Scones

From the Joy of Baking...
Here are two ways to pronounce scone; "Skon" and "Skoan". Scones are believed to have originated in Scotland and are closely related to the griddle baked flatbread, known as bannock. They were first made with oats, shaped into a large round, scored into four to six triangles, and cooked on a griddle either over an open fire or on top of the stove.

This small cake is a quick bread, similar to an American biscuit, made of wheat flour (white or wholemeal), sugar, baking powder/baking soda, butter, milk (whole, half and half, light cream, heavy cream, buttermilk, yogurt, etc.), and sometimes eggs. This produces a soft and sticky dough that has the ratio one part liquid to three parts wheat flour. It needs to be baked in a moderate to hot oven so the dough sets quickly thereby producing a light scone with a light to golden brown floury top and bottom with white sides. The texture of the interior of the scone should be light and soft, and white in color.

The correct mixing of the ingredients is crucial in producing an excellent scone. Although you can use an electric mixer I prefer to mix the dough by hand using either a pastry blender, two knives or just your fingertips. Mixing by hand helps to prevent over mixing of the dough. To begin, the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder/baking soda, and salt) are whisked together in a large bowl. Next the butter is cut into the flour until it looks like coarse crumbs. It is important that the butter be cold so when it is worked into the flour mixture it becomes small, flour- coated crumbs, not a smooth dough. This method is similar to how a pie dough is made and gives the scone a wonderful delicate and flaky texture. This is the point where any dried or fresh fruit, nuts, zests, and other flavorings you may be using are added. The wet ingredients are then mixed together separately and then added to the flour mixture. Only mix the dough until it comes together. I cannot stress enough that this dough should not be overworked and that a light hand is needed. The test will be in the results. If you end up with a hard and doughy scone, you will know to mix the dough less the next time you make them.

When the dough is mixed, gather it up in your hands and place on a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough a few times to make it a cohesive mass and then roll or pat it into a 7 inch (18 cm) round that is about 1 inch (2.54 cm) high. You can cut the scone dough into 6 to 8 triangles or else use a lightly floured cookie cutter and cut into rounds. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and brush with an egg wash, if desired. Using an egg wash gives the scone a nice appearance and helps with browning. Scones that are placed close together, that is almost touching, will have soft sides and their crusts will be less crispy. If you place them further apart the scones will be crusty all over. The scones are done when they are nicely browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of the scone comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. If you want crusty scones, cool them uncovered. If a softer crust is desired, then wrap the hot scones in a clean dish towel. Scones are best served warm.

Plain scones are traditionally served warm, split open, and topped with butter, jam or preserves, clotted cream, and/or lemon curd. However, many of the scone recipes today that are flavored with fruits, spices, nuts, zests are best eaten plain.

Note: Can use light cream, half-and-half or milk instead of heavy whipping cream for a lighter scone.

Note: If you find the bottoms of the scones are browning too much during baking, use two sheets pans (place one pan inside another).

Note: Using buttermilk, instead of heavy cream, makes a lighter, more bread-like scone. They are baked at a higher than normal oven temperature which gives them a darker, crispier crust. Buttermilk has a nice thick creamy texture with a rich tangy buttery taste that makes baked goods tender.
If you do not have any on hand and can't run to the store, you can make your own by adding 1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar, cider vinegar, or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Let stand 5 to 10minutes before using.