Scone Fever

I’m not sure how I was exposed, or when I contracted it, but I seem to have a serious case of scone fever. Every Saturday I wake up and feel compelled to make scones, and so I have. Good for me, because I’m starting to have a nice stash of scones in my freezer in case of emergencies, and good for you because I’m getting really good at making them. I like them sweet and savory, rough and craggy, and filled with whatever I’ve a yen for. I’ve used pecans, bacon, cheddar, caramelized onions and Gruyere (biscuits), lemon zest and blueberries, and I’m just getting warmed up.

Saturday it was lemon-blueberry scones. I love that combo, and we always have frozen wild blueberries in our freezer.  Because I was adding lemon zest and juice to the batter instead of heavy cream I used sour cream. I also tried mixing this batch in my stand mixer rather than my food processor, which worked as well. You can also mix them together using your hands or a pastry cutter (wish I could locate mine) but any way you choose you’re going to need two bowls.

There are many different styles of scone-making. Some people shape the dough/batter into a round, and cut that into triangles. Some roll it out and cut the scones with a round biscuit cutter, I like using a scoop because I prefer the rough texture of the surface. I enjoy the slightly crisp and craggy exterior contrasting with the buttery, cake-like interior. The more I make them, the more opinionated I get about them. You can find a bunch of scone and/or biscuit  recipes on this site.

Here’s what I’ve learned:

• For savory scones no sugar, for sweet/fruit scones add 3 TBL sugar, plus sprinkle sugar (sanding or Demerara work best) on top before baking
• Just like any baking recipe, combine dry and wet ingredients separately, then add wet to dry
• The colder the butter the better, and you can use frozen butter and grate it, rather than trying to cut it
• For the ‘cream’ you can use heavy cream, full fat yogurt or sour cream. If you’re using lemon juice yogurt or sour cream are better because lemon juice will curdle the cream. Lemon zest won’t curdle cream. (low fat milk products will work, but won’t be nearly as tender)
• Add-ins go last, except tiny things like zests, peppers, herbs, those should get added to either the dry or wet ingredients (depending on their state)
• If using blueberries, frozen are best, and don’t defrost first.
• Scone batter is pretty heavy, so it can take add-ons well.
• Always toast nuts for best flavor
• Handle as little as possible for the most tender scone. If you’ve over-handled the batter, let it sit for 30-45 minutes to relax

Basic Scone

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Serves	6-8
Prep time	30 minutes
Cook time	20 minutes
Total time	50 minutes
Meal type	Breakfast, Dessert

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 Large eggs
• 3/4 cups cream (Can also use sour cream and full fat yogurt)
• 3 tablespoons water (or lemon juice)
• 5 tablespoons cold butter (cut into 8 small pieces)

Note

For add-ins try:

• 1/2 cup shredded cheese such as sharp cheddar, smoked gouda or Gruyere
• 1 cup of fruit; frozen blueberries, peeled and chopped apple, currants, chopped dried apricots
• When using fruit add the zest of 1 lemon, or half an orange
• 1 cup toasted walnuts or pecans
• 3/4 cup crispy chopped bacon, or diced ham will pair well with cheese and or nuts

Directions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 425 (400 for convection) Mix dry ingredients together in a food processor or stand mixer (using paddle attachment) Add butter to dry ingredients and pulse or mix on low to combine. Mixture should look pebbly with no visible chunks of butter

Step 2

In a separate bowl mix together eggs and cream until well combined Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until just combined Add any add-ins and mix on low to incorporate

Step 3

Scoop with a 1/3 cup scoop onto a parchment or Silpat lined pan Bake 18-20 minutes. Tops should be golden brown, and a toothpick inserted should come out clean

Step 4

Alternatively, turn batter/dough onto a well floured counter and roll to 3/4" thick circle and cut into 8 wedges Or, roll out and cut into rounds using a cookie or biscuit cutter Bake according to above directions