Scones can be cut into triangles or made as drop scones, similar to biscuits (see images below).
Scone Recipe
Recipe from “Sally’s Baking Addiction” sallysbakingaddiction.com
I absolutely love scones, but they are tricky for me to make, much like pie crust or biscuits, which also require crumbly textures. Even so, I tried my best not to mix the dough too much. When I do make these scones, which is not often enough, it is a real treat! I usually prefer to have them with a cup of chai tea or some of my mom’s elderberry jam, which she makes from the wild elderberries around here.
Even though scones and biscuits are similar, they are not the same at all. Scones are a bit sweeter and slightly dry, while biscuits are a bit less crumbly (in my experience), and when they do have a filling, it’s usually more of a cheese or something savory instead of sweet like fruit or chocolate. Lots of recipes have similar ingredients, but it’s the way you put them together and how much of each ingredient you add that changes how it ends up – that’s just baking! In a book I read, I came across an explanation of the difference between two pastries. They both had similar ingredients, but one required more mixing, making it tougher, while the other required less mixing, making it flakier.
The book itself is also great, and I highly recommend reading it if you have the chance; it’s “Yummy” by Victoria Grace Elliott. I read this one in 2023, and I really enjoyed it. It has super cute characters and super cute outfits, and I loved reading about all the rich history between different deserts and all the pretty stories. And if I remember correctly, it also has a few recipes in there for you to test out. There is a second book in the series also that I haven’t had the chance to read yet, but it looks just as good and seems to cover more savory dishes, rather than sweet.
Another book series with delicious-sounding recipes is the “Hannah Swenson Mystery” series by Joanne Fluke. It’s all about Hannah Swenson, who runs a bakery and coffee shop in the small town of Lake Eden, Minnesota, and solves murders with her sisters, friends, and boyfriends. I hope that in the future of the series, Tracy will be older, closer to my age, and that she might help Hannah with her murder investigations, solving cases together. I think that would be really cool and sounds perfectly in character for Tracy. The next book in the series, “Pumpkin Chiffon Pie Murder,” is coming out this fall, and I’ll be listening to the audiobook version as soon as it’s available. You can find these books at the local library. I know they have them. I’ve seen them. You may have to go searching a bit for some of the Christmas titles, but those are also definitely worth a read. If I remember correctly, there are around 30 books in the series right now, and most of them are in chronological order. If you want to start with the first book, story-wise, then I would go with “Christmas Cake Murder”, then “Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder” just because “Christmas Cake Murder” takes place before the events of the series.
If you’re going to read or listen to these (I personally always listen to the audiobooks just because of my dyslexia and I do a lot of crafts so I can work on those while I listen) but don’t want to go out to the local library you can borrow them on Libby, you just have to have a library card for a library first. I have been using Libby and, before that, Overdrive for multiple years now, and it’s absolutely great. I love it. I borrowed so many books.
I hope you enjoy the recipe and all my next ones. And if you do pick up a Hannah Swenson book and like it, I’m so glad those books are excellent and some of my favorites. Enjoy!
Scone Ingredients:
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for hands and work surface
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp, 113g) unsalted butter, frozen (make sure it very cold it’s important)
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream or buttermilk (plus 2 Tbsp for brushing on top)
- 1 large egg
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1–1.5 cups of optional add-ins, such as chocolate chips, berries, nuts, fruit, etc. (I didn’t add anything)
- coarse sugar for topping
Instructions:
- Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder together in a large bowl. Grate the frozen butter using a box grater. Add it to the flour mixture and combine with a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingers until the mixture comes together in pea-sized crumbs. Place it in the refrigerator or freezer as you mix the wet ingredients together.
- Whisk 1/2 cup heavy cream, the egg, and vanilla extract together in a small bowl. Drizzle over the flour mixture, and add the add-ins if you’re adding them. Then mix together until everything appears moistened.
- To make triangle scones: Pour the dough onto the counter and, with floured hands, work it into a ball as best you can. Dough will be sticky. If it’s too sticky, add a little more flour. If it seems too dry, add 1-2 more tablespoons of heavy cream. Press into an 8-inch disc and, with a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut into eight wedges. For smaller scones, press dough into two 5-inch discs and cut each into eight wedges.
- To make 10-12 drop scones, mix the dough in the bowl until it comes together. Then, drop scones, about 1/4 cup of dough each, 3 inches apart on a lined baking sheet.
- Brush scones with the remaining heavy cream and for an extra crunch, sprinkle with coarse sugar. You can do this before or after refrigerating in the next step.
- Place scones on a plate or lined baking sheet (if your fridge has space!) and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat(s). They work just as well. If making mini or drop scones, use 2 baking sheets. After refrigerating, arrange the scones 2-3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet(s).
- Bake for 18-26 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and lightly browned on top. Larger scones take closer to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes, then top with any toppings you like.
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