Read Online The Cheese Board by Cheese Board Collective Staff - Free Book Online Page B

ingredients come together; some loose flour should remain at the bottom of the bowl.
    If making by hand, add the salt and sugar to the bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Add the butter and cut it in with a pastry cutter or 2 dinner knives until it is the size of small peas. Using the spoon, mix in the apples, walnuts, and golden raisins. Make a well in the center and add the cream and buttermilk. Mix briefly, just until the ingredients come together; some loose flour should remain at the bottom of the bowl.
    Gently shape the dough into balls about 2¼ inches in diameter (they should have a rough, rocky exterior) and place them on the prepared pan about 2 inches apart.
    For the topping, mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture on top of the scones. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool.
     
    I like the scones to be a medium golden brown without too much sugar on top.
    —CARRIE
     
    I like sugar. Some of us don’t put enough sugar on top of the scones. I don’t think that the dough itself without the sugar on top is sweet enough.
    —DAVE M.

    Chocolate Chip Scones
    Adding chocolate to scones might seem extravagant, but once you eat these you will rank them with your favorite chocolate chip cookie. Buy the best-quality chocolate chips; we use a bittersweet Belgian variety.
    MAKES 10 TO 12 SCONES
    Preparation time including baking: 45 minutes
    3½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
    ½ teaspoon baking soda
    1 tablespoon baking powder
    ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    ¾ cup plus ¼ cup sugar
    1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
    1 cup chocolate chips
    ¾ cup heavy cream
    ¾ cup buttermilk
    Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.
    Sift the flour, baking soda, and baking powder together into the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl.
    If using a stand mixer, add the salt and the ¾ cup sugar to the bowl and mix with the paddle attachment on low speed until combined. Add the butter and cut it in on low speed for about 4 minutes, or until it is the size of small peas. Mix in the chocolate chips. Make a well in the center and add the cream and buttermilk. Mix briefly, just until the ingredients come together; some loose flour should remain at the bottom of the bowl.
    If making by hand, add the salt and the ¾ cup sugar to the bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Add the butter and cut it in with a pastry cutter or 2 dinner knives until it is the size of small peas. Using the spoon, mix in the chocolate chips. Make a well in the center and add the cream and buttermilk. Mix briefly, just until the ingredients come together; some loose flour should remain at the bottom of the bowl.
    Gently shape the dough into balls about 2¼ inches in diameter (they should have a rough, rocky exterior) and place them on the prepared pan about 2 inches apart.
    Sprinkle the ¼ cup sugar on top of the scones. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool.
     
    The scones are a uniquely sublime product. Ten years before I worked here, that was the only Cheese Board product that I ate. I never even knew there was a cheese counter. I just went for the scones.
    —ADAM
     
    THE CHEESE BOARD AT 4:30 A.M.
    When we interview potential new Cheese Board members, we always ask the questions, “Do you mind working very early mornings? And every Saturday? And during the holidays?” Inevitably the answer is, “No, I don’t mind.” So, having said no myself, I find myself arriving for a 4:30 A.M. bakingshift twice a week. Mostly, I love it. Some mornings I wake to the alarm, and the first thing I do is plan when I will take a nap later in the day. Walking into a darkened Cheese Board with no noise from fans, mixers, ovens, or voices, and slowly preparing the kitchen for the