Buttery Cream Scones
I have been on the hunt for what I consider a “bakery style” scone for quite some time now. I have two awesome bakeries within walking distance that both have amazing scones and for some reason I could never quite find a recipe to compare. I have made some wonderful scones over the years, but sometimes I want a scone that makes me feel like I am actually at the bakery. Well, I think this recipe finally did it.
Simple and easy; this recipe uses both butter and cream as well as an egg. It came together easily and the dough wasn’t too crumbly. I’ve found through experimentation that I want cream in my scone. Every. Time. This is what gives it that melt in your mouth tender lightness. Half-and-half, and buttermilk are both find, but cream is the definite winner.
The second key to my quest for the perfect “bakery style” scone is to make sure to make them big enough. They have to be more then just big, they really have to be huge. Small scones are not bakery scones. The original recipe called for you to cut the dough into 8 scones. I made 6 and thought that was just about right! They are huge, and buttery, and tender, andI wouldn’t have it any other way!
Since I was experimenting with the recipe I just through in a couple handful of dried cherries since that is what I had. I also used the food processor instead of by hand as the original recipe (posted below) called for, and it worked great, super quick and easy. I froze the unbaked scones and baked off the next day. They ended up taking 35 minutes from frozen so adjust accordingly.
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BA’s Best Cream Scones
From Bon Appetit
Ingredients
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups (360 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
½ cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg, beaten to blend
1¼ cups (10 ounces) heavy cream, plus more for brushing
Demerara or raw sugar (for sprinkling)
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°. Whisk granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 3 cups flour in a large bowl to combine. Add butter and toss to coat. Using your fingers or a pastry blender, work butter into flour until only pea-size pieces remain. Make a well in the center; add egg and 1¼ cups cream and mix with a fork, incorporating dry ingredients a little at a time, until a shaggy dough forms (it’s okay if it looks a little dry; don’t overwork). Lightly knead dough in bowl until it just comes together.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a 1"-thick round. Cut into 8 wedges and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush dough with cream and sprinkle with demerara sugar. Bake scones until golden brown, 25–30 minutes.
Variations:
Lemon-Rosemary: Whisk 2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest and 2 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary into flour mixture before adding butter.
Cinnamon-Chocolate: Toss 1 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate and 1 tsp. ground cinnamon into flour mixture after working in butter.
Double Ginger: Whisk 2 Tbsp. finely chopped candied ginger and 1 Tbsp. finely grated peeled ginger into flour mixture before adding butter.
Mixed Berry: Toss 1 cup fresh or frozen berries, cut into pieces if large, into flour mixture after working in butter.
Pecan-Oat: Toss ¾ cup old-fashioned oats and ¾ cup chopped toasted pecans into flour mixture before adding butter. Sprinkle ¼ cup oats along with demerara sugar over scones before baking.