Don’t get me wrong – I love to cook. I love planning menus and the thrill of getting food on the table in time for dinner, or maybe not in time, which often happens, and eating it at 10pm instead. But my real true love in the kitchen is baking, as evidenced by the golden photo I have included at the bottom of this post for your viewing pleasure. Growing up, I had approximately zero interest in helping my mother make dinner, but was always up for a baking project. Baking, you see, is magic – I mean, it’s science, but as an adult, pulling out a tray of perfect scones from the oven still makes me gasp in wonder.
The one problem with baking, if there were to be one, is that it requires precision, because, again, science. But that’s hard to do using cups and spoons and different flour and different ovens. And as a result, sometimes the outcome is not so magical – dry cupcakes, cookies that have melded together on the baking sheet, cakes that have not quite risen. It’s frustrating, to say the least. Which is why the Bouchon Bakery cookbook, responsible for previous treats such as Cinnamon Honey Scones and Chocolate Chip and Chunk Cookies, is my absolute favorite baking book, ever. You put together the entire recipe using a scale, weighing everything in grams. You use the exact sized ice cream scoop Keller tells you to for scooping out the dough, and then you weigh your scones to make sure they are 72 grams each. When they are, you pop them in the oven, and 32 minutes later you will remove perfect scones. You will, because it’s science.
Your scones will have all browned evenly, because they are exactly the same size. They won’t be touching each other on the pan. You’ll glaze them, and once they’ve cooled a bit you’ll give them a taste. They’ll be filled with plump cherries and bits of chocolate chips, but not too sweet because there’s no sugar in the dough. Most importantly, they’ll be perfectly baked, with just the right crumb crumb – a little bit sandy, just as a scone should be, but never dry. Just the thing to eat alongside coffee or tea. Or for breakfast. Or for dessert.
You may read this and balk because it sounds like a drag. But I promise you, it’s not. It’s just as fun to bake on the scale, and trust me, it’s even more fun when your baked goods astound you with how delicious they are. It takes the guesswork out of baking, which makes the result – and even the process – that much more enjoyable. I consider myself a convert since my days of “helping” in the kitchen in a pair of overalls and impossibly crooked bangs – give it a shot, and you may have some bakery-worthy goods in your very near future!
A quick heads up about this recipe – make sure you plan ahead, because the cherries need to macerate overnight!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (118g) water
- 1/2 cup + 1 1/4 teaspoons (105g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons (20g) kirsch (optional)
- 1/4 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (105g) dried tart cherries
- 2 1/4 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (332g)
- 1 3/8 teaspoons (6.5g) baking powder
- 3/4 + 1/8 teaspoon (4.5g) baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon (2.2g) Kosher salt
- 4.7oz. (133g) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 3/4 cup (178g) heavy cream
- 1/2 cup (105g) chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (100g) powdered sugar
- 2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons (45 to 50g) reserved strained cherry syrup
- 2 tablespoons (30g) heavy cream
Instructions
- First, make the cherries. Combine the water, sugar and kirsch, if using, in a small saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add the seeds and pod to the pan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Stir in the cherries and return to a simmer, then remove from the heat and let cool.
- Transfer the cherries and their liquid to a covered container and refrigerate overnight.
- To make the scones, set a fine-mesh strainer over a measuring cup and drain the cherries. Reserve 50g/3 tablespoons of the liquid for the glaze.
- Place the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer and sift in the baking powder and baking soda. Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment, add the salt and mix on the lowest setting for about 15 seconds to combine. Stop the mixer, add the butter, and pulse on the lowest setting to begin incorporating the butter. Increase the speed to low and mix for about 3 minutes to break up and incorporate the butter. If any large pieces of butter remain, stop the mixer, break them up by hand and mix until just incorporated.
- With the mixer running, slowly pour in the cream and mix for about 30 seconds, until all of the dry ingredients are moistened and the dough comes together around the paddle. Add the drained cherries and the chocolate chips and pulse on low speed to incorporate. Transfer the dough to a covered container and refrigerate for about 2 hours, until firm.
- Line a sheet pan with a Silpat or parchment paper. Using a 2 1/2-inch (#10) ice cream scoop, divide the dough into 12 equal portions (72g each) and arrange on the sheet pan, leaving space between them. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until solid, at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight. (The scones can remain in the freezer for up to 1 month.)
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (convection) or 350°F (standard). Line a sheet pan with a SIlpat or parchment paper.
- Arrange the frozen scones 1 inch apart on the sheet pan. Bake for 20 to 23 minutes in a convection oven, 32 to 35 minutes in a standard oven, until golden brown.
- Meanwhile, make the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar and 45g/2 1/2 tablespoons of the reserved cherry syrup in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the cream. Add additional syrup if needed to maintain the consistency of a glaze. When the scones are baked, set the sheet pan on a cooling rack and immediately brush them with the glaze. Cool completely.
- The scones are best the day they are baked, but they can be stored in a covered container for 1 day.
Notes
From Bouchon Bakery
