Welcome to The Good Food Column! When theHumm heard that Petra Graber was stepping back from The Good Food Co. — a café that we had been frequenting almost as long as we have been running the paper — we decided that a semi-regular column would be a perfect way for readers (and hungry GFC fans) to get a taste of Petra’s signature dishes. If you have a particular hankering for one of her recipes, email editor@thehumm.com and we’ll pass on the request!
When I opened my cafe in 1997, scones were not a common offering in the Ottawa Valley — “Texas-sized” muffins were all the rage. The Good Food Co. scones were really more of a tea biscuit recipe, with extra butter and buttermilk. We experimented a lot with different flavour combinations!
Sweet Scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
⅓ cup white sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, cold
⅔ cup sliced fruit
½ teaspoon extract/spices/citrus zest
1 cup buttermilk — approximate measure!
Flavour suggestions: blueberry + lemon zest; apple + cinnamon; strawberry + ginger; peach + vanilla + pecans; blackberry + orange; raspberry + cardamom. Enjoy!
- Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices and/or zest if using
- Cut in or grate butter into flour mixture and toss with fork
- Mix in fruit
- Slowly add buttermilk while stirring with fork until dough starts to come together — turn out onto work surface and drizzle more buttermilk while mixing with your hands until a workable dough forms; do not add too much buttermilk to start with or the dough will be too soft and wet — the amount needed will vary depending on how wet your fruit is
- Form into circle approx. 1-½ inches thick
- Cut into 8 wedges (like a pie) and distribute evenly on silicone mat or lightly greased cookie sheet (dough can also be cut into smaller rounds with a biscuit cutter)
- Bake at 375°F for 12 to 15 minutes, depending on type of oven used