Irish Currant Scones

A few years ago, BeeBop and I celebrated our 20th anniversary by taking a 10-day trip to Ireland. It was a trip we’d been saving for and planning for years and it really did turn out to be the trip of a lifetime! Ireland has always had a special place in my heart and soul. Many of my ancestors came from Ireland and for my entire life I’ve felt a pull, a call, to go there. From the moment we stepped off the plane in Shannon until we boarded for the return flight in Dublin, we felt welcome and “at home.” We didn’t meet a single Irish person who didn’t greet us with a friendly smile and a question or two. They really are the most friendly people I’ve ever met anywhere.

We spent our ten days in Ireland on a loosely planned sight-seeing tour with lots of time for just “wandering.” BeeBop drove us everywhere in a tiny little rental car on tiny little roads and we loved every single minute of it. Even the roads that were so narrow that one car would have to stop to let another pass. And he only got onto the wrong side of the road once! I was impressed since I constantly kept trying to get into the wrong side of the car. We also learned pretty quickly how to interpret the road signs, too. “Bad bends” meant sharp curves ahead, “rumble strips” were what we call speed breakers, and “traffic calming ahead” meant to watch for slower traffic up ahead.

But what I’ll never forget about our trip to Ireland is the breathtaking beauty of the country. It really is 40 shades of green.

The countryside is gorgeous rolling hills and green fields as far as the eye can see.

Beef is a major product in Ireland with the added benefit of all that wonderfully rich cream and butter.

What we enjoyed most about the whole trip, though, was all the ancient sites. This is one of the high crosses at Monasterboice. It was built about 521 A.D. That’s only about a thousand years before Columbus sailed to America. Amazing.

The Rock of Cashel. Said to be the site of the conversion of the King of Munster by St. Patrick in the 5th century. The buildings date from the 12th and 13th century. St. Patrick’s cross is also located here.

A beautiful thatched cottage near Shannon, Ireland

A little glimpse of some of the very rugged Irish coastline.

And at the end of each day, you can be sure that a pub is never far away!

Needless to say, I loved Ireland. Still love Ireland and I’d go back there in a minute! So, in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day this week, I baked a few Irish scones. We had scones and tea several afternoons in Ireland and I hope I’ve done them justice in this recipe.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tblsp. baking powder
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 tblsp. softened butter
1/2 cup currants
1/2 to 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Turn on the oven to preheat to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place it into the oven while it is preheating.

Sift together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Using your fingertips, work the softened butter into the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the currants.

Add 1/2 cup cream working the mixture as little as possible. Add more cream as needed to create a slightly sticky dough that holds together.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a 1-inch thick circle. Cut into 8 wedges.

Remove the baking sheet from oven and place the scones on it. Bake for 8 minutes, turn and bake for 4 more minutes or until just barely brown.

Serve with preserves, butter and/or sweetened whipped cream.

Enjoy!

–Original recipe found on http://thekitchn.com

Other scone recipes you might enjoy from around the internet:

• Simple Scones from the King Arthur Flour web site
• Brown Eyed Baker’s Irish Soda Bread Scones
• Irish Buttermilk Scones on Albion Cooks
• Scottish Oat Scones from Cooking with Amy