Monica Kate, Corporate Executive Pastry Chef for Kneaders Bakery and Café, discovered scones while traveling through Scotland when she was 19. This quick bread is as common in Britain as the muffin is here, but has never made big inroads in the United States. Fitting well within Kneaders’ from-scratch menu offerings, Kate brought in the traditions of the Old World and made the flavors more accessible to today’s palate. While her recipes are built on the idea of an English breakfast scone, Kneaders’ scones are slighter sweeter and more moist than traditional scones.
“I think scones are an undervalued pastry,” says Kate. She developed two recipes: the Dark Chocolate Cherry Scone and the Apricot Hazelnut Cardamom Scone. “We’ve seen instant success since these new menu offerings were introduced brand-wide in the summer of 2015,” she adds. “The Dark Chocolate Cherry Scone is fully rounded and multi-dimensional. The dark chocolate’s bitter taste is balanced by the sweetness of the cherry, and is finished with warm almond notes,” says Kate. “And the Apricot Hazelnut Cardamom Scone features warm tones of roasted hazelnuts and tart apricots, finished with a light touch of fresh cardamom and a vanilla glaze. Cardamom is such a savory spice that is never given its full credit. When used in small quantities, it brings out a harvest-type freshness, complementing the apricots and the roast of the hazelnuts.”
