the resultant dry ingredients + butter mixture had a much finer granularity than I usually get.* So I was watching very carefully how that first batch was received — and noticed how the scones forced themselves upon you....

I thought about pouring off half-an-egg's worth after beating the eggs and before adding the milk. But decided not to bother.

Thank you for coming; I hope to see you both again soon.

---

* I now think that's a consequence of having a much colder freezer than I've had before.

[fredrickegerman.livejournal.com]

Sorry I missed it, I got busy in the morning...