Recipe: Zuni Café Orange-Currant Scones

Scanning the Sunday lunch menu at San Francisco’s landmark Zuni Café (1658 Market St., 415-552-2522, zunicafe.com), you’ll be tempted by everything from a hefty grass-fed burger on rosemary focaccia to occasional specialties such as eggs fried in breadcrumbs with long-cooked kale. But you’ll likely find your eyes coming to rest at a pastry on the list: orange-currant scones.

Savoring the tender sweetness of these scones is a fitting way to remember Zuni Café's beloved executive chef Judy Rodgers, whose death in 2013 saddened many food lovers. The simple dough gets its richness from whole milk and plenty of butter; the classic flavors come from fresh orange zest and dried currants (technically zante currants, a special variety of small, sweet grape available in dry form at most groceries). As with any scone recipe, the key is to be gentle with the dough, mixing it just enough.

Zuni Café Orange-Currant Scones

Makes 16 small scones. Preparation 15 minutes. Cooking 30 minutes.

Adapted from Zuni Café Cookbook by Judy Rodgers, 2002, with permission of W.W. Norton & Company.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups (13 ½ ounces) all-purpose flour

7 tablespoons sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

½ pound (2 sticks) cold salted butter

½ cup dried currants

1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest

1 large egg

½ cup cold whole milk

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (or 325°F if it's a convection oven). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and mix well. Using a pastry cutter (manual dough blender) or two kitchen knives, cut in the butter until it is the size of small peas. Scatter the currants and orange zest over the dry ingredients and toss well.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients; mix and fold gently until a dough forms and the flour is moistened. Don’t worry if the dough is a little streaky and bits of butter are still intact.

4. Divide the dough in half and shape each portion into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, pat each ball into a 6- to 7-inch disk. With a rolling pin, roll the disks into ¾-inch-thick rounds—the perimeter will be ragged—then cut each round into 8 wedges (like pie slices). On the lined baking sheets, arrange the wedges without crowding.

5. Bake until golden brown and firm to the touch, about 25 minutes (or 20 minutes convection). Serve warm.