Vanilla Sugar Scones Recipes

THE BEST SCONE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 375F (190C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the basin of a food processor and pulse to combine.
• Cut butter into Tablespoon-sized pieces and scatter over flour mixture, pulse until butter is cut up into the flour mixture and butter pieces are no longer visible.
• Combine the heavy cream and vanilla extract in a measuring cup and pour heavy cream over your flour mixture.
• Pulse until dough begins to clump together.
• Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and (handling lightly, as you don't want to over-work this dough) add any add-ins at this point, gently working them into the dough. Fold the dough in half over itself and use your hands to gently flatten layers together. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and fold in half again, repeating this step 5 times and taking care to not overwork the dough.
• Form the dough into a smooth disk about 1" thick by 6" round.
• Cut the disk into 8 wedges, pressing the knife straight down with each cut.
• Transfer wedges to prepared baking sheet and place about 2" apart. Brush lightly with heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake on 375F (190C) for 14-16 minutes or until edges are just beginning to turn golden brown. Don't over-bake your scones or they will be dry and tough.
• Allow scones to cool on baking sheet before serving and enjoying.

HOW TO MAKE PERFECT SCONES

Steps:

• 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. See video above for a closer look at the texture. Place 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, add the add-ins, then mix together until everything appears moistened.
• Pour onto the counter and, with floured hands, work dough 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 heavy cream. Press into an 8-inch disc and, with a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut into 8 wedges. For smaller scones, press dough into two 5-inch discs and cut each into 8 wedges. To make 10-12 drop scones: Keep mixing dough in the bowl until it comes together. Drop scones, about 1/4 cup of dough each, 3 inches apart on a lined baking sheet. To make mini (petite) scones, see recipe note.
• Brush scones with remaining heavy cream and for 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). If making mini or drop scones, use 2 baking sheets. After refrigerating, arrange 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. Feel free to top with any of the toppings listed in the recipe Note below.
• Leftover scones keep well at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for 5 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.

VANILLA SUGAR SCONES

Steps:

• Put the oven rack on the upper third of the oven. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Stack two baking sheets together and line the top sheet with parchment paper.
• In a food processor, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.
• Process about 10 seconds to blend dry ingredients.
• Add in the butter chunks and process with three pulses for 6-8 seconds per shift. Mixture should be fine and grainy with no big chunks of butter.
• Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and add the egg, vanilla and 3/4 cup of the cream as well as the scrapings of the vanilla bean. Stir with a fork. Stir the mixture briskly but firmly about 10-14 times to bring it together somewhat, bringing the dough into the center of the bowl and turning the bowl as you do so. Then knead briefly with hands to pull mixture together a bit more, about 5-6 times, until you have a rough dough that holds together but is a touch ragged looking. This is when to add the additional 1/4 cup more cream, if necessary.
• Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of sugar on a work surface.
• Then, using your hands to continue mixing, turn out the dough onto the sugared work surface. Blend with your fingertips, kneading or squeezing dough gently but firmly to get a soft dough that holds together, pressing it gently in the sugar on the board in order to help knead the dough but have the sugar adhere at the same time. Once you have a mass, firmly knead the dough 6-8 times.
• Let the dough rest 3-5 minutes.
• Divide the dough in two and pat it into two discs, each about 1-inch thick and 6-8 inches in diameter. Cut the discs into four wedges.
• Set the scones on the lined baking sheet, spacing them evenly. Brush them with melted butter.
• Bake until the scones are nicely browned on top, 17 to 20 minutes.

CLASSIC SCONES WITH JAM & CLOTTED CREAM

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Tip the self-raising flour into a large bowl with ¼ tsp salt and the baking powder, then mix.
• Add the butter, then rub in with your fingers until the mix looks like fine crumbs. Stir in the caster sugar.
• Put the milk into a jug and heat in the microwave for about 30 secs until warm, but not hot. Add the vanilla extract and a squeeze of lemon juice, then set aside for a moment.
• Put a baking tray in the oven. Make a well in the dry mix, then add the liquid and combine it quickly with a cutlery knife - it will seem pretty wet at first.
• Scatter some flour onto the work surface and tip the dough out. Dredge the dough and your hands with a little more flour, then fold the dough over 2-3 times until it's a little smoother. Pat into a round about 4cm deep. Take a 5cm cutter (smooth-edged cutters tend to cut more cleanly, giving a better rise) and dip it into some flour. Plunge into the dough, then repeat until you have four scones. You may need to press what's left of the dough back into a round to cut out another four.
• Brush the tops with a beaten egg, then carefully arrange on the hot baking tray. Bake for 10 mins until risen and golden on the top. Eat just warm or cold on the day of baking, generously topped with jam and clotted cream. If freezing, freeze once cool. Defrost, then put in a low oven (about 160C/140C fan/gas 3) for a few minutes to refresh.