[Sca-cooks] cheese scones

[Susan Lin]

Irish or European butters have more butter fat than American butter and are
therefore more 'buttery'.

Cutting in the butter with two knives is an old thing - that's how my
grandmother used to do it. You use an action like shredding meat - using
the two knives to cross together to cut the butter - one knife would take
for freaking ever.  Yes, you can use a pastry blender - that's the crescent
shaped thing.  Or, a "granny fork" which is a big fork with tines with
space between them.  the object is to break the butter up and get each
little bit coated in flour without melting it or making it into a solid
mass (not until you add the liquid)

You can use your fingers but the reason that isn't recommended is that you
can melt the butter with your hot hands and then it will make a tougher
pastry.

You can even cut the butter in with a food processor - just use short
bursts.

Shoshanah

On Fri, Mar 15, 2013 at 5:18 PM, Stefan li Rous
<StefanliRous at austin.rr.com>wrote:

> Cailte replied to me with:
> <<< Sans puddings (i.e. white and black) due to budget.  I am working with
> the freezer this weekend. LOL!  When we were at the B and B in Ireland, he
> 'tasted" them, and I ate them.  He's pretty omniverous tho… >>>
>
> Oh? I thought puddings were relatively cheap to make. Although admittedly,
> many items that used to be cheap and almost cast-offs, are now quite
> expensive because they are now the "in" thing. Skirt steak and chicken
> wings being good examples. Blood might be the same.
>
> <<< Why not some soda bread for Mum's dinner?  Easy to make.  Or some
> scones?  With, of course (if available near you) Kerrygold Butter. >>>
>
> Lol. Yes, after I wrote my message I got online and started looking at
> recipes. And cheese soup and cheese fondues are some items I'm considering.
> Also cheese scones.
>
> Does Kerrygold Butter taste different from "regular" butter? My store has
> a lot of different butters. I don't remember whether this is one of them.
>
> But many of the scone recipes have directions like "MIX first 4
> ingredients in large bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives
> until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in Cheddar."
>
> What does that bit about cutting in the butter with pastry blender or 2
> knives, mean? Why two knives instead of one? What is a pastry blender? Is
> that the thing with a handled and a series of parallel crescent shaped
> blades?
>
> Is the whole idea to mix the ingredients but coarsely/crumbly?
>
> Thanks,
>    Stefan
>
> --------
> THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
>    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas
> StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
> http://www.linkedin.com/in/marksharris
> **** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****
>
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