Brown Butter Peach Scones

By Captain Taylor Mann-Barrett from the Galley of SV Indigo - @TheBoatBakery

When I tell people I love baking on our boat they look at me as if I have drunk too much seawater… or rum. But there is something so cozy about being in a little galley waiting for the next little pastry to be ready before a long passage. My Sourdough Peach Scones are perfect for those summer months that you want something light, satisfying and sweet. (And don’t mind sweating in your galley first thing in the morning).

They are easy to make and contain some great already on-hand galley ingredients. I created this recipe with canned peaches and canned coconut cream to satisfy the texture and flavor, without sacrificing the icebox space or the headache of finding heavy cream and fresh peaches.

Now I understand not everyone has a live sourdough starter on their boat, but this is your sign to join the cult and get you one of the most versatile ingredients in the world. Also if you plan to become a boat baking aficionado, splurge on a good dough whisk- the smaller the better. You will NEVER go back to a traditional whisk again, I swear on my sails it changes your whole cooking game.

The Recipe:

Makes enough scones for your crew. Size them as you wish -- as big or small as you want!

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1½ sticks of salted butter cold and chopped
1 egg
¼ cup of sourdough starter active or discard
½ tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup canned coconut cream
1 can of canned peaches and pat them dry or fresh peaches if you wish!

How to do it:

Set your oven to 400° F. Yes is it about to be toasty if you do not have a generator for AC, but these are SO worth it.
Get a good cookie sheet or pan ready on the counter and two mixing bowls. And by mixing bowls I mean a cereal bowl that has been in your galley since your boat’s first owner and the giant bowl that your crew thinks is an insane purchase (until they eat delicious baked goods from it or have to use it to bail the dinghy after a heavy rainstorm)
Take your 1 ½ sticks of butter and chop them in little cubes. The littler the better! After this grab your canned peaches and strain them in the can. If you can lightly dab them with a paper towel to dry them a bit. You don’t want your dough so wet you have to throw it a life ring.
Grab your bowl and mix your flour (2cups) with your baking powder (1tsp) and sugar (½ cup) and give it a little mix with your spoon, dough whisk or hands then add your cold chopped butter. Mix all of this again with your mechanism of choice until it resembles beach sand that is near the ocean. You should have some chunky butter bits in there (think of them as mushy seashells in your sandy mixture).
In another bowl, add your single egg, sourdough starter (¼ cup, active or discard) vanilla extract (½ tsp) and your coconut cream (¼ cup-may need more later so don’t toss it!). Whisk everything together then add in the dry ingredients from your first bowl and lightly mix together. You do not want to overmix, if the batter seems too dry add a small amount of coconut cream until it slightly sticks together between your fingers.
Take small amounts of your dough and lightly roll them into little dough balls in your hands. You can make them as big or small as you want. Because my oven is a little smaller I sometimes make larger scones or little ones depending on how hungry my crew is. (If you want to pop these in the icebox overnight and bake in the morning before a passage you can at this point. You can also freeze your dough if you wish!)
When you are ready to bake, sprinkle the tops with a little sugar (I like to use brown sugar to bring out the peach flavor for these), then pop in your oven for about 15-20 until they are golden brown (I usually have to do a few batches). When they are finished let them cool off NOT on their pan until they are an edible temp. Serve them warm and with a good cup of french press coffee! These scones don’t last long on our vessel after we bake them, but you can store them in an airtight container for 4 days or in the freezer for two months!

Why it's great for the galley:

Canned peaches can last 2-3 years in your boat’s pantry and coconut cream can last 1-2 years, so if you don’t get to this recipe until next summer it’s all good!

Canned peaches retain vital fiber, potassium, and vitamins and are rich in antioxidants. In fact, research suggests the canning process can make certain nutrients, like vitamin C and folate, more readily available to your body than in fresh peaches. If you can find peaches in 100% fruit juice even better! Coconut cream contains electrolytes like potassium, which are great for natural hydration, maintaining fluid balance, and muscle function- perfect for a long day sailing!

Galley Hack: Remember when storing canned goods in your boat, you never want to use cans that have dents, rust, or buldging lids. Double check your cans before leaving ports before long passages.

To make this recipe easy on your galley’s clean up crew, I suggest using your easiest to clean bowls, one spoon or dough whisk & your hands (wash them beforehand you, salty dog). The only nonperishable item you really have in this recipe is your butter, which is something I am guilty of stockpiling anytime a provisions run is made. But everything else is made up of ingredients that every chef or baker tends to have in their presence at all times. This recipe is perfect for cool summer mornings in the cockpit, afternoon visits to your friend’s vessels or a reheated post dinner treat.

Cheers,
Captain Taylor Mann-Barrett
@TheBoatBakery