Scones kind of have a bad wrap. Have you ever bitten in to one that looks moist and delicious only to discover that you have a mouth full of dry, crumbling crust that sucks up every ounce of saliva you have? It happens. Which is why I suggest making your own scones and following this tried and true recipe! Now, in general, scones are a dryer, crumblier texture than a roll or a cookie. They are also meant to be eaten with a beverage like tea or hot chocolate to help offset the drier texture. Since they go so well with tea time, having a platter to serve them on is a must! A two-tier cake stand is a good idea because it allows you to layer and separate the scones by type. Get this awesome one here.
Now that we’ve got those things covered, it’s time for the recipe! I’m going to include a basic recipe that you can jazz up any way you see fit, then a few fancy recipes for those events when you want to go the extra mile!
Basic Scone Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1/4 c. granulated sugar
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 3 c. flour, plus more for surface
- 1/2 c. chilled butter cut into pieces
- 1 beaten egg
- 1 1/4 c. heavy cream, plus extra for brushing
- raw sugar for sprinkling
Process:
Start by heating your oven to 375F. While your oven is heating, mix your sugar, baking powder, soda, salt and three cups of your flour in a large bowl (like this one) until it’s well combined. Next, toss in the pieces of butter and toss them in the dry mixture until it’s well coated. Once it’s coated, use your fingers or a pastry cutter (like this one) to work the butter into the flour. The goal is to have pea-sized pieces remaining.
Once you have the right consistency, make a well in the center of the mixture and add your egg and heavy cream to the middle. Then mix the wet ingredients into the dry a little bit at a time with a fork until you have a loose dough. Here is where you can add in extra ingredients if you’re flavoring your scones. The dough might be a little dry, and that’s totally okay. The goal is to not overwork the dough too much or your scones will be tough. When you have the mixture loosely combined, lightly knead it in the bowl until it starts to come together.
Next, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat it until you have a 1″ thick circle. Then cut into 8 wedges and transfer the wedges to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the dough with some cream and sprinkle with the raw sugar before baking for 25-30 minutes or until the scones are golden brown. Don’t over bake or you will end up with really dry scones. Serve with clotted cream and jam!
Modifications
Want to zest up your scones? Try adding some of these combos!
Cinnamon-Chocolate: Add in 1 c. bittersweet chocolate pieces and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Drizzle with chocolate if desired.
Mixed-Berry: Add in 1 c. fresh chopped berries. Drizzle with a simple sugar frosting if desired.
Pecan-Oat: Add in 3/4 c. old-fashioned oats and 3/4 c. toasted chopped pecans. Then sprinkle 1/4 c. oats with raw sugar over the scones before baking.
English Scones
These scones differ a little from the recipe above because they use self-raising flour and are meant to be served sandwich style with clotted cream and jam in the middle.
Ingredients:
- 3 1/2 c. self-raising flour
- 4 Tbsp. cubed butter
- 2 Tbsp. sugar
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 1/4 c. milk
- 1 egg yolk, whisked
Process:
Begin by heating your oven to 425F. While it’s heating, you’re going to mix the butter and flour in a mixing bowl until you have a fine crumb texture. You can do this with your hands, a fork, or a pastry cutter. When you have a good fine texture, add in the sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix well before forming a well in the middle of the mixture.
Next, pour in the milk to the middle of the well and mix until just combined before turning the dough out onto a floured surface and kneading for just a minute. Remember, the key is not to overwork the dough! Then, roll the dough out to about 1-2″ thick and use a cookie cutter or cup to cut out circles. Put your scones onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brushing with egg yolk. Bake those babies for 12 minutes and serve with clotted cream and jam!
Whether you’re going for wedge scones or British scones, both of these are a great addition to any brunch or tea time. Enjoy!
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