Buttermilk Scones with Plum Jam

Some pairings are just meant to be. Calvin and Hobbes, Batman and Robin, Cain and Abel, Taylor and Burton, Popeye and Olive Oyl, Pav and Bhaji, Bennett and Darcy, Fish and Chips, Tom and Jerry, Yuri and Lara, Vanilla Ice-cream and Chocolate Sauce, Asterix and Obelix, Gin and Tonic, Yin and Yang and so on. Well, add one more to the list .. Scones and Jam!!

This is a post that should have come up a few weeks back. I first made a batch of these scones, the day after I made my jar of plum jam. They were so good that we finished them before I had a chance to photograph them. So, I finally got round to making a second batch yesterday before the jam ran out.

These scones are along the lines of British scones. They are made even lighter by the use of buttermilk rather than the more traditional option of cream. Also, these are not sweet scones but plain ones with a hint of salt. I prefer that the sweetness come from the jam alone.

The final product is light and moist at the same time. According to the 'Hairy Bikers', the hallmark of a good scone is that you can pull it apart without any resistance rather than cutting them in half. The scones from this recipe pass that test with full marks. And that plum jam, I have already introduced to you earlier, is just perfect, even if it's me saying so!!

These scones are best served warm, just out of the oven. I had them with just some jam but you could have them with some butter and jam. And since these are not sweet, you can even add some herbs to the mix and they would be excellent with some soup.

This takes 15 minutes to put together and another 15 minutes in the oven. So, in thirty minutes, you have a delightful tea-time treat.

Now, how 'bout you tell me, some of your favourite pairings?? 

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Buttermilk Scones with Plum Jam

Recipe from the book, "Complete Baking" by Martha Day

makes six 2-inch scones

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup plain flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon soda bi-carb
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
• 90 mls buttermilk 

 

Cooking Directions:

• Pre-heat the oven to 220 deg C. Grease a baking sheet.
• Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
• Gradually pour in the buttermilk into the flour mixture, stirring with a fork to form a soft dough.
• Roll out the dough until about 1/2-inch thick. Stamp out rounds with a 2-inch biscuit cutter.
• Place on the baking sheet and bake until golden, 12-15 minutes.
• If you like a deeper colour on your scones, 4-5 minutes before you take them out, you can glaze the scones with some milk.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

Plum Jam

Ingredients

• 2 cups plums, pitted and chopped
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Cooking Directions

• Combine the plums and sugar in a bowl and allow it to rest for a while. Do chop the skin of the plums because the skin will not break down during the cooking process.
• Mash lightly and cook in a saucepan over a slow flame till the mixture is syrupy. If using jam thermometer, then heat the syrup until it reaches 220 deg F.
• Cool completely, add the lemon juice and store refrigerated in a clean bottle.