Recipe: Lemon Berry Scones

Lemon Berry Scones

Happy & Healthy Cooking,

Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills

• crack :

  to break open or apart a food to get what's inside, like an egg or a coconut.

• cream :

  to mix foods together until they become a smooth, uniform blend, like butter and sugar.

• fold :

  to gently and slowly mix a light ingredient into a heavier ingredient so as not to lose air and to keep the mixture tender, such as incorporating whipped egg whites into a cake batter or folding blueberries into pancake batter; folding is a gentler action than mixing or whisking.

• zest :

  to scrape off the outer colored part of a citrus fruit's rind (skin or peel) using a metal tool with small sharp blades, such as a zester, microplane, or the small holes of a grater (avoid the "pith," the white, spongy lining of the rind that can be bitter).

History of Scones!

• Scones (either rhyming with "Jones" or "Johns") are fluffy, buttery quick breads made from wheat or oatmeal that were invented in Scotland. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word "scone" was first mentioned in 1513. Before the mid-1800s, when baking soda and baking powder were invented and later popularized, bakers made scones with burnt seaweed, sour milk, and acidic fruits (such as currants), which acted as the rising agents. The dough was wrapped in cabbage leaves, cooked over hot coals, and later over a griddle on a wood-burning stove. 
• The baking of scones evolved to use baking powder, baking soda, and buttermilk, and they are usually baked in ovens. You can serve sweet or savory scones for breakfast, but you can also have them in the afternoon with tea or coffee. In Britain, they are served daily with the traditional clotted cream for the English tradition of "afternoon tea."
• Some say the word "scone" comes from the Dutch word "schoonbrood," which means clean (or fine, white) bread, while others argue it comes from the town of Scone, where the Kings of Scotland were crowned at the Stone of Destiny.

Let's Learn About Scotland!

• Scotland is a country in Europe, at the northern end of the island of Great Britain, and is part of the United Kingdom, along with England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.  
• Scotland is made up of over 700 islands! These include the Orkney, Shetland, and Hebrides archipelagos (island groups).
• Edinburgh is Scotland's capital city and is famous for Edinburgh Castle. Glasgow is the largest city. 
• Scotland is home to much wildlife, including seals, mountain hare, ptarmigan, stoats, and the golden eagle. 
• The national animal of Scotland is the mythical Unicorn, loved for its purity and strength. 
• The thistle is a national symbol of Scotland!  
• In Scotland, people drive on the left-hand side of the road!  
• Scotland has a unique culture with traditions like bagpipes, kilts, tartans, and highland dancing.
• Two sports invented in Scotland are golf and curling. Golf first appeared in the 15th century and curling in the early 16th century. Scottish settlers to Canada brought curling with them, where it has become very popular.
• Archaeological evidence suggests that the first indoor toilets were possibly built in 3,000 BCE in a Neolithic settlement on Mainland, the largest of the Orkney Islands.
• Scotland was the first country worldwide to educate both boys and girls, beginning in the 17th century.
• Scottish dishes are well-known for their peculiar names: Forfar Bridie (meat pie), Cock-a-leekie (soup), Collops (thin meat slices), Crappit heid (stuffed boiled fish head), Arbroath smokie (smoked haddock), Partan bree (seafood soup), Rumbledethumps (potato, cabbage, and onion dish), and Skirlie (oatmeal side dish).  
• The most infamous Scottish dish is "Haggis," a savory pudding. It is usually made with sheep's 'pluck' (heart, liver, and lungs) that is minced and combined with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, then mixed with stock, and traditionally boiled in a casing of the animal's stomach for about an hour.

What's It Like to Be a Kid in Scotland?

• In addition to Haggis, kids may eat "Neeps and Tatties" (mashed turnips and potatoes). Some popular sweets are Shortbread biscuits (cookies); Scottish Tablet, a medium-hard sugary confection made with sweetened condensed milk, sugar, and butter; and Irn-Bru, a carbonated soft drink.
• Scottish kids may play football (soccer), rugby, curling, golf, tennis, cricket, shinty (similar to field hockey), and ice hockey.
• Scotland is full of places to hike and lochs (lakes) and castles to visit. On the Isle of Skye, Fairy Glen is a popular place for kids to explore. Its name comes from the unusual land formations on the hills. 
• Kids can ride the Harry Potter Train (actually the Jacobite Steam Train) that runs from Fort William to Mallaig in the Scottish Highlands. The train crosses the Glenfinnan Viaduct, which was seen in a Harry Potter movie when the Hogwarts Express crosses it.