Baking with beer - Scones
Did you know that July is national picnic month? I’m going to do a few posts about picnics and beer, but I thought I’d start with a recipe for you. Today we are going to be baking with beer and making the British classic the scone. This is a super easy recipe that I did with my 9 year old Brownies over Zoom the other day. The original recipe uses lemonade but I used my ‘special homemade lemonade’ (that’s lemon & rosemary saison to you and me) and they came out great!
This recipe is quick and simple and produces lovely light scones. Baking with beer adds a leavening agent with the carbonation of the beer. Obviously you don’t have a home brewed lemon & rosemary saison to hand (I assume!) but you can use any lemon beer or even a wit beer; I’ve added some suggestions in the notes.
I enjoyed making the fruit version so much I thought I would experiment with a savoury version. If you aren’t into sweet treats, check out my cheese scones made with old ale below. Baking with beer can be quite diverse!
Baking with Beer – Lemon and Cranberry Scones
Ingredients:
300g self-raising flour
55g sugar
125ml extra thick double cream
125ml beer (see notes)
40ml milk
2 handfuls of cranberries (or dried fruit of choice)
Note on beer: I used a beer with lemon notes – Omnipollo x Buxton Original lemon meringue ice cream sorbet would be a good choice, or The Puca lemon sour from The White Hag. Also, Sleeping Lemons from Wild Beer Co. Alternatively you could use a wit beer and add some orange zest to compliment the cranberries – Flowers by Queer Brewing Project is a great wit beer.
Method:
1. Pre heat the oven to 200oC
2. Combine the flour and sugar in a bowl and make a well in the middle.
3. Add the cream, beer and fruit. Mix until combined into a soft dough.
4. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead a few times until smooth and less sticky.
5. Pat out the dough until it is 2cm thick.
6. Using a round cutter or a mug, cut out rounds and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper or lightly greased. Re-roll the dough and continue to cut out rounds until all the dough is used.
7. Brush the tops of the scones with milk, then bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown on top
8. Serve warm with jam and cream.
Baking with Beer – Cheese & Old Ale Scones
Ingredients:
300g self-raising flour
50g vintage cheddar
50g smoked cheddar
1/2tsp garlic powder
1/8tsp smoked paprika
125ml extra thick double cream
125ml beer (see notes)
40ml milk
Grated parmesan to sprinkle on top
Notes – I used Theakston’s Old Peculiar old ale for these as I like the robust, malty taste it adds. You could use any classic stout or porter for these. For a lighter option you could use a lager but avoid anything with too much bitterness as this will be evident in the final bake.
Method:
1. Pre heat the oven to 200oC
2. Combine the flour, garlic powder and smoked paprika in a bowl and make a well in the middle.
3. Add the cream, beer and cheese. Mix until combined into a soft dough.
4. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead a few times until smooth and less sticky.
5. Pat out the dough until it is 2cm thick.
6. Using a round cutter or a mug, cut out rounds and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper or lightly greased. Re-roll the dough and continue to cut out rounds until all the dough is used.
7. Brush the tops of the scones with milk and sprinkle with grated parmesan,
8. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown on top
9. Serve warm buttered or with chutney or chilli jam.
Are you going to make these and take them on your next picnic? What other things should I be baking with beer for the picnic season? Let me know in the comments!
