Perfectly Buttery Cream Scones 5 Ways Food

PERFECTLY BUTTERY CREAM SCONES, 5 WAYS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Cut butter into flour mixture with two forks or a pastry blender until crumbly and mixture resembles small peas. Freeze until butter is hard, 14 to 16 minutes. Add cream stirring with a fork just until dry ingredients are moistened. Gently knead into a ball in the bowl.
• Turn dough out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pat dough into an 8-inch circle (about ¾- to 1-inch thick). Cut into 8 wedges; separate wedges about ½ inch. Brush with egg.
• Bake, rotating baking sheet once, until golden brown and center is firm, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; cool 10 minutes. Drizzle with Buttermilk Glaze.
• Make Buttermilk Glaze: Whisk together confectioners' sugar, buttermilk, and vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth.
• Omit Buttermilk Glaze. Whisk tangerine zest, 1/3 cup tangerine marmalade, and finely chopped fresh rosemary into cream. Microwave 1/4 cup tangerine marmalade and 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary until just melted. Brush over warm scones. Garnish with small rosemary sprig.
• Reduce sugar to 2 tablespoons and omit Buttermilk Glaze. Toss scallions, crumbled feta, and cracked black pepper into flour mixture before adding cream.
• Toss blueberries, lemon zest, and finely crushed lavender blossoms into flour mixture. Sprinkle glazed scones with a few lavender blossoms.
• Reduce sugar to 2 tablespoons. Toss country ham, shredded extra sharp Cheddar, jalapeño into flour mixture. Top dough wedges with jalapeño slices before baking.

CLASSIC CREAM SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425F.
• Lightly butter a baking sheet. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes and distribute them over the flour mixture. With a pastry blender or two knives used scissors fashion, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• In a small bowl, stir together the cream, egg, and vanilla.
• Add the cream mixture to the flour mixture and stir until combines.
• Stir in the currents/raisins (optional). With lightly floured hands, pat the dough into a 1/2-inch thickness on a lightly floured cutting board.
• Using a floured 2 1/2-inch-diameter round biscuit cutter or a glass, cut out rounds from the dough and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Gather the scraps together and repeat until all the dough is used.
• Lightly brush the tops of the scones with the egg mixture, if desired.
• Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until lightly browned.
• Remove the baking sheet to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes.
• Using a spatula, transfer the scones to the wire rack to cool.
• Serve warm or cool completely and store in an airtight container.
• Makes about 14 scones.
• Variation: Add about 1 1/2 teaspoons of grated lemon peel to the dry ingredients.
• My variation: Classic Scones 280 grams all-purpose flour 65 g granulated sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/8 teaspoon salt 110 g unsalted butter, chilled 6 tablespoons milk 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar 125 g raisins Preheat oven to 220C.
• Directions as above.

ULTIMATE SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 220C/gas 7/fan 200C and lightly butter a baking sheet (unless you're using a non-stick sheet). Tip the flour into a mixing bowl with the salt. Shoot in the butter, then rub together with your fingers to make a reasonably fine crumbed mixture, lifting to aerate the mixture as you go. Try not to overrub, as the mixture will be lighter if it's a little bit flaky. Now stir in the sugar.
• Measure the buttermilk, then mix in the milk to slacken it. Make a bit of a well in the middle of the flour mixture with a round-bladed knife, then pour in most of this buttermilk mixture, holding a little bit back in case it's not needed. Using the knife, gently work the mixture together until it forms a soft, almost sticky, dough. Work in any loose dry bits of mixture with the rest of the buttermilk. Don't overwork at this point or you will toughen the dough.
• Lift the ball of soft dough out of the bowl and put it on to a very lightly floured surface. Knead the mixture just 3-4 times to get rid of the cracks.
• Pat the dough gently with your hands to a thickness of no less than 2cm and no more than 2.5cm. Dip a 5.5cm round fluted cutter into a bowl of flour - this helps to stop the dough sticking to it, then cut out the scones by pushing down quickly and firmly on the cutter with the palm of your hand - don't twist it.You will hear the dough give a big sigh as the cutter goes in. Gather the trimmings lightly then pat and cut out a couple more scones.
• Place on the baking sheet and sift over a light dusting of flour or glaze if you wish. Bake for 10-12 minutes until risen and golden. Cool on a wire rack, uncovered if you prefer crisp tops, or covered loosely with a cloth for soft ones.
• Serve with strawberry jam and a generous mound of clotted cream (Cornish people put jam first, then cream, Devonians the other way round). Eat them as fresh as you can.

CREAM SCONES

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.
• Place flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in workbowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Pulse six times.
• Remove food processor cover and distribute butter evenly over dry ingredients. Cover and pulse 12 times, each pulse lasting 1 second. Add currants and pulse one more time. Transfer dough to large bowl.
• Stir in heavy cream with rubber spatula or fork until dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.
• Transfer dough and all dry, floury bits to countertop and knead dough by hand just until it comes together into a rough, slightly sticky ball, 5 to 10 seconds. Cut scones into 8 wedges. Place wedges on ungreased baking sheet. (Baking sheet can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 hours.).
• Brush tops of scones with 1 tbsp heavy cream and sprinkle with 1 tbsp sugar. Bake until scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CREAMY BUTTERMILK SCONES

Steps:

• Beat together the buttermilk, egg and sugar.
• Mix 3 cups flour together with the baking powder, soda and salt.
• Add about 2/3 of the flour mixture to the buttermilk and stir well.
• Gradually add the melted butter, incorporating it thoroughly into the mixture.
• Stir in the remaining flour mixture and the currants.
• A little more flour may be necessary to form a stiff dough.
• Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead for several minutes.
• Separate it into 3 equal parts.
• Shape each part into a thick circle about 4-5 inches across.
• Cut the circles into quarters with a sharp knife, and arrange the scones on a buttered cookie sheet (I use a baking stone).
• Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. (watch them so they don't dry out!).
• Serve warm, or cold if you can wait that long.