Giada’s Strawberry Rosemary Scones
In February of this year, we had a long weekend in Las Vegas with another couple. Our kids stayed back in Calgary together with a babysitter. It was a weekend of indulgent food and shopping. None of the four of us gamble, but we all agree on eating well and nice hotels.
One of our favourite meals was Sunday Brunch at Giada’s in the Cromwell Hotel, that’s Giada De Laurentiis, the gorgeous TV presenter, chef, and author from Food Network. It’s quite unlike many of the other casino restaurants, Giada’s is full of natural light, the furnishings are neutral and relaxing. Giada’s (opened in 2014) is also one of the very rare female owned restaurants in Las Vegas.
In the fresh pastry selection ($10), my absolute favourite were the strawberry rosemary scones. The texture of these are soft and light, not dry like a scone from Starbucks. To me, it’s kind of a combination between a scone and cookie. The chopped rosemary adds a wonderful aromatic, and with only a 1/2 cup sugar, the pastry is lightly sweet. The little drop of strawberry jam adds colour and acidity. Just like the restaurant, I added Turbinado sugar on the outside of the scone for a delightful crunch. It’s not as fast to make as a drop chocolate chip cookie, but they’re a bit more sophisticated and perfect for an afternoon tea or a gift to friends.
As soon as I came home, I looked for the recipe. The recipe online didn’t appear exactly as we had in the restaurant at the final shaping stage, so here is my adapted version below which were more like the restaurant. This recipe makes around 24 pieces.
Ingredients 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting 1/2 cup sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary leaves (fresh or dried works fine) 6 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I always bake with salted, but unsalted is fine, just add 1/4 tsp salt) 1 cup heavy cream 1/3 cup strawberry jam
1/2 cup coarse sugar in the raw (crunchy) for coating, also called Turbinado sugar
Equipment needed
Large baking tray
Parchment paper
Stand mixer
Method
For the scones: Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, rosemary, salt, and butter until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Switch to the pastry or dough hook and stir in the cream until the mixture forms a dough. Remove it from the bowl and and do a few kneads to pull it all together. Rest it for a few minutes.
While dough is resting, prepare a small bowl with the Turbinado sugar to roll the dough in.
Now form the cookies. Scoop a heaping Tablespoon of the dough and roll them into smooth balls. Then press an indent in the center of each, I used a 1/2 teaspoon to make the indent.
Once these are shaped, now gently roll the top and sides of each cookie in the Turbinado sugar.
Place each cookie well spaced apart about 2 inches because they spread during cooking.
Spoon a 1/2 teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and lightly browned on the bottoms. Transfer the cookies onto a wire rack and cool for 30 minutes.
Cook's Note: The dough can also be made by hand by stirring together the flour, sugar, baking powder, rosemary, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter. Using your fingertips or a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Gradually stir in the cream until the mixture forms a dough.
Follow this link for the orignal Food Network published recipe.
