Fig And Fennel Scones Recipes

Steps:

• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Whisk together buttermilk, syrup, and 1/2 cup cream in a small bowl. Mix together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment at low speed (or whisk in a large bowl) until combined. Add butter and mix (or blend with your fingertips or a pastry blender) until mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Mix in figs, then add buttermilk mixture and mix until just combined. (Do not overmix.)
• Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper and drop 10 (1/4-cup) mounds of batter onto each sheet, leaving 1 inch between mounds.
• Whisk together yolks and remaining 2 tablespoons cream, then brush over tops of scones (use all of egg wash).
• Bake, switching position of baking sheets halfway through baking, until scones are puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes total.
• Transfer to a rack and cool to warm.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, cake flour, sugar, baking powder, fennel and salt; whisk to combine. Add the cold butter to the flour mixture. Press and work the butter into the flour with your hands until the mixture has a shaggy texture and the butter pieces are no larger than peas.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, orange zest and egg yolk. Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and fold together with a rubber spatula. Continue to gently fold the dough until it just comes together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, making sure to scrape out all the contents of the bowl. Lightly knead the dough together until the ingredients are evenly incorporated and the dough is smooth. Using your hands, press the dough into an 18-by-3 3/4-inch rectangle. Cut the dough in half lengthwise using a bench scraper, so you have 2 long rectangles. Next, cut the dough every 3 inches crosswise, creating 12 small rectangles. Cut each small rectangle in half diagonally. This will give you 24 scones in the shape of a triangle.
• Place the scones on the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 1 1/2 inches between each. Brush the tops with the egg white. Bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through cooking, until the tops and bottoms are golden brown, 16 to 18 minutes. Let cool about 5 minutes. Serve warm with creme fraiche and jam.

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a 10-inch saute pan. Add the onions and fennel and saute for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Stir in the vinegar, tomatoes, figs, and brown sugar, stirring to coat everything with the tomatoes. Stir in the capers, olives, orange zest, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until thickened. Stir in the orange juice and parsley. Taste for seasonings; the caponata should be very highly seasoned. Serve the caponata warm or at room temperature with slices of grilled bread.

Steps:

• To make the dough, mix the yeast in a small bowl with 2 tbsp warm water and 1 tbsp strong white flour. Leave somewhere warm to 'sponge' for 20 mins or so (this dissolves and activates the yeast). Tip the three flours into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour in the sponged yeast, 1 tsp salt, sugar, oil and 290ml warm water, and mix to form a wet dough. Knead for 10 mins until satiny and elastic, then put in a clean bowl, cover with a cloth and leave to double in size for 2 1/2 - 3 hrs.
• Quarter the fennel bulb lengthways and remove any tough outer leaves. Trim the base of each, thinly slice with a knife or mandolin, then put in a bowl with the lemon juice so it doesn't turn brown.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onions and a pinch of salt, and fry over a medium heat for 7 mins. Add 1-2 tbsp of water, season with pepper, cover and cook on a low heat for 10 mins until softened. Add most of the fennel, along with the fennel seeds and seasoning, and cook for 3 mins, stirring every so often. If the mixture is still wet, uncover and bubble off any liquid.
• An hour before cooking, heat the oven to its highest setting and put a baking sheet or pizza stone in to heat. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface, knead it a little, then halve and roll each piece into a circle or rough square. Lift the dough and, while rotating, stretch with your fingertips until each piece is 30-32cm across and as thin as possible with a slightly thicker edge.
• Sprinkle two large baking sheets with semolina and put the pizza bases on them. Top each base with the cooked onion and fennel mix, then the pieces of raw fennel, leaving a 3cm border. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Put the halved figs on top and spoon on a little balsamic vinegar and a sprinkle of sugar. Grind over some pepper. Carefully slide the first pizza onto the heated baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 8-12 mins until the dough is golden and the figs caramelised. Halfway through the cooking time, dot the pizza with the cheese. Scatter on the toasted hazelnuts and any reserved fennel fronds. Repeat with the second pizza.