Recipe: Anyone For Scones?

Here's a recipe you might want to try for your family this weekend. One of the all-time favorite things my family likes to have for breakfast would be scones. These are right up there with homemade blueberry pancakes and waffles. They really are very easy to make and can be made in so many varieties. We sometimes have them several times a week!

For breakfast, my husband likes them best with dried cranberries, walnuts and orange zest. We dip these hot out of the oven into local honey. Yum. The girls' favorite is chocolate chip, which I sometimes make for breakfast for them, but most often as an afternoon snack. They also make a great dinner bread with sun-dried tomatoes and parmesan cheese. Makes my mouth water just writing about them!

Here's our basic recipe:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar (can be decreased or omitted, depending on variety you make)
4 Tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)
3/4 cup milk (can use cream for added richness if desired)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. (This picture show the dough after incorporating the butter. I added chocolate chips to these and am about to lightly mix them in with a fork).Add milk and blend well; the finished dough should be sticky. Flour a flat work space and knead the dough for about 1/2 minute. Press out to about 1/2 inch or less thickness ~ and cut into any shape desired. Triangles are traditional. Transfer to a baking sheet. (Be wary of little hands trying to snatch them before they are even cooked yet!)
Bake for 15 minutes and immediately remove from baking pan to cooling rack. Yield is about 12 depending on shape and size.

Varieties:

Cranberry Orange: After cutting in butter and before adding milk, stir in with a fork about 1/2 cup dried cranberries and orange zest to taste. You can also stir in some chopped walnuts. Proceed with the rest of the recipe as written. Finish the top with demerara sugar before baking if desired.

Citrus: After cutting in butter and before adding milk, stir in with a fork lemon and orange zest to taste. You can also stir in some chopped walnuts. Another breakfast favorite here with local honey!

Chocolate Chip: After cutting in butter and before adding milk, stir in with a fork about 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips and proceed with the recipe as written. For these, you want to be sure to add the 1/4 cup of sugar. These will hardly last the afternoon at our house!

NOTE: I always use a pastry cloth when working with doughs instead of putting my flour on the countertop or on waxed paper. When you lightly flour your pastry cloth, it will keep the dough from sticking to the surface without incorporating extra flour into the dough you are working.