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In the Oven: Chinese Five Spice Scones

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We’re baking an homage to Chinese New Year next – distinctly American-style scones, with a nod to Chinese flavors. Posting date is January 31!

Chinese Five Spice Scones
 
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Yield: 8 large scones
Ingredients
  • 1⁄3 cup (45 g) sesame seeds
  • 2 cups (255 g) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon plus
  • 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 ounces (1 stick/115 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon (75 ml) well-shaken buttermilk, plus more as needed
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • ¼ cup (60 g) demerara sugar (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium skillet, toast the sesame seeds over medium heat, stirring and flipping, until just starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep stirring for another minute or so. Remove from the pan onto a small plate and set aside to cool.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, five-spice powder, salt, and cooled sesame seeds. Add the butter and use your fingertips (or a pastry cutter) to rub (or cut) it into the flour until the butter pieces are pea-size and the overall mixture looks coarse and pebbly.
  4. Place ¼ cup of the buttermilk into a glass measuring cup or bowl and whisk in the egg yolk. Make a well in the dry ingredients and slowly pour in the wet ingredients. Use a large wooden spoon and stir until just combined; do not overwork the dough. Gently and briefly knead the dough in the bowl with your hands until it just comes together. The dough should be dry but hold its shape. If it feels too dry (i.e., the dough is falling apart), knead in another tablespoon of buttermilk.
  5. Transfer the dough to a very lightly floured surface and pat it into a rough circle slightly under 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. Cut into 8 wedges and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet.
  6. Brush the tops of the scones with a little bit of buttermilk, top each scone with a sprinkle of demerara sugar, if you like, and bake for 16 to 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until the scones just start to brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  7. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and cool for 5 minutes. Serve the scones slightly warm, or let them cool completely directly on the cooling rack; regardless, we like them with a little bit of peanut butter or butter.
Notes
How to store: The scones taste best when eaten within 12 to 24 hours.

In the Oven: Orange Pancakes with Honey Butter

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Our first recipe for September involves no baking – instead, we’re making pancakes! Posting date is September 13.

In the Oven: Orange Pancakes with Honey Butter
 
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Yield: 10 to 12 (6- inch / 15- cm) pancakes
Ingredients
For the Honey Butter
  • 8 ounces (225 g) unsalted high-fat/European-style (cultured) unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes
  • 3 tablespoons clover honey
For the Orange Pancakes
  • 2 cups (255 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup (240 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 cup (230 g) plain full-fat Greek yogurt, strained
  • ½ cup (120 ml) well-shaken buttermilk
  • 4 ounces (1 stick/115 g) plus
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar
  • Zest of 2 oranges (about 3 tablespoons)
Instructions
Make the Honey Butter
  1. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and honey on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 4 minutes. Scrape the honey butter into a ramekin to use immediately with the pancakes. Leftover honey butter should be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 week.
Make the Orange Pancakes
  1. Preheat the oven to 200°F (90°C), if you plan to make all of the pancakes before serving them.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the orange juice, yogurt, buttermilk, 4 ounces (115 g) of the butter, the eggs, sugar, and orange zest.
  4. Make a well in the dry ingredients, pour the wet ingredients into the well, and stir together until just combined.
  5. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Brush the pan with some of the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Add 1⁄3 cup (75 ml) batter to the pan per pancake, cooking until bubbles form on the tops and the pancakes are browned on the bottom. Flip and continue cooking them until they are completely browned on both sides, another minute or so. Continue buttering the pan and making pancakes until all the batter is used.
  6. Serve immediately as the pancakes are made, or keep them in the oven on a heatproof plate just until you’ve cooked them all (don’t leave them in the oven longer). Serve with copious amounts of honey butter.