HALIFAX -- Ingredients:
- 2 ½ cups (12.5 oz) all purpose flour
- 1 to 4 Tbsp sugar (depending on if you’re making sweet or savoury scones)
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- ½ cup (4 oz) cold butter, grated on the large holes of a box grater
- 1 ½ cups of mix-ins of your choice (such as dried fruits, nuts, toffee bits, cheese, etc)
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup whipping cream, milk, or buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla, if making sweet scones
Variation: Bacon, Cheddar, and Onion Scones
For your mix ins, use 1 cup grated cheddar, 1 sliced scallion, 1 piece crumbled bacon, and 2 Tbsp caramelized onion, which is about 1 medium onion, caramelized. Omit the vanilla and use only 1 Tbsp sugar.
Directions:
- Preheat your oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, if you have it.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Mix through the butter, then add your mix-ins, or leave your scones plain.
- Mix together the eggs, dairy of your choice, and vanilla, if using, until these are thoroughly blended. Add these ingredients into the large bowl. Mix with a large spoon or your hands until the mixture just comes together and very little dry flour remains on the bottom of the bowl. You made need to add more dairy, up to 3 Tbsp, if the mixture seems too dry.
- Pat the dough into one large disc if you are making large scones, or two smaller discs if you are making small scones. Each disc should be about 2 ½ cm thick. Cut the discs into 6 wedges. Place in the freezer for about 10 minutes before baking to let the gluten relax and the butter cool down again. This will give you a higher rise than if you baked them right away.
- Bake for 15 minutes for small scones or about 20 minutes for large. You are looking for the scones to be golden brown, and to feel light for their size when you lift them off the pan.
A note on substitutions:
Any sort of dairy can be used for scones, and they can even work without butter. Their texture will change depending on if you’re using whipping cream, milk, or buttermilk, but all will work and will be delicious.
If you don’t have any butter, but do have cream, you can make traditional British Cream Scones. Use the same amounts of dry ingredients, and add about 1 cup of cold whipping cream, or just enough that the flour is all moistened and the dough comes together and holds it shape. Pat into discs like above, brush the tops with cream and a sprinkle of sugar, and bake at the same temperature and time.
