Another Halloween has come and gone. An evening spent with friends, a delicious dinner, and constant yelps of “Trick or Treat” brought delight to my taste buds and joy to my ears. Not the tradition I so miss from past years, but I am learning that as life “ebbs and flows”, so must I. Knowing how much Howie misses building our haunted house, I suggested he don a scary costume and frighten the children as they came begging for treats. He hid in the bushes near the front door, and with the help of Dave–who distracted the treaters with his own bizarre costume – Howie sprang from out of sight and scared the life out of them. The more the children screeched, the bigger the smile on his face. Some might suggest he undergo a fullpsychologicalwork-up to explain this sick pleasure he derives from scaring children, but since it seems to be something he pursues only once a year, I guess I’m not too alarmed. I guess.
If you are like me, by the time Halloween is over, our sweet tooths have been more than satisfied and the thought of looking at one more wrapped miniature candy bar turns our stomachs just a bit. To tame all that chocolate running through my veins, I decided to bake something a touch on the savory side. The recipe for these scones had been dancing around in my head for days and when I found myself with an afternoon to bake, I finally got the recipe onto paper and into the oven. An important key to the success of this scone was balancing savory and sweet. Dried figs offer up ample sugar on their own so little additional sugar was needed. And what better way to balance the natural sweetness from dried figs than with the pungent saltiness of kalamata olives. Thyme links the two and completes the circle of flavor.
Since these scones ride the fence between a touch sweet and a bit savory, they are perfect anytime of the day. My favorite way to eat them is along side scrambled eggs. But then, my favorite way to eat anything is along side scrambled eggs. Keep them in mind when you are pondering clever ways to use up that leftover Thanksgiving bird. Turkey salad served open-faced atop one of these scones would make a tasty post holiday lunch.
Note: Although scones are best eaten the day they are baked, I reheated one the day after in a 350˚F oven for 8 to 10 minutes and it was nearly as delicious as when first baked. I also froze a few, thawed them at room temperature, and reheated as per the instructions above. Again, raves from my taste-testing husband.
The sweetness of figs, thesaltinessof olives, and the herby essence of thyme balance out beautifully in this savory scone. Chopped rosemary would make a lovely substitute for the thyme – or better yet, use equal amounts of both.
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for rolling out the scones
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons very cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup chopped dried figs
1/2 cup pitted and sliced kalamata olives
2 teaspoons chopped thyme
3/4 cup very cold whipping cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1 egg, lightly beaten – for brushing the scones
Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Pulse several times to combine. Add the cubed butter and pulse until pea-sized pieces form. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add the figs, olives, and thyme, and toss to evenly distribute. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the whipping cream and sour cream. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add in the cream/sour cream mixture, stirring gently until the dough comes together. It is okay If there is a little flour remaining in the bottom of the bowl.
Heavily flour a work surface for rolling out the scones. Turn the dough out onto the floured surface and knead gently about a half dozen times, adding more flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking. Pat the dough into a 6×11-inch rectangle. Using a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter, cut out 8 scones. Gently press scraps together and cut 2 more scones. Place scones on prepared baking sheet. Brush tops with beaten egg. If desired, decorate with a sprig of thyme and an olive slice.
Bake until the scones are golden brown, approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack. Enjoy while warm or cool completely to room temperature.
Yield: 10 scones
