Waking up to..

Scones-Sarsaparilla2

(Sarsaparilla scones)

I must confess that I am a creature of habit. Given that there are seven days in a week, it’s not uncommon for me to wear the same kind of thing seven days in a row. Or eat the same two-pieces-of-toast-and-a-wedge-of-cheese every morning. I like my toilet paper fixed to cascade forwards and always check my alarm clock twice before bed.

However, sometimes I wake up kicking at the covers, scrambling to shut the shrilling clock, and fall straight back against the pillow, willing the sun to forget to rise. That’s when I know I need a bit of change in my day. A change from the people with their dehydrated smiles. Change from walking down the same street to work every day. A change from trying to please everyone and never quite succeeding to please anyone.

Scones-Sarsaparilla

When I’m in need of such a change, I bake, because afterall, I am a creature of habit.

These Sarsaparilla scones are based on Belinda Jeffery’s recipe for lemonade scones. The lemonade is there more to help with aeration, rather than provide flavour, so I figured I could substitute it with other fizzy substances. Gingerbeer works well, with buttermilk instead of cream (but the scones will be flatter, due to the batter being wetter), as does Sarsaparilla, which also adds a certain hard-to-describe something to the overall flavour of the scone.

Scones-Sarsaparilla4

Sarsaparilla Scones :
(adapted from a recipe by Belinda Jeffery)

375g self-raising flour
160g wholemeal self-raising flour
50g caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
80g mixed peel or sultanas
250ml cream
250ml Sarsaparilla

Combine both the flours, sugar, salt and mixed in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour in the cream and Sarsaparilla. Gently fold the ingredients together, then tip out onto a floured surface. With your hands, pat the dough out to a 5cm thickness, and use a scone cutter to stamp out the scones.

Place the scones on a lined tray, brush the tops with a little milk (optional) and bake in a preheated 200’C oven for about 20 minutes until golden.

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36 Comments »

  1. the projectivist said,

    July 7, 2009 @ 8:30 pm

    i fancy a change
    but i like when things stay the same.
    i’m annoying like that.

    lovely the word: Sarsaparilla

    anything with Sarsaparilla in it is bound to be a winner
    surely?

  2. Julia @ Mélanger said,

    July 7, 2009 @ 9:17 pm

    Amazing! I have tagged that lemonade scone recipe to trial for my upcoming Royal Show entry. What made you think of saraparilla? I know what you mean about checking your alarm twice. I fear I am a creature of habit, too.

  3. Caitlin said,

    July 7, 2009 @ 9:42 pm

    Huh. I always go for cream scones, but these have me intrigued. I’m quite a creature of habit as well, to the point where my boyfriend gets frustrated with me 🙂 But I’m pretty sure I’d break out of my routine to make these scones – does that mean I can leave work now and make them? 😛

  4. heather said,

    July 7, 2009 @ 10:28 pm

    interesting idea! are they moist, still crumbly??

    cheers,

    *heather*

  5. Laura said,

    July 8, 2009 @ 12:00 am

    Y, I had to laugh at the toilet paper rolling forward. I have to refrain myself to change the direction when I am at people’s houses, it is so annoying. Why are we like that?

    Habits make us feel secure, so we know that we are safe and everything is ok, baking represents all that.

    I will have to read about sarsaparilla as I have no clue of what it is.

  6. Patricia Scarpin said,

    July 8, 2009 @ 12:13 am

    Yum! I wish I could have those for LUNCH, now. 😀

  7. Christie, Fig and Cherry said,

    July 8, 2009 @ 12:17 am

    I love the colour of these – warm brown. I’m guessing this is because of the wholemeal flour or is it the Sarsaparilla? Either way they look worthy of some fresh cream 😛

  8. Sophie said,

    July 8, 2009 @ 12:53 am

    These healthy scones look so lovely, but what is sarsaparilla?

  9. Helen said,

    July 8, 2009 @ 12:58 am

    I also like my toilet paper cascading forwards and i also check my alarm twice before bed! Loving the scones, I’d never think tp out anything bubbly into a scone but then I don’t know much about baking to be honest. I also don’t know much about crumpets 😉 Actually, I am getting know rather a lot about crumpets now…

  10. Irene said,

    July 8, 2009 @ 2:22 am

    Oh, I know just what you mean! I always think of myself, “I am a creature of habit, until I one day I am not,” and it makes sense to no one but me. These scones look amazing, I love the lift in them! A very comforting change of routine.

  11. Manggy said,

    July 8, 2009 @ 3:49 am

    I didn’t know lemonade was fizzy by default in Sydney! 😀 I love the variations you’ve mentioned, but I’d love to try this too– definitely unique!
    I love habits, as they make everything so efficient, BUT I don’t bellyache when something changes either– I do get bored easily too!

  12. snooky doodle said,

    July 8, 2009 @ 6:16 am

    these look great!

  13. Juliana said,

    July 8, 2009 @ 6:28 am

    Sarsaparilla…yummie…haven’t had these for a while. What a nice way to wake up 🙂

  14. Steph said,

    July 8, 2009 @ 8:27 am

    Using sarsaparilla is such a great idea, now I’m brainstorming other random fizzy drinks that I could use too. I was going to try lemonade scones but they sounded too sweet. Sarsparilla and ginger beer sound so much better, and yours have such a lovely colour on them! (Can you tell I’m a little bit scone obsessed?)

  15. Lorraine @NotQuiteNigella said,

    July 8, 2009 @ 8:33 am

    I love making lemonade scones! Although the recipe I use only has 3 ingredients in it which makes it hard to resist. Is it very sarsparilla-y?

  16. erin @ dessert girl said,

    July 8, 2009 @ 9:51 am

    These sound awesome! All three flavors sounds good to me, lemonade, sarsaparilla, and ginger!

  17. Trisha said,

    July 8, 2009 @ 1:31 pm

    Mmmm these are unique scones! Where can you get sarsaparilla in Sydney?

  18. shaz said,

    July 8, 2009 @ 2:45 pm

    Snap! (Belinda Jeffery and scones 🙂 ).Yours look way more delicious. Does sarsparilla taste like root beer? Can’t say I’ve ever tried it….sounds yummy though.

  19. cakebrain said,

    July 8, 2009 @ 2:53 pm

    that looks like a fantastic treat to have for breakfast if you ask me…
    Yum!

  20. Y said,

    July 8, 2009 @ 6:45 pm

    Thanks everyone, for the scone-love!

    the projectivist : Me too. Love the word. Could whisper it all day.

    Manggy : Never occured to me. Isn’t lemonade better fizzy anyway 🙂

    Julia @ Mélanger : Well I must confess, it was partly because I ran out of gingerbeer, and had a four-pack of Sarsaparilla lying around..

    Caitlin : Cream scones? I usually like buttermilk ones.

    heather : Just like a normal scone, very moist and light (and tasty!)

    Laura : Oh, you too! Wow, I wonder how many more of us there are out there ..

    Sophie : It’s a plant, but I know it more as a flavoured beverage. Like root beer, if you’ve had that before?

    Helen : Honestly, I think your knowledge about crumpets must be encyclopaedic by now.

    Steph : If you’re worried about the scones being too sweet, you can always reduce the amount of added caster sugar.

    Lorraine @NotQuiteNigella : It has a hint of ..something. Probably not noticeable enough for anyone to ask if there was an unexpected ingredient in the scone.

    erin @ dessert girl : Lemonade is probably the way to go. I just wanted to try something different this time round.

    shaz : Sort of. Kind of hard to describe unfortunately.

  21. Miakoda said,

    July 8, 2009 @ 8:52 pm

    ‘Dehydrated Smiles’ …that expression really struck me as very astute and real…I love it when people come up with stuff like this- everyone is so talented!
    Very rustic looking scones, I love them!

  22. Howard said,

    July 8, 2009 @ 11:11 pm

    This is definitely a throwback to The Smurfs, great show that was indeed. I like your dehydrated smiles expression, unfortunately I think I have one of these when I goto meetings at work with people I don’t like because of their constant lame attempts at looking intelligent with the use of corporate buzz words /end rant.

  23. celine said,

    July 8, 2009 @ 11:48 pm

    these look crazy good!

  24. anna said,

    July 9, 2009 @ 1:09 am

    What a great idea! I don’t even think I can get sarsaparilla around here.

  25. clumbsycookie said,

    July 9, 2009 @ 9:12 am

    Why did I never heared of Sarsaparilla? I feel awckard now… Maybe I need a change too ;)!

  26. shez said,

    July 9, 2009 @ 12:25 pm

    oh! you are back 🙂

    and with such simple deliciousness (which, at the moment, is my favourite kind of deliciousness). does the wholemeal flour make them not-quite-as-light? or is that combatted by the self-raising in the flour and the bubbles in the sarsaparilla?

  27. Hannah said,

    July 9, 2009 @ 12:33 pm

    Sarsaparilla, now that’s a flavor you don’t often see these days! I’ve actually never found it in stores, but I think root beer might make a nice substitute… And knowing my love of root beer, I’m drooling over the idea of using that to make scones!

  28. Eva said,

    July 9, 2009 @ 4:17 pm

    Although I haven’t the slightest idea what sarsaparilla is nor what it tastes like, your scones look like they could transform any gray and rainy morning…

  29. FFichiban said,

    July 9, 2009 @ 9:29 pm

    Oh mannn I soooooooo need these scones badly for morrow…

  30. Audax Artifex said,

    July 9, 2009 @ 11:58 pm

    I just love lemonade scones and so do most people I make them a lot of my guests I like the idea of sarsaparilla – I tried stout beer (with less sugar also) once it wasn’t too bad nice with cheese. Lovely blog you have. Cheers from Audax

  31. Arwen from Hoglet K said,

    July 10, 2009 @ 9:44 pm

    You can’t please everyone, but I’m sure at least some people appreciate you even if they aren’t letting you know. Your photos of the scones make me smile just imagining how they would taste warm.

  32. gine said,

    July 11, 2009 @ 12:00 am

    yummy ^^ … !! XOXO

  33. Aran said,

    July 11, 2009 @ 2:01 am

    I’m so intrigued by this Y!

  34. Y said,

    July 11, 2009 @ 9:47 pm

    shez : Actually, the scones are very light, so I guess the wholemeal flour doesn’t affect them in that way. Belinda used it to add more interest to the overall flavour of the scone.

    Also, forgot to mention to Trisha that I got my sarsaparilla from the local supermarket. Fizzy drinks section, obviously 🙂

  35. Vera said,

    July 13, 2009 @ 9:06 am

    How wonderfully unusual! Stunning photos!

  36. { Lemonade Scones } « Mélanger :: to mix said,

    July 22, 2009 @ 7:41 am

    […] the Lemonade Scones recipe that I knew worked well.  Around the same time, I read Y’s post for sarsaparilla scones (using the same basic recipe) and knew this would be the version I use for my […]

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