http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/01/dining/a-scone-recipe-with-an-added-dose-of-jam-sweetness.html 2014-09-26 22:48:25 A Scone Recipe With an Added Dose of Jam Sweetness Spreading the jam on top of a scone is all well and good, but baking it in is even better. === Spreading jam on scones is all well and good, but baking the jam directly into the scones is even better. Here’s why: Some of the jam stays soft and fruity, just as when you spooned it from the jar. And some of the jam — the part near the top that’s exposed to the most heat — gets thick, chewy and more intensely fruity in flavor. It gives a simple scone a sweeter disposition in a neat and easily transportable little package. You can bake jam into any scone recipe. Just press your thumb into the unbaked scones to form a deep depression, then heap it full of your favorite thick jam or preserves (don’t use jelly, which will leak all over the place). Bake as usual and serve on the same day, preferably smeared with clotted cream if you can get it, or soft, creamy butter. In this version, I start with a cornmeal dough that’s on the moist side of the scone spectrum, with a subtle crunch from the grain. Then I fill it with homemade jam. (Not to be fussy about it, but this particular plum jam recipe takes under 10 minutes to throw together and is less sweet and more interesting than a lot of what you can buy.) To make it, all you have to do is simmer cut-up plums in a small amount of honey seasoned with a bay leaf. The bay leaf adds a woodsy base note, but feel free to substitute something else if you’d rather; a rosemary sprig, a cinnamon stick, a ginger root coin or a strip of orange zest would all add complexity to the mix. The jam comes together quickly if you use a large skillet because the water will cook off in minutes. But if you’ve got particularly juicy plums that throw off vast amounts of liquid, you may want to remove the plum chunks with a slotted spoon before they fall apart, and cook down the syrup separately. Just remember that the jam will continue to thicken as it cools, so don’t overdo it. Leftovers can be refrigerated for a few weeks, and will make for an especially fine PB&J.; Or serve the extra jam on the side with the scones. Overkill, perhaps, but with scones and jam, that’s a not a bad thing.