I had never heard of these Scottish favorites until they came up on my YouTube feed. I made a double batch of mashed potatoes for a
cottage pie just so I would have leftovers to try the recipe.
They're super basic. Potatoes, butter, salt, and flour. If you don't use self-rising flour, then baking powder. The recipe I'm using from Christina's Cucina has it as a simple ratio. I ended up with 3/4 pound of mash, which made 12 scones the size I cut them. Maybe they're supposed to be smaller. Dimensions were not given. I'm calling a pound of potatoes 8 servings. So, cut this in half if you want four servings. I put the rest in the freezer.
As for the taste, they're a lot like pan-fried gnocchi, or very soft naan. The limited gluten keeps them from being too much like a biscuit. You can definitely taste the potato. I wouldn't call them scones in the traditional sense. They're more like a great way to turn leftover mashed potatoes into a breakfast bread.
1 lb russet or Yukon potato
1/2 C self-rising flour, or A.P. flour + 2 tsp baking powder, plus more for the board
2 Tb unsalted butter, room temperature, cut in cubes
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1. Peel the potatoes. I don't peel anything unless I have to, but this really does help the consistency. Cut into 1/2" cubes and place in a saucepan with water to cover. Bring to a low boil, lower heat to just over a simmer, and cook until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Drain.
2. You can rice the potatoes if you want, but I always mash as whipped potatoes in the stand mixer with the paddle. This can even be done by hand, if the potatoes are done enough. Add the salt and butter and mix until smooth. If you want to add any seasonings or herbs, this is the point you would do it. I made this first attempt plain.
3. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, stir in the flour (and baking powder) until incorporated. Knead slightly to create a smooth dough. Divide into 4 portions and start heating a dry skillet over medium-high.
4. Lightly flour a work surface. Roll each portion out into a disc 1/4" thick, sprinkling with flour as needed to keep the rolling pin from sticking. Cut each round into 4 or 6 pieces, according to your preference. Carefully move the wedges to the skillet and cook in batches, about five minutes on each side, until golden.
5. You can serve the tatties as is, but it is traditional to reheat them in the grease from your breakfast meat. I put a dab of bacon grease in the pan in the morning and reheated them that way. Simply toasting is fine.
Serves about 8
Difficulty rating :)
