Today's Case:
Z Best Cafe Blueberry Scones
Re: The best scones I've ever had
From: Caily
To: Phaedrus
Date: 9/12/2024, 4:57 PM
On 9/12/2024 8:18 AM, Caily wrote:
Hi Uncle Phaedrus,
This request might be too niche, but I've exhausted the search on my end
so I've gotta hand it over to you! I had the best blueberry scone of my life
when I was about 7 or 8 years old, from "Z Best Cafe" in the John Dunne
Shops in Taos, NM. It blew my mind and no subsequent scone has ever
come close to being as good as it was. My aunt lived in Taos, which is why
I was visiting. The cafe closed and the owners shifted over to a farmers
market model, selling their scones at the Taos and Los Alamos farmers
markets, but by that point my aunt had left New Mexico and I've not had
occasion to go back ever since. I've sampled every blueberry scone that's
crossed my path, and baked umpteen recipes over the course of my life,
chasing the perfection of theirs, but nothing can touch it! Any assistance
you can provide, even a mere clue, would be tremendously appreciated.
Best,
Caily
Hello Caily,
There is an article about Frank and Nancy Zinno, owners of the "Z Best Cafe," including a recipe for their scones (including blueberry) here:
Bound By Love and Scones
Phaed
From: Teresa Doval Page
Z Best Scones recipes
(6 to 8 medium-sized scones)
Basic directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Place 1 lb. of mix in a bowl
Measure 2/3 cups of water (non chlorinated). Add water to dry mix and
stir 20-25 times just until moistened. Add more water, if necessary.
Drop mix (after adding fruit or add-ons) onto greased baking sheet.
Sprinkle with sugar. Bake 18-20 minutes or until light golden brown
on top and bottom.
Blueberry scones: Add 2 tbs. of sugar to the mix. Stir in 1 cup of frozen
or fresh berries. Stir in about 2/3 cup cold water (to keep the berries
from turning the batter blue). Sprinkle with sugar before baking.
Peach scones: Add 2 tbs. brown sugar to the mix. Stir in 1 cup thawed
frozen or fresh peaches. Sprinkle with brown sugar before baking.
Blueberry peach scones: Same as blueberry, except use 1/2 peaches
and 1/2 blueberries.
Raspberry chocolate scones: Add ½ cup chocolate chips to the mix,
follow package directions. After putting the scones on the baking
sheet, poke in frozen raspberries. There are great with the lemon glaze!
Lemon glaze: Zest and juice of 1 lemon. Add powdered sugar and stir.
If glaze is too stiff, add a little warm water. If it is too thin, add more sugar.
Glaze should run easily off spoon.
