Why does Martha tell me to line a baking pan for scones with parchment paper?

[EFerrari]

Can I use typing paper, lol?

Is there anything else I should know before I start making a mess?

:hi:



Ingredients

Makes 1 dozen

* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
* 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
* 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 4 ounces (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
* 1 cup (1/2 pint) blueberries
* 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
* 1 large egg, plus 1 large egg lightly beaten for egg wash
* 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* Fine sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together flours, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter, or rub in with your fingers, until mixture has the texture of coarse meal. Stir in blueberries.
3. Whisk together buttermilk, 1 egg, and the vanilla. Drizzle over flour mixture, and stir lightly with a fork until dough comes together but a small amount of flour remains in bowl.
4. Turn out dough onto a work surface, and gently knead dough once or twice just to incorporate flour. Pat dough into a 1-inch-thick round. Cut into 12 wedges. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 22 minutes. Transfer scones to wire racks to cool. Scones are best served immediately but can be frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw, and reheat in a 350-degree oven for 10 minutes.

From Martha Stewart Living, June 2009

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/blueberry-buttermilk-scones?backto=true

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

1. Probably because she owns stock in it.

:rofl:

There's a couple of reason. First, it usually is more fool proof than buttering & flouring the pans - sometimes you don't get a nice even layer of butter & flour. Second, it's supposed to be faster (though not for me if it's a round pan. I've read all the tricks & still end up cutting & re-cutting & snipping.)

No typing paper, but you can try waxed paper. It always worked for me in the days before parchment paper was readily available.

Have fun & those look delicious.

[EFerrari]

2. Thanks! My mom treats herself on the weekends so I thought I'd

make something for her breakfast.

And you're probably right about the stock! lol

[Warpy]

3. If you don't have waxed paper, use aluminum foil

You can usually manage to peel foil off everything but macaroons, something that absolutely require parchment paper or they're welded to the surface no matter what you use. Scones will peel nicely, though.

Been there, done that.

Then you can recycle the foil with the cans.

[EFerrari]

4. That sounds better than unwrapping all the butter in the house

or using WD40 on printer paper. lol

There's a roll of florist's paper around here somewhere and I swear one side is waxed but it's probably in that box of stuff with everything else I can't find after my move.

Thanks for the tip!

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

5. I don't like to use aluminum foil.

I swear, I can taste the foil on the food. Eeek!

[Warpy]

6. it's no good for acid or high sulfur foods

so I wouldn't recommend it for onion scones.

However, plain butter scones, even studded with currants or other fruit, would be fine on it.

[EFerrari]

7. After all that, I just used butter and flour and they were fine. lol

I made six big ones - making 12 would have made them too puny. They cooked a little faster than 22 minutes and at 5 degrees lower than the recipe called for as this oven seems to run a little hot. (Hope they make it to breakfast. :) )

[Arkansas Granny]

8. The recipe I use for scones has the same ratio of flour and butter.

I bake mine on a lightly greased baking sheet and they turn out just fine with nicely browned bottoms and no sticking. I think the parchment paper may be just for convenience.

[tigereye]

9. that's what my husband does when he makes em...