Thailand Scones Recipes

Steps:

• Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Add the diced cold butter and toss with the dry ingredients. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• While the mixture chills, blanch the basil and cilantro. Prepare an ice water bath and bring a small pot of water to a boil. Immerse the basil and cilantro in the boiling water for about 1 minute, and then transfer the herbs to the icy bath.
• In a blender, add 1/4 cup of the coconut puree and the lemon grass and blend until smooth. Next, add another 1/4 cup of the coconut puree, the coconut rape, ginger and kaffir lime leaves and blend until smooth. Finally, add the blanched herbs and the remaining 1/4 cup coconut puree and blend until the mixture turns a light vibrant green. If at any point the mixture feels warm, transfer it to the freezer to cool off; this will keep the herbs from turning brown. Transfer 1/2 cup of this mixture to a small bowl and whisk in the cream.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a heavy-duty mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the chilled dry scone ingredients and diced butter on medium-low speed until the butter has broken down into pea-size pieces. Mix in the coconut flakes, dried mango and crystallized ginger. Next add the green herb-cream mixture in 1/4-cup increments until just incorporated, being careful not to over-mix the dough.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll out 1 1/4 inches thick. Cut into 3 1/2-inch squares, and then cut each square on the diagonal, forming two triangles per square. Place the triangles on a baking sheet. Brush the top of each triangle with the egg wash, and then garnish with a thin layer of coconut rape.
• Bake the scones until golden brown and firm to the touch, 30 to 40 minutes.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Tip the self-raising flour into a large bowl with ¼ tsp salt and the baking powder, then mix.
• Add the butter, then rub in with your fingers until the mix looks like fine crumbs. Stir in the caster sugar.
• Put the milk into a jug and heat in the microwave for about 30 secs until warm, but not hot. Add the vanilla extract and a squeeze of lemon juice, then set aside for a moment.
• Put a baking tray in the oven. Make a well in the dry mix, then add the liquid and combine it quickly with a cutlery knife - it will seem pretty wet at first.
• Scatter some flour onto the work surface and tip the dough out. Dredge the dough and your hands with a little more flour, then fold the dough over 2-3 times until it's a little smoother. Pat into a round about 4cm deep. Take a 5cm cutter (smooth-edged cutters tend to cut more cleanly, giving a better rise) and dip it into some flour. Plunge into the dough, then repeat until you have four scones. You may need to press what's left of the dough back into a round to cut out another four.
• Brush the tops with a beaten egg, then carefully arrange on the hot baking tray. Bake for 10 mins until risen and golden on the top. Eat just warm or cold on the day of baking, generously topped with jam and clotted cream. If freezing, freeze once cool. Defrost, then put in a low oven (about 160C/140C fan/gas 3) for a few minutes to refresh.