This recipe is very easy to make. But while you're at it, make a double or triple batch and either freeze the extra disks of raw dough or bake all the dough and freeze the finished scones. Then next time, they're even easier to make.
Makes 6 to 8
2 cups white flour (or for wheat scones, 1 cup white flour and 3/4 cup wheat flour)
1/2 cup sugar
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 to 8 pieces
Flavor ingredients (see below)
2/3 cup buttermilk (less if adding wet flavor ingredients; see below)
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Refrigerate 15 minutes. Transfer the flour mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the flavor ingredients and buttermilk and mix until a dough ball forms. Shape the dough into a round disk about 1 inch thick. Refrigerate or freeze until you're ready to bake. Defrost before baking.
To bake, preheat an oven to 375°F. Cut the dough disk into 6 or 8 wedges and place the wedges on a parchment-lined baking sheet 2 inches apart. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.
Flavor ingredients
To flavor your scones, add 1/2 cup fruit and/or nuts, up to 1 teaspoon spices, and up to 1 teaspoon extract. If you’re using fresh fruit and it’s very wet (mashed bananas, for example) start with only 1/3 cup of buttermilk and add a little more if the dough seems too dry. The variations are endless, but here are some examples:
• For classic currant scones, add 1/2 cup currants
• For cinnamon raisin scones, add 1/2 cup raisins, 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg and a pinch of cloves
• For almond scones, add 1/2 cup sliced almonds and 1 teaspoon almond extract
• For chocolate chip scones, add 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• For cranberry orange scones, add 1/2 cup dried cranberries and 1 tablespoon orange zest
• For banana pecan scones, add 1/2 cup mashed bananas and 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
Copyright Jill Silverman Hough. All rights reserved.
www.jillhough.com.