I realize I have shared a scone recipe with you before … but this one … this scone recipe is my very, very favorite scone recipe of them all. Given the ingredients, it just doesn’t seem like something you need to feel guilty over indulging in. Good, clean and honest ingredients make for the very best coffee-time treat.

Wet Ingredients:
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla (can sub almond, orange or lemon extract) **see optional ingredients to determine extract flavor**
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (can sub crème fraîche)

Dry Ingredients:
2 cups flour - I always use whole wheat pastry flour - but please, do as you wish. There is no denying that the regular white flour makes for a fluffier scone!
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup of very cold butter, cut into tiny cubes for easier incorporation into the flour mixture.

A side note about this recipe: I always used salted butter, usually because I prefer the taste of salted butter -but- also because if you notice there is only 1/8 of a teaspoon of salt, that is not much salt! Not really hardly any salt at all for a bakery recipe! Salt will intensify the rich flavor of the fat (ie: butter) and RULE of all RULES: fat transports flavor! So why not use the salted butter in this recipe, eh? It will taste better.

Brush With:
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 Tablespoon heavy cream

Very Versatile Oh-So-Optional Ingredients:
**goodies to be added to dry ingredients, selected extract to the wet ingredients.**

A) Add any dry fruit (1/3 cup for this size recipe) Be certain to pick an extract flavor that you think would suit the flavor of the fruit. Vanilla Extract/Cherry Orange Extract/Cranberry Lemon Extract/Blueberry

B) If you use Almond Extract, perhaps you want to sprinkle chopped almonds in with the dry ingredients or almond slivers on top?

C) Use 2 Tablespoons of lemon rind and 1 Tablespoon of poppyseeds *If you do this version, I like to add lemon extract – but it tastes just as lovely with vanilla added instead of lemon extract.*

D) 2 Tablespoons of orange rind and currents, cranberries or chocolate chips

E) Chocolate chips with vanilla extract in the recipe. 1/3 cup of chocolate chips = Delish!!!

F) Cheddar cheese and rosemary. Crumbled bacon. Think savory, skip the extract – don’t be afraid to try new versions. Please let me know what different versions you come up with. I love to make savory scones and serve them with a hot bowl of mulligatawny in the fall – decadent, I know, but it’s delightful to dunk warm scones instead of store bought crackers!

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Mix wet ingredients together, set aside. In a separate (large bowl) mix dry ingredients together. Cut very cold butter into small pieces and incorporate into the flour. Add wet ingredients to dry. Do not over mix. Stir only until it’s mostly together and then dump the bowl contents onto a floured counter. Knead approximately three times to incorporate the dry bits. Roll out into about a 7″ circle about 1.5″ high. Cut the scones with a biscuit cutter and place onto a greased baking sheet.

If you’re feeling a bit rustic (or lazy, or don’t want flour on your counter to clean up!) – mix the contents of the bowl slightly longer and scoop (with an ice cream scoop) out onto a greased cookie sheet. You may have to adjust the cooking time a bit – adding a few minutes to the overall baking time.

In a small bowl, mix 1 large egg (lightly beaten) and 1 Tablespoon of heavy cream. Brush the scones before placing in the oven. This will insure a shiny and golden shell.

Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm with a pat of butter, a smidge of crème fraîche, jam, lemon curd or all of the above!

Posted by Amy Beth Cupp Dragoo / Uncategorized