scones recipes

Sweet currants scones
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour. 4 tsp baking powder. 2 tbsp brown sugar or honey
1/8 tsp salt. 5 tbsp unsalted butter. 1/2 cup dried currants or raisins
1/2 cup milk. 1/4 cup sour cream. 1 egg. 1 tbsp milk
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C)
Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large bowl.
Cut in butter using a pastry blender or rubbing between your fingers until it is in pea sized lumps. Stir in the currants.
Mix together
1/2 cup milk and sour cream in a measuring cup.
Pour all at once into the dry ingredients, and stir gently until well blended.
Do not overwork the dough or you will make terrible scones!
With floured hands, pat scone dough into balls 2 to 3 inches across, depending on what size you want.
Place in a greased baking sheet, and flatten lightly.
The scones barely touch each other. Whisk together the egg and 1 tbsp of milk.
Brush the tops of the scones with the egg wash.
Let them rest for about 10 minutes. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until the tops are golden brown. Separate each scone.
Serve with butter or clotted cream and a selection of jams - Or plain.

Home make clotted cream (Devonshire or Devon cream)
In England, clotted cream is served over scones, desserts, and fresh fruit; it is considered to be a luxury addition taken on the occasional afternoon tea as a popular treat. The traditional English "cream tea" is clotted cream and jam served with scones and tea. Since unpasteurized milk is not easily attained in the US, here is a recipe that comes close to the real thing.

Clotted Cream recipe
2 cups heavy cream. Cook cream in a double boiler over simmering water until reduced by half.
It should be the consistency of butter, with a golden "crust" on the top.
Transfer, including crust, to bowl. Cover and let stand 2 hours, then refrigerate at least 12 hours. Stir crust into cream before serving. Keep unused portions refrigerated, tightly covered, for up to 4 days. Makes about 1 cup.

English scone with many variation
Typical English scones are light, flaky but not sweet, the perfect companion for clotted cream (Devon cream) and jam.
Basic scone recipe
2 cups all-purpose flour. 1 tbsp baking powder. 2 tbsp sugar. 1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp butter. 1 egg, beaten. 3/4 cup milk (approx.)
Mix the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles course crumbs. Stir in the egg. If you are using any variation this is the point to add the ingredients.
Gradually add the milk until a thick dough is formed. Can be more or less milk.
Turn out the mixture onto a floured board and knead lightly. Roll out the dough to 3/4" thickness and cut into rounds with a 2" cookie cutter.
Use the trimmings as well. Place then about 1" apart on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush the tops with a little beaten egg or milk.
Bake in a preheated 450° oven for about 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown.
Serve warm. Makes 12 to 16 scones.

Basic scone variations recipe
Spiced Scones.
Mix together 1/2 tsp of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice, add 1/2 to 1 tsp of the mix to your dry ingredients.
Raisin wheat Scones.
Use whole wheat pastry flour or half and half white and wheat. Use brown sugar instead of white and plain yogurt instead of whole milk.
Buttermilk Scones.
Substitute buttermilk for whole milk and add 1 tbsp sugar to the basic recipe.
Walnut Scones.
Add 3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts.
Cheddar Scones.
Add 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese and 1/8 tsp dry mustard.
Dried Fruit Scones.
Add 1/2 cup raisins, currants, cranberries, or chopped dried apricots.
Chocolate Chip Scones.
Add 1/2 cup white or dark chocolate chips and 1 tsp vanilla to the basic recipe.
Lemon Scones.
Add the juice and zest of 1 lemon and 1 tbsp sugar to the basic scone recipe.

Dry cranberry scones
1 cups All-purpose flour. 1 cup gluten free flour mix of corn starch, tapioca flour, brown rice flour. 1 tbsp Sugar. 1 tbsp Baking powder (aluminum free). 2 cup Cold butter cubed. 1/3 cup Currants or dried cranberries. 1 medium Egg.
1 cup Buttermilk. 1/2 tsp Vanilla. Egg wash. 2 oz. Milk. 1 medium Egg
Method
Combine flour, sugar and baking powder. Using 2 knives or a pastry cutter cut in butter until consistency of corn meal. Stir in currants.
Pour 1 egg, vanilla and buttermilk milk over surface of flour mixture.
Stir quickly and lightly.
Form soft dough and knead 15 times. Roll out on a floured surface cut with a round cookie cutter. Mix 1 egg and milk, brush it on the uncooked scones.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes at 400 F. Yield: One dozen

Savory scones
Great with homemade soup.
Change the dried fruit with grated cheese and add a tsp of chopped fresh
herb of your choice.

Buttermilk Scones
3 cups all-purpose flour. 2 tbsp baking powder. 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt. 1/3 cup butter, melted. Or 5 tbsp shortening
1 1/4 cups buttermilk. 1 to 2 tbsp sugar
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add butter and buttermilk; stir until a soft dough is formed.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and press dough into a rectangle about 3/4 inch thick and 4 inches wide. Cut into 8 even sized pieces.
Place the scones on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Calories: 256 | Total Fat: 8.5g | Cholesterol: 22mg

Cranberry and nuts scones
Are made with butter, cranberries, chopped walnuts or pecans, cinnamon, and buttermilk. 3 cups all-purpose flour. 2 tbsp sugar. 1 tbsp baking powder.
1/2 tsp baking soda. 1/2 tsp salt. 3/4 cup butter
1 cup fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped. 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
2 tsp finely grated orange peel. 1 cup buttermilk.
1 tbsp milk or evaporated milk. 1 tbsp sugar. 1/4 tsp cinnamon
Preparation
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Stir to blend. With a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cranberries, walnuts or pecans, and grated orange peel.
Mix buttermilk in with a fork just until dry ingredients are moistened.
On a floured surface, roll or pat dough out into a 3/4-inch thick circle. Cut into rounds with a 2 1/2-inch cutter. Place rounds on a large greased baking sheet, about 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart. Brush with milk or evaporated milk.
Combine 1 tbsp sugar and 1/4 tsp cinnamon; sprinkle a little of the mixture over each scone. Preheat oven to 400°. Place scones on lower oven rack.
Bake for about 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Makes 12 scones.