DIY Recipes: How to make scones at home

Scones are best enjoyed fresh the day they’re baked, either warm or at room temperature.

Ingredients

2 cups (257g) all-purpose flour

1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar

1 tablespoon (15g) baking powder

1/2 teaspoon (2g) salt

2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream, divided

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, frozen

1 tablespoon coarse sugar

Method

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Measure out 2/3 cup heavy cream. In a medium bowl whisk together about half of the cream, along with the egg and vanilla extract. You will use the rest of the cream later.

Place a box grater over the prepared baking sheet. Grate the butter on the large holes of a box grater. When you get down to a small nub of butter, chop that nub into a few small pieces.

Use the parchment paper as a sling to transfer the butter to the dry ingredients in the large bowl. Then, return the parchment paper to the baking sheet. Use your fingers to toss the butter in the flour, breaking up any clumps, until evenly coated.

Carefully drizzle the cream, egg, and vanilla mixture over the butter-flour mixture in the large bowl. Use a fork or your hands to combine and lightly mix. The mixture will start to look sandy.

Add the remaining half of the reserved cream 1 tablespoon at a time, continuing to combine with a fork or your hands, until a rough and lumpy, but cohesive, dough ball forms. You may not use all the remaining cream.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and pat it into a rough 1-inch-thick circle about eight inches in diameter.

Use a sharp knife or bench scraper to cut the dough into eight wedges. Transfer the wedges to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly apart, about an inch or two between scones.

Refrigerate the unbaked scones while you place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F.

Once the oven has preheated, using a pastry brush, brush the scones with the remaining 1 tablespoon of heavy cream. Sprinkle evenly with the coarse sugar.

Bake, until the scones are golden brown, 18 to 22 minutes.

Let scones cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before enjoying warm or transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Serve.