SCONES: Basics & Frills

SCONES: Basics & Frills

There are 2 ways to pronounce scone; "Skon" and "Skoan". Scones originated in Scotland and are closely related to the griddle baked flatbread, known as bannock. Originally they were made with oats, shaped into a large round, scored into 4 or 6 triangular wedges then cooked on a griddle either over an open fire or on top of a stove.

Clouded in history the origin of the name 'scone' is just as unclear as the true origin. Some say the name comes from where the Kings of Scotland were crowned, the Stone (Scone) of Destiny. Others believe the name is derived from the Dutch word "schoonbrood" where "schoon" means clean & "brood" means bread or from the German word "schonbrot" meaning 'fine or beautiful bread'. There are others who say it comes from the Gaelic 'sgonn' a shapeless mass or large mouthful. We are all agreed however that it originated somewhere in Europe. Where ever the scone came form we know them as scones and we do not seem to be abteo get enough of them!

This small cake is simply a quick bread very similar to an American biscuit usually made from wheat flour, sugar, baking powder/baking soda, butter, milk whether it be whole, half 'n' half, light cream, heavy cream, buttermilk, yogurt, keffir, etc., & usually eggs. This will always produce a sticky yet soft dough that has the classic ratio of 1:3 that being 1 part liquid to 3 parts wheat flour. It needs to be baked in a medium to hot oven so your dough sets quickly thereby producing a light scone with a golden brown floury top & bottom with white sides. The texture of the interior of the scone should be light,soft & white in color.

Scone Types:
Cream scones are lovely when cut in half and then spread with clotted cream & jam. The perfect cream scone has a crisp exterior with an interior that is light & fluffy with a rich & creamy buttery flavor.

Bread scones are usually topped with soimetyhing like streusel or jam or some other tasty ting.

Fruited sconces contain fruits & nut sbits within the body of the scone rather than on the scone.

So many people find baking scones such a challenge. With this in mind so we are going to pursue the methods of a few scone experts to see what advise they teach all of us.

First, from the U.K., Tamasin Day-Lewis, wife of the actor Daniel day-Lewis, in her excellent book "Tamasin's Kitchen Bible" gives us a few tips. She teaches us that it is best if all ingredients are cold, then to add liquids to dry ingredients all at once, and then to mix everything together quickly and lightly.

Next, Australia's own Stephanie Alexander, in her book "The Cook's Companion" teaches us that when cutting scones to twist your cutter through scone dough rather than trying to cut straight down will help your scones to rise higher during baking.

Now that we are ready perhaps we shopuld began baking scones!

SCONE RECIPES:

Augie's CoffeeHouse Scones
Categories: Bread, Dessert, Scone
Yield: 6 scones

2 c  all purpose flour
1/4 c  granulated white sugar
1 ts baking powder
1/4 ts baking soda
1/4 ts salt
1/2 c  unsalted butter cold cut in pieces
2/3 c  buttermilk

Scone Wash:
1 ea egg lightly beaten
1 tb milk

Pre-heat oven to 400 deg-F.
Place rack in middle of oven.
Stack 2 baking sheets together then line top baking sheet with parchment paper.
This prevents bottoms of scones from over browning during baking.
Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda & salt in a large bowl.
Blend butter pieces into flour mixture with a pastry blender or 2 knives.
Mixture should look like coarse crumbs.
Add buttermilk to flour mixture then stir just until dough comes together.
Do not over mix your dough.
Transfer to a lightly floured surface then knead dough gently 4 or 5 times.
Then pat or roll your dough into a circle that is about 7" around x 1 1/2" thick.
Cut this circle in 1/2 then cut each 1/2 into 3 pie-shaped triangles.
Place scones on baking sheet.
Make your egg wash then brush tops of scones with this mixture.
Bake for about 15-20 mins. until golden brown & a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.
Remove from oven then turn your broiler on high.
Sift confectioners sugar heavily over tops of scones.
Place them under your broiler.
Broil for just a few seconds turning pan if necessary until sugar has melted & turns golden brown.
Make sure to watch your scones carefully.
Sugar will burn very quickly.
Transfer scones to a wire rack to cool.

ORIGIN:
Delaney Betts, Augies Coffeehouse - Tampa-FL, circa 1996


Cream Scones
Categories: Bread, Dessert, Scone, Dairy
Yield:

2 c  all-purpose  flour
1/4 c  granulated white sugar
2 ts baking powder
1/4 ts salt
1/3 c  cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 ea egg lightly beaten
1 ts pure vanilla extract
1/2 c  whipping cream or milk

Glaze:
Cream

Pre-heat oven to 375 deg-F.
Place rack in the center of oven.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder & salt.
Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender or 2 knives.
Your mixture should look like coarse crumbs.
In a small measuring cup combine whipping cream, beaten egg & vanilla.
Add this mixture to your flour mixture.
Stir just until combined....DO nOT over mix!
Knead dough gently on a lightly floured surface.
Roll dough out into a circle that is about 78" round.
Cut dough into rounds using a 2 1/2" round cookie cutter.
Place rounds on your prepared cookie sheet.
Spacing 2"- 3" apart.
Brush scone tops with a little cream to brown the tops of the scones during baking.
Bake for about 15-18 mins. until nicely browned & a toothpick inserted into the center of a scone comes out clean.
Remove from oven then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Serve with Devon cream  and your favorite jam.

*NOTE: These scones freeze very well.

ORIGIN:
Tamasin Day-Lewis, London-England, circa 1999

Devonshire Cream [Clotted Cream]
Categories: Condiment, Dessert, Dairy
Yield: 1 1/2 cups

4 oz mascarpone
1 c  heavy whipping cream
1 ts pure vanilla extract
2 tb granulated white sugar

Place all the ingredients in a large bowl.
Beat until the mixture holds its shape and looks like softly whipped cream.
Use right away or cover & refrigerate the cream until serving time.

ORIGIN:
Tamasin Day-Lewis, London-England, circa 1999


Blueberry Streusel Scones
Categories: Fruit, Bread, Dessert, Scone
Yield: 8 scones

2 c  all-purpose  flour
1/4 c  granulated white sugar
2 ts baking powder
1/8 ts salt
6 tb chilled unsalted butter cut in pieces
1 c  fresh blueberries
1 ea egg lightly beaten
1 ts pure vanilla extract
1/2 c  milk or cream

Scone Wash:
Milk or Cream

Streusel Topping:
1/4 c  brown sugar
1/4 c  all purpose flour
1/2 ts ground cinnamon
2 tb chilled unsalted butter cut into pieces

Pre-heat oven to 400 deg-F.
Place rack in middle of oven.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Scones:
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder & salt.
Cut butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or 2 knives.
Mixture should look like coarse crumbs.
Gently fold in blueberries.
Combine cream, beaten egg & vanilla.
Add this mixture to flour mixture then stir just until dough comes together.
Do not over mix your dough or the scones will be tough.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface.
Knead dough gently 4  opr 5 times then roll dough into a 7" round x 1 1/2" thick.
Cut this circle in 1/2, then cut each 1/2 into 4 pie-shaped wedges.
Place scones on baking sheet.
Brush scone tops with a little cream or milk.

Streusel Topping:
Whisk together sugar, flour & cinnamon.
Cut in butter until crumbly.
Top each scone with 2 ts of streusel mixture.
Cover then refrigerate any leftover streusel mixture.
Bake scones for 18-22 mins. until nicely browned & until a toothpick inserted in center of a scone comes out clean.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly.

*NOTE: These are best eaten the day they are made but can be covered & stored for a 1-3 days.

ORIGIN:
Leona Hedgewick, Newcastle-England, circa 1999


Cornmeal Scones
Categories: Scone, Bread, Dessert
Yield: 8 scones

2 c  all purpose flour
1/3 c  fine cornmeal
1/3 c  granulated white sugar
1 tb baking powder
1/4 ts salt
2 ts freshly grated orange zest
1 c  currants dried or raisins
1 c  half & half cream
1 ea egg lightly beaten
1 ts pure vanilla extract

Glaze:
Cream

Pre-heat oven to 425 deg-F.
Place oven rack in center of oven.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt & orange zest.
Add the currants or raisins to flour mixture then stir well.
Whisk together cream, egg & vanilla extract.
Add this to your flour mixture then stir just until dough comes together.
Transfer to a lightly floured surface.
Knead dough gently 4 or 5 times then roll dough out into a circle about 7" round & 1 1/2"75 thick.
Cut this circle in 1/2, then cut each 1/2 into 4 pie-shaped wedges.
Place scones on the baking sheet about 2 1/2"-3" apart.
Brush scone tops with a little cream.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes until golden brown & a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.
Remove from oven then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

ORIGIN:
Glenda Marooney, Toronto-Canada, circa 1999



Gingerbread Scones
Categories: bread, Dessrt, Scone
Yield: 8 scones

Scone Dough:

1 3/4 c  all purpose flour
3/4 c  old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 c  light brown sugar
2 ts ground ginger
1 1/2 ts ground cinnamon
1/8 ts ground cloves
1/4 ts salt
2 ts baking powder
1/2 ts baking soda
1/2 c  cold unsalted butter cut in pieces
1 ea lemon zest of
1/3 c  dried cherries
1/2 c  buttermilk
2 1/2 tb unsulphured molasses
1 ts pure vanilla extract

Egg Wash:
1 ea egg
1 tb cream

Maple Glaze:
1/2 c  sifted confectioners sugar
1 1/2 tb pure maple syrup
2 ts cream

Pre-heat oven to 400 deg-F.
Place rack in middle of oven.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together your flour, oats, sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda & salt.
Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender or 2 knives.
Your mixture should look like coarse crumbs.
Stir in lemon zest & dried cherries.
Mix together buttermilk, molasses & vanilla.
Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture.
Mix just until your dough comes together but do not overmix dough.
Transfer to a lightly floured surface then knead dough gently 4 or 5 times then roll dough into a 7" circle x 1 1/2 thick.
Cut this circle in 1/2, then cut each 1/2 into 4 pie-shaped wedges.
Place scones on your baking sheet spaced 3" apart.
Make your egg wash then brush scone tops with this mixture.
Sprinkle tops of scones with some rolled oats.
Place baking sheet inside another baking sheet to prevent bottoms of scones from over browning.
Bake for 18-22 mins. until golden brown & a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

Glaze:
Mix together glaze ingredients, adding more sugar or milk until you get reach your desired consistency.
Glaze must be thin enough to be drizzled over scone tops.
Use a spoon to drizzle your glaze over scone tops then allow to dry.

ORIGIN:
Beatrice Roddenberry, Halifax-Nova Scotia-Canada, circa 2000


Cinnamon Pecan Scones
Categories: Nut, Scone, Dessert, Bread
Yield:  1 batch

2 c  flour
1 c  corn meal
1/2 c  sugar
1 Tb baking powder
1/2 ts baking soda
1 ts cinnamon
3/4 c  cold butter
1 c  buttermilk
1 c  chopped pecans

Pre-heat oven to 425 deg-F.
Combine dry ingredients & butter mixing well.
Add milk & pecans.
Roll out dough on a lightly foured board to 3/4" thickness.
Cut with a floured  2 1/2" cookie cutter.
Place scones 3" apart on an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake for 12-15 minutes.
Remove then allow to cool.               

ORIGIN:
Connie Schwartz, Casa Sedona Bed & Breakfast Inn, Sedona-AZ, circa 2008



Apple-Honey Scones
Categories: Fruit, Scone, Bread, Dessert, Honey
Yield: 1 batch

2 c  flour
2/3 c  wheat germ
2 ts baking powder
1 ts ground cinnamon
1/4 ts baking soda
1/4 ts salt
1/3 c  butter chilled
1 1/4 c  finely chopped apple
1/2 c  milk
1/3 c  honey
1 tb wheat germ
1 tb sugar
1/4 ts cinnamon

Pre-heat oven to 400 deg-F.
Grease a large cookie sheet.
Combine first 7 ingredients.
Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add combined apple, milk & honey.
Mix just until dry ingredients are moistened.
Turn dough onto lightly floured surface.
Knead gently 4-5 times.
Roll into 9" circle.
Combine remaining ingredients then sprinkle over dough.
Cut dough into 8 wedges.
Place 1" apart on your cookie sheet.
Bake 16-18 mins.
Remove & allow to cool.

ORIGIN:
Gena-Lee Middleton, Columbia-SC, circa 1998

SOURCES:

Tamasin's Kitchen Bible: The One and Only Book for Every Cook
By: Tamasin Day-Lewis
ISBN #: 9780297853572

The Best 50 Scones
By: Karen Pepkin
ISBN #: 9781558673380

Encyclopedia of Food and Culture
By: Laura Mason
Digital - 2003
Format: HTML - Printable

Copyright © 2009 Donald R Houston, PhD. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the author's consent.