Scones

Ahhh…. Scones. Rich. Buttery. Warm. Lots of different combinations. Buttery. Quick. Easy. Did I mention buttery? And warm?

I’m not talking about some canned biscuit dough that you flatten and deep-fry. That’s fry bread. I’m talking about breakfast or afternoon scones. The ones your English great-grandmother made. Actually, mine was Swiss so she probably didn’t make these. But I do.

Scones are so easy. Sift together some dry ingredients, cut in some butter, add any dried fruit or extra flavors, stir in the wet ingredients, pat into a ball, cut and bake. And eat.

The secret to flaky scones is to handle the dough as little as possible – just like homemade biscuit dough or pie crust. You want the butter to form those long, flaky layers as it melts while baking. You can roll out the dough and cut it with a biscuit cutter, but I prefer to just pat it out on a pan and cut into squares or wedges.

Scones lend themselves to all sorts of flavor combinations – use your imagination: raisins and cinnamon, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice, cranberries and orange zest, blueberries and lemon zest, molasses and ginger, chocolate chips and zucchini, chocolate and orange…. I could go on, and I have, but it’s time to start baking.

Tip: if you don’t have buttermilk, use plain yogurt. Just stir in 2 tablespoons of plain milk with the yogurt and egg.

Another tip: use different flours – white, whole wheat, brown rice, garbanzo bean. I like whole wheat mixed with some white flour the best for scones.

Here are the basic instructions for scones:
Sift together dry ingredients.

Cut in butter.

You can also do this in the food processor – mix up the dry ingredients. Cut the butter into chunks, add to the processor.

Pulse until the butter chunks are pea size or a bit bigger.

Put dry ingredients with the butter in a bowl (if you used the food processor). Add raisins, cranberries, blueberries, chocolate chips, or whatever additions you choose to add.

Beat egg or eggs with buttermilk or yogurt. Add any other wet ingredients and whisk. Add to dry ingredients. Knead lightly; press on baking sheet lightly sprayed with cooking spray.

Cut into wedges or squares and slightly separate.

I like to brush them with a little milk or half and half. Then sprinkle with sugar – raw sugar makes a lovely crunchy top.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or as directed by the recipe. When they come out of the oven, cut them again to separate. Serve warm.

Traditionally, they are served with clotted cream or jam.

Ready? Let’s go!

CRANBERRY GINGER OAT SCONES
1 1/3 c. flour      
1 c. oats      
¼ c. sugar      
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda     
1 tsp. ginger      
½ tsp. soda
¼ tsp. cardamom
½ tsp. salt
½ c. butter
3/4 c. dried cranberries
1/3 c. plain yogurt
1 egg

Bake at 375 degrees for 15-16 minutes.

CHOCOLATE CHIP
2 c. flour      
1/3 c. powdered sugar     
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda     
½ c. butter
1 egg
½ c. buttermilk
½ c. chocolate chips

Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

WHOLE WHEAT
1 ½ c. whole wheat flour    
½ c. wheat germ      
1/3 c. sugar      
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda     
1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. salt
½ c. butter
½ c. raisins
1 egg
½ c. buttermilk 

Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

GINGERBREAD
2 c. flour      
¼ c. brown sugar     
1 tsp. baking powder     
1 tsp. ginger      
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. allspice
¼ tsp. salt
½ c. butter
1/3 c. molasses
1/3 c. buttermilk

Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

APRICOT
2 ½ c. flour      
½ c. sugar      
2 tsp. baking powder     
½ tsp. baking soda     
¼ tsp. salt      
½ c. butter
½ c. chopped dried apricots
½ c. buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp. sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon

When assembled, brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

CRANBERRY
1 3/4 c. flour      
½ c. sugar      
¼ c. cornmeal      
2 tsp. baking powder     
¼ tsp. soda      
¼ tsp. salt
½ c. butter
½ c. fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped
2/3 c. buttermilk
½ tsp. grated orange rind
1 egg, lightly beaten

When assembled, brush with milk or half and half and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes.

BLUEBERRY
2 c. flour      
1/3 c. powdered sugar     
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda     
½ c. butter
2/3 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 egg
½ c. buttermilk
½ tsp. vanilla

Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

They don’t all have to be sweet. These are great with dinner instead of biscuits.
CHEESE SCONES
2 c. flour      
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda     
¼ tsp. dry mustard     
½ tsp. salt
½ c. butter
½ c. shredded cheddar cheese
½ c. buttermilk
1 egg

Brush with milk and bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes.


These next scones are from Martha Stewart’s website. They just looked so yummy.
GINGER SCONES WITH CARDAMOM
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cardamom pods, crushed and inner seeds ground, or ground cardamom
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup crystallized ginger, chopped in 1/4-inch pieces
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
4 teaspoons sugar
2 large eggs

Use 1 egg in the dough and one egg, mixed with a teaspoon of water, to brush the wedges before you bake them.  Sprinkle with the 4 teaspoons of sugar. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

This one is super-tasty!
LEMON CREAM SCONES
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1/3 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons heavy cream
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter. In a separate bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup cream, 2 eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Add the cream mixture to the flour mixture, and beat on low speed until just incorporated.

Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface, and form into a flat disc, about 8 inches across and 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut into 8 wedges and transfer to prepared baking sheet.

In a small bowl, whisk together remaining egg and 3 tablespoons cream to make an egg wash. Brush scones with egg wash, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400 degrees until the tops are golden brown and firm, 15-20 minutes.

MUMMY’S SWEET WHITE SCONES
6 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
Pinch of salt
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons superfine sugar
1 heaping tablespoon baking powder
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
4 large eggs
1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons milk
Granulated sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, superfine sugar, and baking powder. Make a well in the center and add butter. Using your fingers, work butter into flour mixture until a crumbly mixture is formed.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 eggs and milk. Add milk mixture to flour mixture and stir to combine.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; knead lightly and shape into a round. Roll dough out until it is 1 inch thick. Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter, cut out scones and transfer to prepared baking sheets.

In a small bowl, beat remaining egg and brush the top of each scone; sprinkle each with granulated sugar.

Transfer baking sheets to oven and bake until golden brown and cooked through, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer scones to a wire rack and let cool slightly before serving.

Have fun with any or all of these! Your tummy will thank you!

Cookies - Part 2 - Bar Cookies and some others

BAR COOKIES

This next is a variation on the Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal cookies in the previous blog. Not only will it transition us into bar cookies, but these are great for a healthy snack. Sometimes, I have one before I run, or after I lift weights. It’s got all sorts of healthy stuff in it, and they are delicious besides.

PEANUT BUTTER POWER BARS

1 ½ c. honey

Boil 1 minute and pour over: (have all this ready before you boil the honey)

3 c. oats

1 c. peanut butter

1 scoop dark chocolate almond spread

½ c. flax seed

1 c. semi- sweet chocolate chips

1 c. dried fruit - cranberries, raisins, dried blueberries, whatever you prefer

½ c. chopped almonds, pecans

1 tsp. vanilla 

You can drop them on wax paper, but I didn’t have time for that. So I pressed the mixture in a 9x13” pan and let them cool; then cut them into squares. I put half in the freezer in a Ziploc bag, and the other half in the refrigerator. They are a nice treat if you need a healthy snack.

If you love peanut butter, and I do, these are wonderful. They are on sort of a granola-like base.

PEANUT BUTTER OAT BARS

1 c. flour        

1 c. whole wheat flour           

2 c. oats        

1 ½ c. packed brown sugar           

2/3 c. shredded coconut        

2/3 c. chopped nuts

1 c. melted butter

1 1/3 c. peanut butter

½ c. semi-sweet chocolate chips 

Mix by hand or in food processor the flour, oats, sugar, coconut, nuts and butter. Press on a10x15" baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350˚for 20 minutes till light brown. Cut into 3" squares while still warm. Drop on peanut butter. When it melts, spread. Remove to racks. Melt chocolate chips in small baggie. Clip one corner and drizzle over peanut butter. About 15 cookies.

You may or may not remember when these bar cookies were at every potluck you ever attended, but they are still great cookies. And easy. But I don’t know why they are magic. All we ever do is eat them.

MAGIC COOKIE BARS

½ c. butter          

1 ½ c. graham cracker crumbs                 

1 can condensed milk 

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 ½ oz. coconut        

1 c. chopped nuts                                               

Melt butter in 9x13" baking pan. Sprinkle on crumbs. Pat down. Pour on milk. Sprinkle with chips, coconut and nuts. Pat down. Bake at 350˚ for 25-30 minutes till set.  

Sweet-tart lemon on a shortbread crust. These are one of my favorite summer cookies.

LEMON BARS

1 c. flour              

½ c. butter          

1/4 c. powdered sugar

2 beaten eggs  

1 c. sugar

1/3 c. lemon juice

1 tsp. lemon zest

½ tsp. baking powder

2 tbs. flour                                                           

Cream 1 c. flour, butter and powdered sugar. Press into 8x8" pan sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350˚ for 15 minutes. Mix rest of ingredients and pour over crust. Bake 20-25 minutes more. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and cool.

This recipe was given to me by my friend, Kathleen. They are easy, buttery, and fabulous.

ENGLISH TOFFEE COOKIES

1 c. butter         

1 c. brown sugar      

1 egg               

1 tsp. vanilla

½ c. flour

½ c. chopped almonds

½ c. toffee chips

½ c. semi-sweet chocolate chips         

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour and chopped nuts. Press in 9x13 pan sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350˚ about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. When they get shiny, spread with spoon. Sprinkle on toffee chips. Cool. Cut into bars.

Sometimes, you want a piece of pecan pie. Desperately.

PECAN PIE BARS

½ c. sugar          

2 c. flour

1 c. butter, softened 

Mix together sugar and flour. Cut butter into sugar/flour mixture till crumbly. Pat into 9x13” pan sprayed with cooking spray and bake 20 minutes at 350˚.

Mix:

1 egg

1 c. chopped pecans

5 or 7 oz. toffee bits

1 tsp. vanilla

1 can condensed milk

Pour over crust and bake an additional 30 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.

BROWNIES 

Are these cookies? Desserts? I don’t know – I just love brownies. This next is a good, basic brownie recipe.

FUDGE BROWNIES

½ c. butter          

2 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate            

1 c. sugar

2 eggs 

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 c. flour

½ c. chopped nuts (optional) 

Melt butter and chocolate. Stir in sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and beat lightly. Stir in flour and nuts. Pour in greased 8x8" pan. Bake at 350˚ for 30 minutes. (Option: right after removing from oven, drop 1/3 c. peanut butter on brownies. When melted, spread and cool) Cut into bars.

These are one of my signature concoctions. If I need a dessert in a hurry for any sort of gathering, I make these. They also freeze well.

PEANUT BUTTER SWIRL BROWNIES

4 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate     

3/4 c. butter       

2 c. sugar

3 eggs slightly beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. flour

2/3 c. peanut butter                                                                                   

Reserve 1 tbs. butter and 2 tbs. sugar.

Melt chocolate and remaining butter.

Stir in remaining sugar.

Stir in eggs and vanilla.

Stir in flour.

Spread in 13x9" pan coated with cooking spray.

Mix reserved butter and sugar with peanut butter and microwave until runny; stir.

Spoon over brownie batter; swirl with knife to marbleize.

I go up and down lengthwise, then crosswise, then lengthwise again.

Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes. While they are baking, make the:  

FROSTING:

½ c. chocolate chips    

2 tsp. honey

2 tbs. butter

¼ c. peanut butter                                                                   

Melt this together

and pour on the brownies as soon as they come out of the oven.

Cool; cut into bars.

SHORTBREAD 

I love shortbread. It’s buttery, rich, and a comfort food. It is probably not good for you. Shortbread is a type of cookie which is traditionally made from one part sugar, two parts butter, and three parts flour. It’s named shortbread because of its crumbly texture from the high fat content, provided by the butter.  

Shortbread is also easy to make in your food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, cream the butter and sugar first, then add the dry ingredients. Mix or knead until the dough is smooth. Most of the recipes tell you to prick the dough with a fork just before baking. This is so you don't get any bubbles on the finished cookie.

These next take a bit of time to roll out, cut, and dip in the chocolate. But they are worth it. They are pretty, and the chocolate sort of soaks in to the cookie.

BUTTER PECAN CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD

2 c. flour                      

½ c. sugar              

1/3 c. cornstarch         

1 c. butter, room temperature            

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. toasted pecan halves

4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

¼ c. butter

2 tsp. honey

Toasted pecan halves                                                                                               

Place flour, sugar, cornstarch in a food processor. Add 1 c. butter cut in chunks, and vanilla and process 30 seconds or until crumbly.

Add toasted pecans; pulse additional 5-10 seconds or till well combined.

On a lightly floured surface, knead dough just until smooth.

Chill 30 minutes. Divide dough in half; roll out to 1/3" thick. Cut with round cookie cutter, place 1" apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake about 14 minutes at 350˚F. Cool.  

Place chocolate, 1/4 c. butter and honey in bowl or measuring cup and microwave, till melted, stirring occasionally.

Dip each cookie halfway,

place on wire rack, put pecan half in center of each. 3 - 3 ½ dozen.  

This is a rich, ginger flavor.

GINGER SHORTBREAD

1 c. flour    

1 c. whole wheat flour

1 c. brown sugar

1 tbs. ginger    

1 c. butter, room temperature and cut in chunks                                                    

In food processor, mix flours, sugar and ginger. Whirl in butter. Press into springform pan. Prick with a fork and press in a border with the fork. Bake at 325° F. for about 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes, remove sides of pan. Cut in pieces while still warm. You can use a pie plate sprayed with cooking spray if you don’t have a springform pan.

CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD

1 c. flour

1 ½ tbs. cocoa    

½ c. powdered sugar

½ c. butter, room temperature and cut in chunks  

½ tsp. vanilla

In food processor, mix dry ingredients. Add vanilla, and drop in butter. Process till smooth. Press in greased shortbread pan (or any 8”) pan. Prick with fork. Bake at 325° F for 30 - 35 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes, remove from pan and cut into pieces while still warm.

I got this pretty little shortbread pan years ago.

If you have one, spray it well with cooking spray before you mash the dough into it. When you take it out of the oven, let it cool 10 minutes, then gently turn out the big cookie on a plate. Most of the time, these will look fine. Some of the time, they crumble.

Then you have to eat the crumbles. Oops. Anyway, cut the cookies along the lines while it's still warm as soon as you put it on the plate.

The previous recipe is good, but I think chocolate, peanut butter and shortbread is better. I could eat this whole pan by myself. I think I have.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER SHORTBREAD

1 1/3 c. flour

3 tbs. cocoa    

½ c. brown sugar

½ c. butter, room temperature and cut in chunks

1/3 c. peanut butter   

½ tsp. vanilla 

In food processor, mix dry ingredients.

Add vanilla, peanut butter and drop in butter.

Process till smooth.

Press in greased shortbread pan (or any 8”) pan. Prick with fork.

Bake at 325° F for 30 - 35 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes, remove from pan and cut into pieces while still warm.

I used to make these in the summer before my lavender plant died. I just don’t know how well lavender, which grows great in France or other warm climates, can grow in Cheyenne. But the cookies are still wonderful.

LAVENDER SHORTBREAD

2/3 c. sugar     

1-2 tbs. finely chopped lavender florets        

2 1/3 c. flour

1/3 c. cornstarch

¼ tsp. salt

1 ½ c. butter, room temperature and cut in chunks    

¼ tsp. lemon extract 

Process lavender with 1/3 c. sugar in food processor till lavender is chopped fine. Add rest of sugar and process. Add flour, cornstarch, and salt, process. Add butter and lemon extract. Process till smooth.  

Divide dough in half. Flatten, wrap in plastic, and chill. Roll out on floured board to 1/4" thickness. Cut out into shapes. Place on cookie sheet lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 325˚ F for 20 minutes, or till just begin to turn pale golden. Cool 1 minute, then transfer to rack.  

Sprinkle with lavender powdered sugar: Put 4-5 springs of lavender flowers in sealed jar with powdered sugar for 24 hours before using.

My grandmother, my father’s mother, made these for my father and me whenever I would visit. These are one of my ultimate comfort foods. I still can’t make these like my grandmother did, but I still try. This makes a lot of shortbread and you have to cut it in half if you do it in a food processor.

MIMI’S SHORTBREAD

4- 4 ½ c. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking powder

2 c. butter               

1 c. brown sugar         

1 tsp. vanilla                                                                                   

In food processor, mix dry ingredients. Add vanilla, and drop in butter. Process till smooth. Roll out on floured surface to about ½” thick. Cut into squares, prick with fork. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 375° for 10-12 minutes until light golden. Cool on racks.

These are sort of a shortbread except for the egg in the dough. These do take a little bit of time, but they are a lovely party or gift cookie.

RASPBERRY STRIPS

2/3 c. sugar       

10 tbs. butter        

3 tsp. vanilla                

1 egg                     

2 c. flour    

¼ c. cornstarch     

½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

2/3 c. raspberry or apricot preserves

1 c. powdered sugar

1 tbs. lemon juice

½ tsp. almond or vanilla 

Cream butter. Add sugar and cream. Add 3 tsp. vanilla and egg and beat. Mix together dry ingredients, add to sugar mixture. Divide dough in quarters. Chill. 

Roll each quarter into 12” log. Place each log on baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Form a ½”  deep indentation, so it looks sort of like a canoe, down the length of each log using an index finger or end of a wooden spoon. Spoon preserves into the center. Bake at 375˚ for 20 minutes or till lightly browned. Meanwhile, combine powdered sugar, lemon juice and almond extract in small Ziploc bag. Snip off a corner, drizzle sugar mixture over warm logs. Immediately cut each log diagonally into 12 slices (do not separate slices). Cool 10 minutes. Separate slices when transferring to wire racks. Cool completely.

I hope you can find some that you like. Or love. Enjoy!