Scones King Arthur Basic Recipes

KING ARTHUR FLOUR SCONES

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.
• Work in the butter just until the mixture is unevenly crumbly; it's OK for some larger chunks of butter to remain unincorporated.
• In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla or other flavor, and half and half or milk.
• Stir in the fruit, chips, and/or nuts, if you're using them.
• Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until all is moistened and holds together.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment; if you don't have parchment, just use it without greasing it. Sprinkle a bit of flour atop the parchment or pan.
• Scrape the dough onto the floured parchment or pan, and divide it in half. Round each half into a 5" circle (if you haven't incorporated any add-ins); or a 6" circle (if you've added fruit, nuts, etc.). The circles should be about 3/4" thick.
• Brush each circle with milk, and sprinkle with coarse white sparkling sugar or cinnamon sugar, if desired.
• Using a knife or bench knife that you've run under cold water, slice each circle into 6 wedges.
• Carefully pull the wedges away from the center to separate them just a bit; there should be about 1/2" space between them, at their outer edges.
• For best texture and highest rise, place the pan of scones in the freezer for 30 minutes, uncovered. While the scones are chilling, preheat the oven to 425°F
• Bake the scones for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they're golden brown. When you pull one away from the others, it should look baked all the way through; the edge shouldn't look wet or unbaked.
• Remove the scones from the oven, and cool briefly on the pan. Serve warm. When they're completely cool, wrap in plastic and store at room temperature for up to several days.

SIMPLE SCONES

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• In a medium bowl, mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a box grater; use your fingers to work in butter (mixture should resemble coarse meal), then stir in raisins.
• In a small bowl, whisk sour cream and egg until smooth.
• Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form. Use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball. (The dough will be sticky in places, and there may not seem to be enough liquid at first, but as you press, the dough will come together.)
• Place on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7- to 8-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp. of sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper), about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.

CREAM TEA SCONES BY KING ARTHUR FLOUR

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or not; it helps with cleanup, but isn't necessary to prevent sticking).
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
• Sprinkle the vanilla over the dry ingredients, then drizzle in the cream, tossing and stirring gently all the while and adding just enough to make a cohesive dough. There shouldn't be any dry flour in the bottom of the bowl, but the dough shouldn't be particularly sticky, either.
• Lightly flour a clean work surface. Divide the dough in half, and gently pat each half into a 5 1/2" circle about 3/4" thick.
• Brush each circle with heavy cream, and sprinkle with coarse white sparkling sugar, if desired.
• Place the two circles of dough on the baking sheet, and cut each into 6 wedges. Pull the wedges apart a bit, leaving them in a circular pattern with about 1" space between each wedge.
• For best rising, place the pan of scones into the freezer for 15 minutes, while you preheat your oven to 425°F.
• Bake the chilled scones for 14 to 15 minutes, until they're starting to brown, and they're baked all the way through, without any wet dough in the center.
• Remove the scones from the oven. Serve warm, split and spread with a bit of sweet butter and jam or preserves.
• Store cooled scones airtight at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage. To refresh, microwave individual scones very briefly; or place scones on a baking sheet, tent with aluminum foil, and reheat in a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until heated through.