Marmalade Scone Thumbprints, episode #2, season 7
Saturday September 21, 2024

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A hot cuppa and something subtly sweet with a bit of tartness to nibble on during the afternoon. Sounds like a nourishing daily ritual to me.

In today’s episode two classic British nibbles come together in a slightly different way, but still, and dare I say, even more delicious to the taste.

Grab your marmalade and ready your tea kettle because we’re making scones that are actually gluten free – but do not be scared away by this because the flavor, is all the more to the good and scrumptious because of this shift from all purpose flour to millet and polenta.

Taking the classic thumbprint cookie, using many traditional baking methods of scone making, and then upping the flavor profile of two necessary ingredients, this nibble will make it oh so difficult to stop eating after just one.

Sconesplateteacupteapotstove

The beauty of this recipe is that each step is simple, and all you need are the ingredients at-the-ready. We will begin by browning butter to add a nutty layer of flavor and then borrow a common baking tradition from Germany and Eastern Europe by using eggs in the batter but hard boiled yolks only. I will explain what all of these slightly different approaches will add to the flavor and then introduce you to marmalade, or if you are well aware of this épicerie must-have, share with you my favorite that quite affordable.

And to ensure extra flaky, crumbly (get your napkins ready!), once the scones are ready structurally, yep, we’re going to chill them, but it only takes 30 minutes in the freezer, and then . . .

Readytochillmarmaladescone

It’s marmalade time along with a bit of heavy cream so we can sprinkle each scone with a few of the warm spices and a smidge of sugar.

Marmaladefilledreadytobake

Having made this recipe quite often whenever I am craving something somewhat sweet to pair with my tea, but also have a good biscuit crunch, the most recent baking was this week, and I have to confess honestly, there are all gone now. So good, and not your typical biscuit or scone. I do hope you enjoy. Now to watch the episode!

~If you are unable to view the video in the player above, you can watch the episode here — https://youtu.be/5utl-bptwBY


Links shared during the episode:

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Closeupsconemarmaladethumbprint

Marmalade Scone Thumbprints (gluten-free)

Simply LuxuriousSimply Luxurious
With a twist on both a traditional scone and thumbprint, we're swapping the traditional flour for millet and polenta, adding layers of flavor with simple changes to how the ingredients we add are prepared before adding to the batter and then choosing to top with the British must-have sweet spread – marmalade.
Adapted from Nancy Silverton’s Apricot Scone Thumbprint recipe in her cookbook The Cookie that Changed My Life.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
4 hours
Total Time 5 hours
Servings 12 scones

Ingredients
  

Dough/Batter

  • 113 grams unsalted butter (6 Tbsp), melted and browned, chilled
  • 2-3 large eggs hard boiled (you will use the yolks only)
  • 50 grams (1/2 cup) roasted almonds, unsalted substitute with your favorite roasted nut
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp fleur de sel
  • 120 grams (1/2) heavy whipping cream or double cream
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or pure vanilla bean paste
  • 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 2/3 cup millet flour
  • 1/4 cup coarse stoneground polenta Swap out for traditional flours (21 1/4 cup – 175 grams of pastry flour + 1/4 cup coarse polenta, 44.5 grams)
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp grated or ground nutmeg

Finishing Sugar & Spice Mix

  • 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 Tbsp demerara sugar
  • 1/8 tsp grated/ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

Marmalade

  • 80 grams (1/4 cup) marmalade or jam or jelly of your preference

Instructions
 

Dough/Batter

  • Do the morning of or at least 4-5 hours before: Melt the unsalted butter (113 grams) in a medium sauce pan over medium to low heat to make brown butter. Let it begin to bubble, stirring occasionally until the color is caramel or medium brown. The milk solids will begin to look like small dark crumbs. Remove from the heat, and measure out about 6 tablespoons (84 grams) of melted butter (including the milk solids. Place in a container, let it cool down to room temperatures and then refrigerate or freeze until solid. (You can also pour all of the melted butter into your contain, refrigerate after cooling, and then measure out the 6 Tbsp later.)
  • Hard boil two/three large eggs. Bring water to boil in a medium/small sauce pan. Place the eggs (as fresh as possible) in the water with a slotted spoon. Boil for 11 minutes (uncovered). Remove and place in a bowl filled with cold water (ice can be present if you have it). Let cool. Then remove from the cold water and peel them. Remove the yolk from the white. You will only be using the egg yolk. Use the egg white for another meal – place on your salad for breakfast, etc. 
  • 1Take the roasted (unsalted almonds – or nuts of your choice) and place in a food processor. Add granulated sugar, baking powder and salt and pulse until almonds look like cornmeal. Now add the millet flour and polenta (or AP flour + polenta) and the spices – nutmeg, cardamom and cinnamon. Pulse to combine. Now is the time to add the two egg yolks (hard boiled). Using your hands or a grater (fine or a microplane), crumble/grate the egg yolk into the food processor. Then pulse to combine with the other ingredients. 
  • Now take out the brown butter from where it was chilling and roughly cube it into pieces – measure out 6 tbsp (approximately if you didn't measure this out before). Add it to the food processor and pulse to combine with the rest of the ingredients.
  • In a small bowl, combine the heavy cream and the vanilla. 
  • In a large mixing bowl, place the combined ingredients from the food processor into the bowl. Create a well with your hands in the middle of the ingredients. Pour the mixture of heavy cream and vanilla in the well. Now mix well with a wooden spoon and/or with your hands until it is all combined. You have your scone batter!
  • Place the batter on a floured surface and using your hands press the dough into an even, circular shaped, thickness of 3/4”. It will be a large disc by the time you are done.
  • Have a parchment lined baking sheet ready and grab your preferred round scone cutter ready as well. 2” approximately in diameter (or 1" for perfect bite-size nibbles). Flour the cutter. Cut out the round scones and place each on the parchment paper. After placing each scone on the parchment, using your thumb, gently press into the middle of each scone creating a small indent (about 1/2" to 1” wide). Repeat until all the dough is used. You may have to roll up the dough and repeat the pressing out into a small disc to use up the scrap pieces.
  • Place the scones into the fridge (1 hour) or freezer (30 minutes) to chill. 
  • Preheat the oven to 375 Fahrenheit (190 Celsius).
  • While waiting for the scones to chill, mix up the sugar and spice finishing topping. In a small bowl combine the granulated sugar, demerara sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon.
  • When the scones have been chilled, take them out and brush them with leftover cream and then sprinkle the sugar & spice mixture around the thumbprint. Then spoon a lovely tablespoon of marmalade into the indent created by your thumb. 
  • Bake the scones until golden brown for about 30 minutes depending upon your oven and the size of your scones. You will want to rotate the sheet pan halfway through baking if you have a large oven or don’t have a convection oven to make sure all are baked evenly. 
  • Remove from the oven, let cool for about 10 minutes and then serve. Be sure to make a delicious pot of your favorite tea! (Yorkshire Gold is always a good idea ;).

~Explore more recipes and episodes from The Simply Luxurious Kitchen cooking show and follow @tsllcookingshow on Instagram.

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10 thoughts on “Marmalade Scone Thumbprints, episode #2, season 7

  1. Perfect timing! I was just trying to scour your website the other day, trying to find your reference you made once in a podcast on finding your favorite marmalade. Is it possible for you to direct me to that? Thank you! And thank you for making this gluten free. I’d turned your Grasmere gingerbread recipe into gluten free (my best version was with King Arthur 1:1 Gluten free flour) and so I appreciate this! Love polenta!

  2. These Marmalade Scone Thumbprints look absolutely scrumptious! Thank you! Perfect treat for afternoon tea. Will try baking some to SAVOR!

    1. Michelle,

      Tickled to hear you are enjoying Robertson’s Golden Shred – you described it exactly, not too sweet and full of that beloved and desired orange flavor without any syrupy sweet. Thank you for sharing where you found yours here in the states. I know others will appreciate your sharing. 🙂

  3. Hi Shannon, I’ve been waiting for this episode! Looks wonderful and look forward to trying these scones. So nice to have a gluten free option – I have a couple of friends who will enjoy these. Thank you!

    1. Let us know how it goes! They are very crumbly, and when I used three egg yolks – deliciously more crumbly than just two! Upon sharing these with my neighbors this summer, they were quite liked and I hope that is the same response from your friends! Enjoy. 🙂

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