Let’s Get Sconed!

"Once you start on scones, where do you stop?" - English cooking pro Elizabeth David

Here is everything you missed from our recent RetroActive program, Let's Get Sconed!

There are so many variations on the beloved scone. Singing hinnies, fat rascals, rock cakes....dropped, shaped, or rolled....sweet or savory....a "cream tea"....toppings....spreads....! The choices are seemingly endless. Luckily our Older Adults Programming Specialist, Lorel Lewis, is a scone connoisseur and has decided to share her wisdom with us.

It's not like cake. It isn't bread. It's not as sweet as a muffin and nothing at all like a biscuit, although it's just as lovely as a biscuit with butter and jam. It's been around for centuries in dozens of iterations -- baked over a fire, on a griddle, or in an oven. They can be sweet or savory. They can be daintily formed or just a glop. They are never served for supper, but they make a simple cup of tea or coffee feel like a banquet. No one knows where they come from nor do they agree on how to pronounce their name! But they are loved the world over.

I first heard of scones in 1970 when a friend gave me the book Homemade Bread, just published by Farm Journal magazine. This cookbook covers everything you can make with flour from rye bread to cornmeal waffles! I read the recipes, eager to start. But something about that word—scone—gave me a little thrill. Haven't we met somewhere before? Do I know you?  Why do I want to eat this something I have never heard of? That little thrill turned into a long love affair with this wonderful quick bread, and the romance goes on.  Following are the notes I wrote for a scone class I taught a few years back. Be advised: scones are quick and easy to make. The ingredients are simple. They're ready in less than an hour, total prep! 

Read on for more information.  Love someone!  Make some scones. 

Super helpful tips from Lorel, Queen of Scones:

• Have all ingredients ready in one place (mise en place).
• Use fresh double acting baking powder.
• Have oven preheated to proper temperature for baking.
• Eat scones immediately—they are best fresh from the oven. You may hold baked scones for a day or two at room temperature, unless they contain ingredients that should be refrigerated like cheese, fresh fruit, or meat.
• To reheat scones, wrap loosely in foil and warm at 250 degrees for 5-8 minutes.
• Baked scones freeze well. Warm frozen scones in foil at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
• Scones may be prepared ahead and kept raw and covered in the fridge overnight. Bake as directed the next day.
• You can freeze raw scones, too. Bake frozen; add 5 minutes to baking time.

"I'd love to have tea and scones with the Queen; she's my idol." - Caroline Knapp

Cream Scones by Paige Vandegrift, riffed on by Lorel Lewis

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 T baking powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup "mix ins" (see below)
• 1 1/4-1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• raw or turbinado sugar (for sprinkling)

Instructions

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Whisk to blend well. Add your "mix ins". Stir in whipping cream; continue until well blended. Dough should be held together, but not be too sticky. Knead a bit on a floured surface to mix well.

Pat dough in a circle about 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Cut cirlce into 8 wedges and place wedges 1 inch or so apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet (or on parchment paper on a cookie sheet). Brush each scone with some cream and sprinkle generously with raw sugar.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, until golden brown and springy to the touch.

Mix Ins

Combine nuts, dried fruits, chocolate chips as desired. Have fun! Here are some great sweet pairings:

• dried cherries and chocolate chips
• dried cranberries and golden raisins or zest of one orange
• white chocolate chips, apricot pieces, and toasted nuts
• cinnamon chips and toasted pecans
• dried currants and zest of one orange
• chocolate chips and zest of one orange

And some savory options as well:

• Reduce sugar to 2 T for savory scones.
• 3/4 cup sharp cheddar (small diced) and 1/2 cup fresh dill, snipped
• 3/4 cup prepared pesto and 1/2 cup grated provolone cheese
• 1/2 cup thin sliced bacon and 1/2 cup thin sliced scallions
• 1/4 cup each chopped kale and sun dried tomatoes, 1/4 cup grated parmesan

Pro Tip!

Make wonderful biscuits! Omit sugar from this recipe. Roll dough to a 3/4 inch thickness. Cut out biscuits with a round cutter. Gather up scraps and re-roll and cut. Makes about 10 transfat-free biscuits. Serve hot with butter and jam.

"Scones are definitely easier and faster to make than either muffins or brownies—but they're just as delicious." - Leslie Weiner

Potato (Tattie) and Bacon Scones

An excellent savory option when you aren't feeling up to the sweets.

Ingredients

• 5 strips bacon
• 1 cup cold mashed potatoes (use leftovers!)
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour

Instructions

Cook the bacon over medium heat in a large skillet until crispy. Drain. Pour out and reserve drippings. Chop bacon into 1/4 inch pieces.

In a medium bowl, beat together potatoes, egg, salt, and pepper. Beat 2 T of bacon drippings. Beat in the flour and then stir in chopped bacon.

In the same skillet, heat 1 T of bacon drippings over medium heat. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, drop the potato mixture into the hot skillet. Cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown. If needed, drain on paper towels. Serve warm (with syrup?). Makes about 7 scones.

"Everybody must get sconed!" - apologies to Bob Dylan

Scottish Scones

A teacher friend shared this recipe. She begged it from an innkeeper in Scotland while on vacation there. These scones are a distant cousin to the traditional bannock bread. Shortbread-like granola bars! Freeze unbaked in pans, if desired. Lovely with tea.

Ingredients

• 5 cups flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 t salt
• 1 T baking powder
• 1 T cream of tartar
• 4 cups of rolled oats
• 1 cup of raisins
• 2 cups of melted butter (one pound)
• 1 cup of milk

Instructions

Mix first six listed ingredients together in a large bowl. Next, add the remaining four ingredients. Mix well. Batter will be stiff and sticky. Dump out on to a well-floured counter and divide into four rough balls. Press each ball evenly into a greased 8-inch cake pan or pie tin.

Using a sharp knife, cut each flat round of dough into 12 pieces. Cut it in four parts, then cut each 4th into three equal pieces. Brush the tops with milk and sprinkle generously with sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, until nicely browned on top.

OR: Bake one pan and freeze the rest. Wrap the unbaked three in foil and a sealable bag. Freeze and enjoy later!

"Always my fallback is, I'm gonna move to a poor town and open a scone shop." - Andrew Rannells

Maple Oatmeal Scones

These wonderful scones are from Ina Garten's first cookbook. She boasts the buttermilk makes it lower in fat....note it calls for 1 pound of butter! This recipe makes a lot of light and delicious scones. Perfect for a potluck brunch, a luncheon, a special treat for the office, or a long weekend in a cabin with a pile of good books, a good friend, and great coffee (be still my heart!!).

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup quick cooking oats, plus additional for sprinkling
• 2 T baking powder
• 2 T granulated sugar
• 2 t salt
• 1 pound unsalted butter, diced
• 1/2 cup cold buttermilk
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 egg beaten with 1 T milk or water, for egg wash

Glaze

• 1 1/4 cups confectioners sugar
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 t pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flours, oats, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Blend the cold butter in at the lowest speed and mix until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Combine buttermilk, maple syrup, vanilla and eggs and add quickly to the flour and butter mixture. Mix until just blended. The dough may be sticky.

Dump the dough out onto a well-floured surface and be sure it is combined. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 3/4 to 1 inch thick. You should see lumps of butter in the dough. Cut into 3 inch rounds (or whatever size round cutter you have!) with a plain or fluted cutter and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Brush the tops with egg wash. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are crisp and the insides are done.

To make glaze, combine the confectioner's sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla. When the scones are done, cool for 5 minutes, and then drizzle each scone with 1 T of glaze. Sprinkle some uncooked oats on top for garnish. The warmer the scones are when you glaze them, the thinner the glaze will be.

"When in doubt, bake a batch of scones." - Sticks & Scones

Spiced Pumpkin Scones

You can't go wrong with these seasonal flavors.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 3 T heavy cream
• 1 T molasses
• 2 t vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 t baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1 t ginger
• 1 t cloves
• 1 t nutmeg
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment or grease lightly.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, egg, heavy cream, molasses and vanilla. Set aside.

Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt in the bowl of an upright mixer, or in a large bowl. Whisk ingredients together (or quickly run the paddle attachment) to combine dry ingredients.

Cut the cold butter into 1/2 inch chunks. Sprinkle over dry ingredients and cut in with 2 knives or a pastry blender; or use the paddle attachment to work the butter into pea sized chunks. The mixture will look crumbly.  

Add pumpkin mixture and mix with a rubber spatula or fork. You want the dough to just come together.

Dump out onto a lightly floured surface, dust with a little more flour, and work the dough together into a ball. Dust the work surface again and divide the dough in half; then work each half into a 5 inch circle about 3/4 inches thick. Using a sharp knife dusted with flour, cut each circle into 6 wedges. (Cut circle in half, then cut each half into 3 pieces).  Place the 12 wedges about 2 inches apart on your baking sheet.  

Bake scones for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until "done." They should be lightly browned on the bottom and feel solid. Let scones cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes; then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Glaze

• 1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar               
• 2 T canned pumpkin                               
• 1/4 t cinnamon
• 1/4 t ginger
• 1/4 t ground cloves
• 1/4 t nutmeg

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl until well combined with no lumps of sugar. Spread generously on cooled scones. Allow 15 minutes or so for frosting to firm up.

A wise baker once said: You doughn't know what you've got 'til it's scone...