PREP TIME 10 mins | COOK TIME 17 mins | TOTAL TIME 27 mins | SERVES 6-8
Oh, scones. Possibly the fastest sweet cake on earth, they come together in just one bowl and with incredibly little effort. These are great for breakfast or brunch, served with butter and jam, or treat them like a dessert and serve with macerated berries and whipped cream. In a word, they’re perfect. Master this one recipe and you’re set for brunches and desserts forever.
Scones take a little technique from quick breads (like muffins) and a little from pastry. The only really important part is having cold butter. You want the butter to be very cold when it goes into the flour mixture — I grate mine right out of the freezer for maximum quickness and butter dispersal. Watch this episode for all my tips and tricks.
Here’s the full how-to:
Buttery Scones
INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour (300 g)
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup butter, frozen
¾ to 1 cup cream or milk
Turbinado sugar (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Grate in the frozen butter and toss to coat with the flour mixture. Add the cream or milk all at once and stir until just combined. Transfer the dough (it will still look rough!) to a lightly-floured surface and knead into a circle about 1 to 1½ inches thick. Cut into 6 or 8 triangles. Transfer the scones to the baking sheet. Brush each one with a little milk or cream and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake for 17 to 25 min or until scones are golden on top and puffy.
TIP: Omit the sugar for savoury scones (and add ½ cup grated sharp cheddar if you like!). Or you could add any dried fruit to this -- add about ½ cup to the flour mixture.
Click below for a printable version of this recipe.