I tried a small *NYTimes free library access* test this morning and noticed something different: In Melissa's Clark's article: "Don't Save Those Old Bananas for Banana Bread. Make Scones Instead" she included the recipe instructions and ingredients within her article. That seems different from the way it was before. Before COVID-19, she (and other NYTimes recipe authors) would write an interesting article discussing the recipe idea and then put a link for the recipe. That's where the pay wall would pop up which I couldn't breach.
There is no date that I can spot so I'm unsure if this is a new article or a reused one that already included the recipe and I just didn't catch it. Sadly, I had every intention of trying out the recipe this morning because there was a sorry-a$$ looking blackened banana in the fruit bowl, but Mom cleaned the kitchen before me and it's gone. There's a saying about how "only a mother could love a face like that" but in the case of rotten smelly bananas, only a baker can truly love a banana that looks like that.
I'm going to copy/paste the portion with the recipe included in the commentary (which I would normally never do) because I can't tell if non-subscribers or those without a free library link can access the article. Since the recipe is included in the article, my yearly subscription for their recipes should be unnecessary.
Melissa Clark's Banana Scones from the NYTimes:
"To make them, heat your oven to 400 degrees. Ms. Perry calls for putting 2 cups/255 grams all-purpose flour in a big bowl. But to give the scones some depth and earthiness, I substituted ¼ cup/30 grams buckwheat flour for an equal amount of all-purpose. Whole-wheat flour would also work, and if you’re going that route, you could swap in even more (though I wouldn’t want any more buckwheat flour, it’s pretty intense).
Then add 1 tablespoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, ¼ cup/50 grams granulated sugar, and 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar. Or use all brown sugar or all granulated. This amount of sugar gives you a nicely sweet scone with a crisp crust, but you can also use less sugar.
Whisk it all up. Then, using the large holes on a grater, shred in 1 stick (1/2 cup/115 grams) frozen or very cold butter. Using frozen butter gives you slightly lighter scones, especially if your kitchen is warm, but there’s not a huge difference if you don’t keep butter stockpiles in the freezer.
Toss it with your hands so the butter distributes evenly, squeezing and pinching if it blobs together. Then add a diced ripe banana – or about a cup of any other fruit you like, fresh or frozen. Finally, mix in a teaspoon or so of vanilla extract and ¾ cup/180 milliliters dairy product – the richer, the better. Ms. Perry uses ½ cup/120 milliliters sour cream thinned down with ¼ cup/160 milliliters whole milk. I used Greek yogurt thinned down with heavy cream. Use what you’ve got, nondairy also works fine here.
The dough will be very sticky and clumpy, but don’t add flour if you can avoid it. The wetter the dough, the more tender the scones. Dump this almost unmanageable mess out on a floured countertop and squish it together with your very sticky hands, patting it into a 1-inch-thick round if you want wedge-shaped scones, or a rectangle if you want square scones. Then cut out eight pieces. If you have a metal bench knife, this is a good place to use it because you can measure the thickness (there’s usually a ruler on the edge). Cut with it, and use it like a spatula to move the scones to a parchment paper-lined or greased baking sheet.
Brush the scones with a beaten egg to make them glossy brown. (I threw the rest of the egg in my daughter’s smoothie.) Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden-topped and just firm to the touch.
Then eat warm. I slathered mine with salted butter. But even I have to admit it might have been overkill … or then again, maybe it was just right."
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/29/dining/banana-bread-scones-coronavirus.html
There is no date that I can spot so I'm unsure if this is a new article or a reused one that already included the recipe and I just didn't catch it. Sadly, I had every intention of trying out the recipe this morning because there was a sorry-a$$ looking blackened banana in the fruit bowl, but Mom cleaned the kitchen before me and it's gone. There's a saying about how "only a mother could love a face like that" but in the case of rotten smelly bananas, only a baker can truly love a banana that looks like that.
I'm going to copy/paste the portion with the recipe included in the commentary (which I would normally never do) because I can't tell if non-subscribers or those without a free library link can access the article. Since the recipe is included in the article, my yearly subscription for their recipes should be unnecessary.
Melissa Clark's Banana Scones from the NYTimes:
"To make them, heat your oven to 400 degrees. Ms. Perry calls for putting 2 cups/255 grams all-purpose flour in a big bowl. But to give the scones some depth and earthiness, I substituted ¼ cup/30 grams buckwheat flour for an equal amount of all-purpose. Whole-wheat flour would also work, and if you’re going that route, you could swap in even more (though I wouldn’t want any more buckwheat flour, it’s pretty intense).
Then add 1 tablespoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, ¼ cup/50 grams granulated sugar, and 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar. Or use all brown sugar or all granulated. This amount of sugar gives you a nicely sweet scone with a crisp crust, but you can also use less sugar.
Whisk it all up. Then, using the large holes on a grater, shred in 1 stick (1/2 cup/115 grams) frozen or very cold butter. Using frozen butter gives you slightly lighter scones, especially if your kitchen is warm, but there’s not a huge difference if you don’t keep butter stockpiles in the freezer.
Toss it with your hands so the butter distributes evenly, squeezing and pinching if it blobs together. Then add a diced ripe banana – or about a cup of any other fruit you like, fresh or frozen. Finally, mix in a teaspoon or so of vanilla extract and ¾ cup/180 milliliters dairy product – the richer, the better. Ms. Perry uses ½ cup/120 milliliters sour cream thinned down with ¼ cup/160 milliliters whole milk. I used Greek yogurt thinned down with heavy cream. Use what you’ve got, nondairy also works fine here.
The dough will be very sticky and clumpy, but don’t add flour if you can avoid it. The wetter the dough, the more tender the scones. Dump this almost unmanageable mess out on a floured countertop and squish it together with your very sticky hands, patting it into a 1-inch-thick round if you want wedge-shaped scones, or a rectangle if you want square scones. Then cut out eight pieces. If you have a metal bench knife, this is a good place to use it because you can measure the thickness (there’s usually a ruler on the edge). Cut with it, and use it like a spatula to move the scones to a parchment paper-lined or greased baking sheet.
Brush the scones with a beaten egg to make them glossy brown. (I threw the rest of the egg in my daughter’s smoothie.) Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden-topped and just firm to the touch.
Then eat warm. I slathered mine with salted butter. But even I have to admit it might have been overkill … or then again, maybe it was just right."
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/29/dining/banana-bread-scones-coronavirus.html