Nothing gives this grown-up girl more joy on a mellow honey-sunshine-blessed winter afternoon than baking.
The warmth of the kitchen is my sanctuary, a cup of Darjeeling my panacea for that faint chill in the air and the heady aroma of baking nirvana for my olfactory senses.
Come December and I can almost sense succumbing to the allure of the kitchen.
Before I know, the pompous oven has taken center-stage.
The industrious electric blender is forever at work.
The pots and pans are perpetually out.
Flour and the sugar have made a comeback. (And for once not even accompanied by that wicked sense of guilt.)
Sultanas, raisins and prunes reign supreme.
Eggs are ordered by the dozens.
And even my teetotaler pantry has been getting generous provisions of sherry and brandy. And spiced rum of course.
So when luscious Himachali persimmons greet me in the kitchen this morning and I know I shall have a couple of friends over for tea, I know at once what it’s going to be.
Persimmon scones.
My panchforon-flavoured spiced persimmon chutney in tow.
And if you love your scones as much as I do, my persimmon scones are a must-try. Before the season runs out.
Oh, and please don’t forget my persimmon chutney. (If you do manage some surplus chutney that lasts beyond the scones, remember a lavish spread of the chutney on your warm toast the morning after. Bliss !!!)
Persimmon Scones with a Spicy Persimmon Chutney
Ingredients
For the Persimmon Scones
- 2 cup plain flour
- 1 cup persimmon peeled and cut into small cubes
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 4 tbsp cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Persmimon Chutney
- 2 ripe persimmon peeled and cut into small cubes
- 2 dry red chilies
- 1.5 tsp panchforan powder
- 2 tsp ginger juice
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- sugar to taste (optional)
- black salt to taste
For the Panchforan Powder
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp nigella or kalonji seeds
- 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
Instructions
For the Persimmon Scones
- Preheat the oven to 200 C.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper, brush with a little butter. Keep aside.
- In a bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Add the butter, mix with the flour using your fingertips till the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Stir in the persimmon, gently mix.
- In another bowl, whisk together the egg, milk and vanilla extract.
- Gently add the egg-mik mixture to the flour, mix till just combined. (The scone dough should be crumbly. Do not overmix the dough, the last thing you would want are hard scones !!!)
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, knead gently, 3-4 times.
- Pat into a 7-7.5 inch circular disk as shown in the picture. Cut to desired shapes using a cookie cutter.
- Transfer to the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Brush the tops of the scones with little milk.
- Bake until a gorgeous golden, about 20 - 22 minutes I would reckon, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a scone comes out clean.
- Transfer the scones to a wire rack, allow to cool.
- Serve with persimmon chutney or a jam of your choice.
For the Panchforan Powder
- Dry roast all the ingredients for 3-4 minutes, grind to a fine powder.
- Store in an air-tight container till future use.
For the Persimmon Chutney
- Heat oil in a pan, throw in the dry red chillies, let them splutter.
- Remove from the flame, allow the oil to cool. Carefully remove the chilies from the oil, discard the chillies.
- Return the chilli-flavoured oil to the flame, throw in the chopped persimmons, add the ginger juice and a sprinkle of salt. If your persimmons are not too sweet, feel free to add sugar as per taste.
- Cook over a medium flame, stirring frequently, till the water has almost dried up and the chutney has thickened to a coating consistency.
- Adjust seasonings, finish with a sprinkle of the panchforan powder.
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