Basic Scone Food

BASIC SCONE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse to combine.
• Cut the butter into pieces, and add to the food processor.
• Pulse the food processor until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
• With the food processor running on low speed, stream in the cream.
• When the dough has gathered itself into a ball, turn off the food processor and divide the dough into two equal portions.
• Flatten each portion of dough into a disc shape, about 1 1/2-inches thick.
• Score each disc into 6 triangles with a knife, and pull the triangles slightly away from one another (allowing about 1/2-inch in between).
• Bake the scones for 14 to 18 minutes, or until set in the centers and slightly golden on the bottoms.

SIMPLE SCONES

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• In a medium bowl, mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a box grater; use your fingers to work in butter (mixture should resemble coarse meal), then stir in raisins.
• In a small bowl, whisk sour cream and egg until smooth.
• Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form. Use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball. (The dough will be sticky in places, and there may not seem to be enough liquid at first, but as you press, the dough will come together.)
• Place on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7- to 8-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp. of sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper), about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.

BASIC SCONES

Steps:

• Grease a baking sheet and preheat the oven to 425 F or 220 degrees C.
• In a bowl, mix the flour and salt together.
• Rub in the butter with your fingertips until no lumps are left and the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
• Stir in the sugar and baking powder.
• Add the milk a little at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the mixture begins to stick together.
• Using one hand, pull the mixture together into a ball and plop onto a floured surface.
• Knead lightly to form a smooth ball.
• Place on a plate and let the dough rest in the fridge for 10 minutes.
• Roll out onto a floured surface until it is about 1/2 inch thick.
• Use a round cookie cutter or a drinking glass, dipped in flour, to cut the dough into circles 2-1/2 to 3 inches across.
• When you lift the cutter from the dough, be careful not to twist it!
• This is important.
• If you twist, you will twist the gluten in the dough and make it hard for the scones to rise straight up when they are baking.
• Place the scones on a baking sheet and brush the tops with the beaten egg.
• Be careful only to brush the top, don't let the wash drip down the sides of the scones.
• Bake for about 10 minutes until golden and well risen.
• Remove to a cooling tray.
• Serve warm with butter or cool, topped with fresh strawberries for a special summer treat.