The Basic Scone Recipe

When you think of teas, you think of all the beautiful eye candy; crisp linens, intricately flowered china, pastries and most of all, scones. If you haven’t tried one yet, you need to run to the bakery and do it now! You are missing out.

Scones are between a biscuit and a cookie. Not too sweet, yet definitely not without taste! I believe it has a taste of its own. It’s a delight to indulge on a scone.

You can make numerous kinds of scones. Find your favorite basic scone recipe and you can add any extra flavor to it. For example: almonds, cinnamon bits, chocolate chips, any type of berry: blueberry, raspberry, etc. There are so many possibilities!

*This recipe has currants or raisons…this is the ingredient that you would substitute with your pick of flavor you wish for your scone.

Remember: The trick to good soft scones is the less you handle it the better. (And this is why scones are not very pretty. And so my saying goes: “The uglier the scone the better!”)

Basic Scone Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 4 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/4 cup white sugar

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1/2 cup dried currants or raisins

• 1/2 cup milk

• 1/4 cup sour cream

• 1 egg

• 1 tablespoon milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large bowl.

Cut in butter using a pastry blender until it is in pea sized lumps.

Stir in currants.

Mix together 1/2 cup milk and sour cream in a measuring cup. Pour all at once into the dry ingredients, and stir gently until well blended.

Either put scone dough in a circle and cut with pizza cutter into eight or more wedges, depending on the size you want. Or you can flatten the dough and cut out with biscuit or round cookie cutter.

Place on cookie sheet making sure they don’t touch.

Scones do grow so you will want to place them at least an inch apart.

Whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon of milk. Brush the tops of the scones with the egg wash. Let them rest for about 10 minutes.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until the tops are golden brown, not deep brown. Break each scone apart, or slice in half. Serve with butter or clotted cream and a selection of jams - or even plain.

~Rochelle Valasek