June 13, 2013

Buttermilk Scone Muffins (Scuffins!)

I had the greatest experience in the grocery store today! We were walking by the little aisle of cheap little toys, and Stephen saw something that looked like a portable Nintendo thingee... honestly, I don't even know what those are called anymore. Anyway. It was one of those games where you tilt it around to get the tiny balls in the holes, not a real Nintendo. He asked what it was, and I told him. Then the magic words: "Mom, what's a Nintendo?" Ha HA! Victory!! The best part was the employee shelving things next to us said, "Wow. You don't hear that much anymore, do you?" Now, I'm not a horrible techno-nazi mom, I promise. My boys have played with Wii's and things, dancing games and Mario-Kart and such. But we don't own one, and we won't for a while. Someday! I'm not against them completely. They're lots of fun! But first I want my kids to play outside. Or together. Or read. Or explore. Or dance like crazy around our living room. (I guess you can do that with a Wii... whatever) I hope that when they get older, they'll be the ones that invite their friends over to play basketball or something. Technology will be very controlled in my house. I don't want teenagers who spend their weekends in the basement staring at a TV, sorry!! 



Buttermilk Scone Muffins (Scuffins!) (adapted from The English Kitchen)
Printable Recipe

2 1/2 cups of flour
Zest of 1 lemon (optional, but recommended)
Heaping 1/4 cup caster/ultra fine sugar (you can use granulated sugar, but they won't be quite as light)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp salt
10 Tb cold butter, cut into chunks
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla

Sugar for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 12 cup muffin tin well and set aside.

Rub the zest into the sugar in a large bowl. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, salt and soda. Drop in the butter and rub/cut it into the flour mixture until the mixture is crumbly and the butter bits are no larger than small peas. Stir the vanilla into the buttermilk, add this to the dry ingredients, and stir it in with a fork until the dough is moistened, all dry crumbly bits incorporated. You may need to add more buttermilk. This is dough, not batter, so it will be relatively stiff, but you still want it moist.

Divide into the 12 muffin cups, and sprinkle the tops with sugar. (optional) Bake in the middle of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until golden brown and crusty. Serve warm.
These are my new favorite things. Really. They're actually just scones in muffin form, but I'm already envisioning a whole new genre, flavors galore. Scuffins!!
My favorite part is how crunchy they are on the outside. The sugar of course gets even crustier. You could leave it off for health reasons... I suppose... But why??
Then barely lemony, soft and light and fluffy on the inside! I bet you won't stop long enough to spread butter or jam or anything on them! Although of course that would be yummy...
Positively scrumdiddlyumptious scuffins :)

10 comments :

  1. Another of my favourites April! Look for an e-mail from me soon. It will be tell all! Love you! xxoo

    Love the name Scruffins! Only YOU could think that up. Amazing!

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  2. Your scuffins look delicious - what a great name! The recipe sounds wonderful. I've pinned it and will share it on my FB page. I'm visiting via Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farm. It's nice to 'meet' you :)

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  3. I agree with you, my daughter in fact didn't play a video game, or have a computer, or other such things til she was 12. I didn't let her watch as much tv as her friends did either. She read, and had a childhood, joined the scouts. She didn't miss out on anything, had a college age reading level when she started junior high school. She's just gotten a master's degree.

    The Scuffins look devine. I like the idea, as I don't always want to roll out scone dough to a round and cut triangles out. I'll have to give them a whirl.

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    1. Glad you like them! That's exactly what makes these so fun, they're easy peasy :)

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  4. oops I hate typos. I meant to type "divine", not devine. I was dividing my attention between watching an episode I missed of a detective series I like, but missed last weekend

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    1. Now I have to know, which detective series?? :)

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  5. Amen sister! ;) I totally agree, that's how it's gonna be in my family too. I love your methods, I think that's one of the many things mom and dad did right in our family too! :D

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  6. What a terrific idea! We love scones, but they can be a messy bother, especially with frozen blueberries. Thank you for the recipe!

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    1. Exactly what I thought! I hope you try them, and like them as much as I do!

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