RCP: Oatmeal scones

I got this recipe from Southern Living. I like to make scones, and I guarantee this one is a keeper (and it's low in fat).

OATMEAL SCONES

3/4 cup quick cooking oatmeal
1/3 cup sugar
1-3/4 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbs butter
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 egg

Topping

3 Tbs sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1-1/2 Tbs buttermilk
2 Tbs chopped pecans (toast in skillet til slightly golden)

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Bake oats on pan 400F 6 min til toasted.

Combine oats and next 5 ingredients.

Cut in butter til crumbly.

Stir together 2/3 c buttermilk + egg; add to flour mixture; knead slightly.

Shape into 7-1/2 inch circle.

Combine sugar and cinnamon. Brush dough with buttermilk. Sprinkle w/pecans.

Bake 400F 15 min til toothpick in center comes out clean.

(I like to form the dough into a circle, then cut into 8 wedges and separate them before baking.)

[Jenise]

OH my!! I want one for breakfast!!!! (If only I had buttermilk on hand, that would in fact be possible.)

[Robin Garr]

(If only I had buttermilk on hand, that would in fact be possible.)

Got any yogurt? I've used a mix of yogurt and milk to approximate buttermilk, and it works in cornbread at least.

1 Tbsp of lemon juice added to 1 c of milk will curdle it and give it the same flavor as buttermilk (vinegar will also work). This is an acceptable substitute in many recipes.

I usually have some frozen buttermilk, but I ran out. So, I used the lemon juice/milk trick. Works like a champ.

So, I used the lemon juice/milk trick. Works like a champ.

FABULOUS!

[Jenise]

Would have done the lemon/milk thing, but alas I am short in that department too. Vinegar? Yes, I know that works, but I wouldn't put it into a pastry. And yoghurt, no, sorry, good idea but there's none of that here either. I can't wait to try these, but I'll have to wait until next week.

Vinegar? Yes, I know that works, but I wouldn't put it into a pastry.

Actually, you will find vinegar in many pie crust recipes (1 to 2 tsps added to the ice water). It is said to impart a particular flakeyness that you can only get when this ingredient is added. Look up pie crusts on any of our favorite internet food links and I'm certain you will find this. And, yes, vinegar works in pastry too, as unlikely as it may seem!

I sometimes use a little vinegar in pie crust. The reason it makes the dough so flaky is that it breaks up the gluten strands.

[Jenise]

Jo Ann and Larry,

Understood about vinegar in pie crust, it works very well--I'm a fan. But there the pastry flavor is subservient to the bold and tangy flavors of a fruit filling (only kind I make). It blends away, in other words. I'm sure my imagination isn't good enough, but I couldn't picture it blending into a scone.

but I couldn't picture it blending into a scone

If buttermilk, yogurt or lemon juice, why not vinegar? It imparts the same note without the bite that we so often associate with vinegar. (No flavored or harsh vinegars, of course.) And, some vinegars can be quite mild on the palate. Besides, the qty called for does not lend itself to imposition. I have sometimes used vinegar in my cup of tea when I have no lemons in the house, and do not notice much difference, except for the obvious distinction in the flavor imparted by the lemon oil. Try it -- you might be surprised!

[Jenise]

Jo Ann, it was a reasoned reason, just the way I intuitively approach savory foods vs. sweet. As I've said many times before, I'm a cook, not a baker!

'Nuff said! Thx for the discussion.