There is one thing you should do before you bake fruit scones at home before putting them into the oven. Fruit scones are a simple yet delicious English baked good that is easy to make at home. It’s no surprise that many Brits decide to bake these on a regular basis, since they are so straightforward and cost-effective. Ingredients are never too expensive, especially dried fruits such as raisins and dates.
But there is one step you might not be taking when it comes to your home-baked fruit scones, and you are seriously missing out, experts say. In fact, the step is taken days before you even put your scones in the oven. While this sounds like it will be a lot of effort, it is actually a very simple step that has huge benefits. When you are making fruit scones at home, or any baked good involving raisins or dates, such as pastries and fruitcakes, you should soak the fruit in black tea. One expert, whom I recently met at a food festival, told me this as I was trying some of his delicious sweet treats.
Shamsuddin Parbtani owns Aux Pains de Papy in King’s Cross, London. He spoke to me at the recent National Geographic Traveller Food Festival and shared some of his expert baking tips. I noticed some pain au raisin pastries, and when speaking about them, he mentioned a hack that works for scones as well.
When he described how the raisins are soaked in black tea for 48 hours before the pastries are made, I asked if this is beneficial for cakes and scones as well, which he confirmed. To my delight, I had discovered a way to improve my homemade scones.
According to experts such as Shamsuddin, soaking raisins in black tea enhances their flavour and texture. He likes the way this trick makes the raisins softer, which suits baked goods much better.
Another expert baker, known as Scardey Cat Kitchen online, said that soaking raisins in tea overnight makes them juicy and sweet, turning them into an element that bursts with flavour in your mouth.
Plus, soaking raisins can make them easier to digest, making your fruit scones a bit kinder on your tummy. Soaking raisins and dates is a common step for Brits making fruitcake around Christmas time. However, not many people consider doing this for things like scones.
But according to the experts, it is a game-changer.