I Never Met A Scone I Didn't Like!

Well, maybe once or twice. I will confess, I have a weakness when it comes to scones! I prefer a crunchy outside with a soft, layered texture inside. I had heard somewhere that it was hard to make a good scones, like there was some secret of trick to it. Trust me they aren't that hard. I have never made a batch of scones that were inedible. That doesn't mean that I haven't tweaked a recipe to make it more to my liking. Most of my recipes have notes on how to make them better. I have learned a few things about how to make sure they turn out great.

First suggestion: If the recipe calls for butter, make sure it is really cold, unless the recipe calls for melted butter. I cut mine up into small pieces and put them in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes. 

Second suggestion: Use a pastry cutter/blender. Some recipes say use two forks or two knifes and rub them together to make a crumbly mixture, but that makes it a long tedious job with inconsistent results. If you aren't sure what a pastry blender is, this is what they look like:

 

I would suggest that you get one that has flat blades on the bottom, like the one above. I have found that they work better than the rounded type.

Third suggestion: Don't over mix. When you are cutting the butter into the flour mixture, stop when your largest pieces are the size of a pea. This will help you get the flaky texture inside. Also, don't over mix when you stir in the liquid. Stir only till the dough sticks together. Over mixed dough produce a tough scones and you want them to be as light and soft as possible.

I like to cut my scones into different shapes and sizes. They are easy to cut into squares. Shape your dough into a rectangle and cut strips lengthwise and then cut into squares. I also like to use cookie cutters to make varying sizes and shapes. The smaller they are, the shorter their bake time will be. Just watch them until they are brown on the bottom.

I often cut recipes in half rather than making a whole batch.  I also wrap them individually, put them in a freezer bag and toss them in the freezer. To use, thaw completely and put in a toaster oven heated to 400 degrees for about 4-6 minutes. It will crisp up the outside and they will taste like you just baked them.

I have lots of great scone recipes, so I am posting five recipes today that I have made many times, and will post at least five more tomorrow.

Enjoy!