If you’ve come to know The Careless Cook, you surely recognize he has few rules, but there is One Big One: A recipe is just a suggestion, or if you prefer, a starting point. From my point of view, cooking or baking is not a “be sure to follow the rules” situation, but coming to know your own tastes and the tastes of the folks you’re cooking for. Don’t like their tastes? Cook for someone else!
You can bend the rules with great success, and good examples are vegetarians and vegans. I am neither, but I have stroked recipes this way and that to make everyone feel welcome and still maintain great flavors coming out of the pot and the oven.
But, even when I bend over backwards, I run into situations that make me throw down my apron and walk away. One fellow I know eats little to no vegetables that aren't over cooked until they are soft and tasteless. No salad either. Sorry fella, go fricassee some squirrels.
Another lady I was about to invite for lunch, without even a smile, laid down her rules: If you cook for me, everything MUST be gluten free and fat free! Well, if you think you’re talking to a short order cook, honey, you can kiss my roast beef and suck my French baguette.
But, let’s dispense with bitterness, join The Careless Cook and make his version of tasty scones.
As you probably know, scones are simple baked goods, with few ingredients and absolutely delicious. But, of course the Careless Cook is never satisfied with the norm. So, you may well ask, what are the ingredients and how did The Careless Cook diverge? The usual ingredients are: flour, salt, butter, baking powder, sugar, and heavy cream.
Now let’s get into The Careless Cook's recipe!
Peach & Walnut Scones
Oven set to 450ºF or 230ºC
Ingredients
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup cornmeal (Don’t have or don’t like cornmeal, just skip it and add another ½ cup all purpose flour.)
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup of sugar
2 generous teaspoons baking powder
5 teaspoons butter at room temperature
¾ cup oat milk (or heavy cream, if you prefer) Note: I use full fat Oatly brand and it must be shaken very well before pouring.
1 15oz can of sliced peaches, drained and chopped
1 cup of walnuts, rough chopped
Note: I made this into 20 square scones (a little thiner) because I was feeding the multitudes. Traditionally, scone dough is formed into a circle about an inch thick, then cut into wedges.
Putting It Together
Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the softened butter and use your hands to work the butter in.
Add the walnuts and peaches and mix well. Add the oat milk or heavy cream and mix well again.
Note: If the dough is too soft add a bit more flour; if too heavy, add a little more liquid. But either way, be careful not to end up with liquid dough or a brick.
Heavily dust your counter or board and plop the dough on it. Knead gently into a soft dough and form into a square if you’re feeding a whole flock, or into a round for the traditional way. No matter which you choose, put the scones on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for about 12 minutes if you make fairly thin scones (dough 1/2 inch thick) and up to 15 minutes for thicker (dough 1 inch thick).
Note: Most ovens register a slightly different temperature. My advice is to check the scones after ten minutes and go from there.
When they’re out of the oven, it’s time for champagne if you work the day shift, or coffee if you’ve just come off the night shift.
To make this vegetarian or vegan, substitute faux butter for the regular kind and don’t use heavy cream. But, if your invited guest refuses to eat on the basis of gluten and fat free, offer rice crackers and lukewarm water.
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