Scone Muffins = Scoffins
I had an idea of trying to make scones with polenta (course corn meal) using a cream scone recipe. The dough ended up being a bit too gloopy, probably because the polenta is not as absorbent as flour, and so I spooned the mixture into a muffin tray to bake them, instead of rolling and cutting as you normally would with scones. I was quite surprised how well they turned out, although I do believe they needed another 5-10 mins baking - so I've added that extra time below. You may need to vary this a little depending on your oven.
1 cup polenta
1 cup self raising flour
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
200 mls pure cream (avoid thickened cream, as it usually contains gelatine or vegetable thickeners)
up to 1 cup of milk
Pre-heat oven to 200c
Grease a 6 cup muffin tin, and line with a little extra corn meal
Sift the flour, then mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour in the cream and stir through quickly, then pour in a little of the milk at a time until you reach a gooey doughy consistency. But don't stir it too much, you're aiming to just combine all the ingredients, not create a smooth dough. Spoon the mixture into the muffin moulds, and bake for 20-25 mins, until a test skewer comes out clean, and the tops are burnished golden.
Eat them with chutney and creamy cheeses, or sliced meats. Chutney and brie works surprisingly well as a replacement for the jam and cream you might usually have with a scone.
