Whether you pronounce it "scawn" or "scohne" these easy-to-make baked treats are a family favourite.
Savoury scones are a nice addition to a simple soup and salad supper, and sweet ones are the perfect accompaniment to a hot cup of tea.
The basic technique for making scones doesn't vary much from recipe to recipe, but here are a couple of tips: make sure the butter and cream in the recipe are ice cold, and use a light touch when handling the dough.
You don't want the butter to melt from contact with warm hands. If the dough looks too dry after you've mixed it, add a tiny bit more cream until it just comes together. The dough should look "shaggy."
You can freeze unbaked scones to bake later by placing the uncooked wedges on a baking sheet and freezing them. Then store them in plastic food bags in the freezer. When you want to bake them, place the frozen scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet, brush with cream or an egg wash and bake as the recipe directs (they will need additional baking time if frozen).
Orange Glazed Strawberry Scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
½ tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp finely grated orange zest
½ cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg, lightly beaten
½ cup whipping cream
1 cup diced fresh strawberries
1 egg beaten with 2 Tbsp milk (for glazing tops of scones)
½ cup icing sugar4 tsp freshly squeezed orange juice
Preheat oven to 400° F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt and orange zest. Cut the cold butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender until butter is the size of small peas. In a measuring cup, stir together the egg and whipping cream slowly pour the egg-cream into the flour mixture, and stirring until just combined.
Add the strawberries and gently stir until they're evenly mixed in. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead it gently into a ball, then pat it out into a circle three-quarters of an inch thick. Cut into eight wedges and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Brush the tops of the scones with the egg-milk wash, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until tops are golden and scones are firm to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Whisk the icing sugar and orange juice together and drizzle over the warm scones. Makes eight scones.
Bacon Cheddar & Chive Scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt1 Tbsp baking powder1 tsp sugar
¼ cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup snipped fresh chives or finely diced green onions (green part only) 1 cup crumbled crisp-cooked bacon¾ cup plus
2 Tbsp whipping cream, plus a bit more for brushing tops of scones
Preheat oven to 425° F. Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender until pieces are the size of small peas. Mix in the cheese, chives and bacon until evenly distributed.
Add three-quarters of a cup of whipping cream and mix to combine. If the dough doesn't come together, slowly add more of the remaining cream until it does. Transfer the dough to a floured surface, form it into a ball, then flatten it out with your hands into a circle three-quarters of an inch thick. Cut into eight wedges, transfer them to a parchment-covered baking sheet and brush them with a bit of whipping cream. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm. Makes eight scones.
Iced Pumpkin Scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
9 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (if you can't find this, make your own by mixing together
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves and
1/8 tsp ground ginger
6 Tbsp cold butter, cut into small pieces½ cup canned pumpkin purée
½ cup golden raisins (optional)
3 Tbsp light cream (plus extra if needed)
1 large eggIcing:
1 cup icing sugar
2 Tbsp milk
¼ tsp vanilla
Heat oven to 425° F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until pieces are the size of small peas; stir in raisins. In a measuring cup, whisk together the pumpkin, cream and egg. Stir the mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined, adding additional drizzles of cream if necessary to make dough come together. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead gently to form into a ball.
Flatten the dough into a circle about one-inch thick and cut into eight wedges. Place the wedges on a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush with a little additional cream. Bake until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Mix together icing ingredients until smooth and drizzle over warm scones. Makes eight scones.
Angela Shellard is a self-described foodie. She has done informal catering for various functions. Contact: [email protected].
