When I was young, Easter wasn’t complete without matzos with butter, sugar and garden cress – something I still eat around this time of year. In Berlin, the stores and bakeries are filled with chocolate eggs and bunny shaped bread rolls as of early February. Whoever celebrates Easter with a brunch, can’t go without lots of eggs and a thick slice of Easter bread, but you can also try these scones for a change. Sweet, but not too sweet, and festive as well. Bake them a day ahead, if you like, and reheat them in the oven.
Sweet – 12 scones
Action Time: 10 minutes + 15 minutes rest + 10 minutes oven time
1.75 oz/50 g dried cherries
1.75 oz/50 g dried cranberries
17.5 z/500 g plain (spelt)flour
0.7 oz/20 g baking powder
½ tbsp salt
1.75 oz/50 g sugar
2 tbsp vanilla sugar
4.4 oz/125 g cold butter, diced
1 cup/8.5 fl.oz/250 ml warm milk
juice of ½ lemon
beaten egg, for brushing
Extra: round cookie cutter of approx ∅ 2 inch/5 cm, baking tray covered with baking paper
1. Put the dried fruit in a small saucer, cover with just enough water. Bring to a boil and turn off the heat once cooking. Leave the fruit to rest for about 15 minutes until soft. Drain carefully.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°F/220°C. Put the flour, baking powder, salt and sugars in a bowl, mix well. Add the butter and rub it between your fingertips until the mixture resembles small crumbs. Make a well in the mixture, pour in the milk and lemon juice and knead quickly into a soft dough.
3. Sprinkle some flour over your work surface. Place the dough on the work surface, form into a thick 1.5 inch/3 cm flat disk. Cut out rounds using the cookie cutter, use all the dough and knead quickly into a new disk when needed. Brush the scones with the beaten egg.
4. Place the scones with approx 1,5 inch/3 cm space in between on the baking tray: you might want to bake them in 2 batches. Bake them in about 10 minutes until risen and golden. Leave to rest on a rack. Tastes good with jam and cream.