Scones

buttermilk scone

Scones are so easy to make.  No one should be afraid to make them.  They are worth a try no matter how much experience you have in the kitchen.

scone dough rolled out

Flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt are whisked together in a bowl.  Then cold butter is cut up into small pieces.  Then, using your hands or a pastry blender or a fork, combine the cold butter with the dry ingredients.  This will take a bit of time so plan on having something to think about while you do this.  Kitchen time is great for meditation on all sorts of subjects since there's often time where you have to mix or knead or something else, each of which can take a while.

Once the the mixture comes to a coarse-ground cornmeal-like texture then you are ready for the next step.  It's OK if a few bits of butter are larger.  This is a very forgiving dough.  At this point, in your mixing bowl, create a well in the middle of the dough.  Then pour in buttermilk and, for this recipe, a generous amount of lemon zest.  Grab a mixing utensil (I prefer a large serving fork for things like scone dough as well as biscuit dough) and start stirring the outer ring of dry ingredients into the liquid.  It won't take long to come together.  Once it does, flour your counter surface and dump out the dough.  Roll it around a bit, compressing it with your hands, creating a nice ball of dough, and cut the ball of dough in half.  You can get 6 scones from each half.

Take one half of the dough ball and reform it into a new ball, flatten just a little with your hands, and then roll it out with your rolling pin to a diameter of about 7 inches.

Take a knife or a bench scraper (my favorite) and cut three equal cuts across the dough to create 6 triangles.  No need to worry if they aren't all exactly the same size and shape.  These are scones.  They are a comfort food with a casual homestyle appearance.

Now place the triangles on a baking sheet (lined with parchment is good), and brush them with warm melted butter.  Finally sprinkle them with a bit of sugar.  I sometimes use regular granulated sugar, sometimes coarse large-crystal sugar, or a blend of both.  Use whatever you want.

In a 425 F oven, they only take 11 or 12 minutes to cook.  When they come out, they have a beautiful color, not too dark on the bottom, and a wonderful exterior from the sugar and butter.

Now you're ready to serve them.  My favorite way to have this particular scone is to top it with raspberry preserves.  Warm out of the oven they are very delicious.  And at room temperature later in the day they make great little snacks.

So give them a try.  They are quick, easy, and forgiving.  And you'll love them.