This most traditional scone has a creamy biscuit like texture obtained by using both butter and heavy cream. The most reliable approach to mixing the butter into the dry ingredients is to use a food processor fitted with the metal blade. I personally like to use a hand held pastry cutter (I hate the clean up when I use my food processor) and it works beautifully. Resist the urge to eat the scones hot out of the oven. Letting them cool for at least 10 minutes firms them up and improves their texture.
For the Scone -
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for the counter
5 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
1 cup heavy cream (preferred) you may also use 1 cup half and half or 1 cup whole milk
Glaze - apply to top of scone using a pastry brush
1 egg
1/4 cup heavy cream (preferred) you may also use 1/4 cup half and half or 1/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
sugar to sprinkle on top
The above is the basic scone recipe. I will list a couple of variations that I like to make. The dough is very forgiving and you can easily add a little of this and a little of that.
Variation 1 - Everything Scone
1/2 cup chopped white chocolate
1/4 cup chopped soft caramels - I like to use Goetze's Old Fashioned Soft Caramels
1/4 cup chopped chocolate - dark or milk
1/4 cup cinnamon chips
1/4 cup toffee chips
Variation 2 - Blueberry White Chocolate Scone
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup chopped white chocolate
1 teaspoon vanilla or lemon flavoring
cinnamon sugar to sprinkle on top of glaze
Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. If using a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together to combine, about 6 pulses. By hand - just make sure you mix it together :). Next, if using a food processor, scatter the butter evenly over the top and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal with a few slightly larger butter lumps, about 12 pulses. If mixing butter by hand, use your pastry cutter to do the same.
For Variation 1 - all ingredients can be added and mixed by hand with a sturdy spoon.
For Variation 2 - add the white chocolate and flavoring and mix well. Add the blueberries and gently mix in.
Turn the dough and any floury bits out onto a floured counter and knead until it forms a rough, slightly sticky ball. Press the dough into a 9 inch cake pan. Unmold the dough onto your floured counter and cut into 8 wedges. Place the wedges on a lightly greased baking sheet.
For Variation 1 - Brush the top with the glaze mixture and sprinkle LIBERALLY with sugar, coarse if you have it.
For Variation 2 - Brush the top with the glaze mixture and sprinkle LIBERALLY with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Bake until the scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm :) Note - If the blueberries are especially juicy you may need to add a few minutes to the cooking time.
For the Scone -
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for the counter
5 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
1 cup heavy cream (preferred) you may also use 1 cup half and half or 1 cup whole milk
Glaze - apply to top of scone using a pastry brush
1 egg
1/4 cup heavy cream (preferred) you may also use 1/4 cup half and half or 1/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
sugar to sprinkle on top
The above is the basic scone recipe. I will list a couple of variations that I like to make. The dough is very forgiving and you can easily add a little of this and a little of that.
Variation 1 - Everything Scone
1/2 cup chopped white chocolate
1/4 cup chopped soft caramels - I like to use Goetze's Old Fashioned Soft Caramels
1/4 cup chopped chocolate - dark or milk
1/4 cup cinnamon chips
1/4 cup toffee chips
Variation 2 - Blueberry White Chocolate Scone
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup chopped white chocolate
1 teaspoon vanilla or lemon flavoring
cinnamon sugar to sprinkle on top of glaze
Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. If using a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together to combine, about 6 pulses. By hand - just make sure you mix it together :). Next, if using a food processor, scatter the butter evenly over the top and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal with a few slightly larger butter lumps, about 12 pulses. If mixing butter by hand, use your pastry cutter to do the same.
For Variation 1 - all ingredients can be added and mixed by hand with a sturdy spoon.
For Variation 2 - add the white chocolate and flavoring and mix well. Add the blueberries and gently mix in.
Turn the dough and any floury bits out onto a floured counter and knead until it forms a rough, slightly sticky ball. Press the dough into a 9 inch cake pan. Unmold the dough onto your floured counter and cut into 8 wedges. Place the wedges on a lightly greased baking sheet.
For Variation 1 - Brush the top with the glaze mixture and sprinkle LIBERALLY with sugar, coarse if you have it.
For Variation 2 - Brush the top with the glaze mixture and sprinkle LIBERALLY with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Bake until the scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm :) Note - If the blueberries are especially juicy you may need to add a few minutes to the cooking time.
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