Basic Scones

I have a two-and-a-half week old Punkin, which makes for interesting mornings.  Primarily it makes it difficult to get breakfast.  He's kind of demanding. So I decided to make Streusel-Topped Pumpkin Bread from a recipe I found on Tasty Kitchen, since it would be something I could eat for breakfast with one hand.  But then I didn't have enough pumpkin.  So I made scones instead.

This is a recipe I've been using for a long time, actually since Home Ec class in high school.  It's basic and can be adapted in many different ways by throwing in some dried fruit, chocolate, citrus zest, or some combination of those.  They're very simple to make and taste delicous.  These scones have a lighter texture than the scones you would get at your local coffee shop, and if you'd like a denser scone you can add some additional flour to this recipe.


Here's what you'll need:

Flour, sugar, baking powder, butter, salt, half & half, and an egg.

Start by preheating your oven to 450〫.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Measure 2 cups of all purpose flour and place in a large mixing bowl.

Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 4 teaspoons of baking powder.

Stir this all around to get the baking powder well incorporated into the flour.

Then grab some really cold butter.  1/4 cup in fact.  That's half a stick.  But you knew that.  I throw mine into the freezer for a little while before making these.  Take it to the large side of a box grater and grate it into the flour mixture.  The more conventional way to do this would be to cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter, but I find this to be easier.  And the butter being really cold contributes to a better texture.

So pretty!

Then stir it up so it looks like coarse meal.

Throw in 1/4 cup sugar.

Then measure out 2/3 cup of half & half.  You could use milk if you want, but why?

Then add an egg and beat it all up.

Did you notice my pictures of the half & half don't match with the measurement I told you?  That's because I wasn't paying attention.  So I put in too much half & half and had to add more flour later.  It all worked out in the end.  But don't use this much.  Use 2/3 cup.  You'll be happier, and so will your scones.

Make a well in your dry ingredients.

And pour the half & half and egg mixture right in.

Stir it all up until it's all incorporated.

Generously flour a work surface and knead the dough on it until it's smooth and not sticky.  Add more flour if needed to keep it from sticking to the counter and your fingers.

Shape it into a circle and cut it into wedges.  A pizza cutter works well for this.  I cut mine into 16, but you can make larger ones and do 8.

Put them on the cookie sheet and bake them for 10 minutes.

Now, I decided to make a glaze for these, so I put them straight in the oven like this.  But if you want to keep them plain, which would be perfect if you wanted to serve them with fresh fruit like strawberries and whipped cream, you could brush the tops of these with a beaten egg for a nice crisp top.  You could then sprinkle it with sanding sugar before baking and it would be delightful.  But I didn't do that this time.  

After 10 minutes, they will look like this.

I made a maple glaze for these, using about 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon maple flavoring, and 2 tablespoons of half & half.  It ended up a little thinner than I wanted, so you should start with 1 tablespoon and see what you think.

Spoon over the cooled scones. 

Delish!