Basic and Simple Breakfast Scones

I enjoy making special breakfasts on the weekend.  The weekend is perfect excuse to ramp up the usual fare.

Scones are another wonderful recipe that we can credit to Scotland.  My other favorite Scottish recipe is for shortbread cookies.  I recently found this recipe for scones that differed so much from other recipes I had tried in the past that I had to try it for this weekend's special morning treat.  These are simple and delicious!

The one thing I know about making scones is that you should not 'overwork' the dough.  Only mix until the dry ingredients are incorporated with the wet ingredients. Here are my rolled and cut scones with their egg and milk 'wash' reading for the oven:

 Here are the puffed and golden beauties right after baking:

I couldn't wait to bite into one. They were wonderfully light and biscuit-y for lack of a better description.  Just a little sugar in the batter and another sprinkle of sugar over the egg wash gave them just the right amount of sweetness.  These are basic scones -  best eaten with your favorite preserves or a little butter warm right after baking.

A little of my favorite strawberry and rhubarb jam truly got my weekend off to a wonderful start ;)

Scones
Recipe Adapted from Rachel Allen
Printable Recipe

4 cups (500g) all purchase, unbleached, flour, plus extra for dusting
1 heaping teaspoon baking soda
2 heaping teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon sea salt
9 tablespoons (125g) chilled unsalted butter, cubed
1/8 cup (25g) baking (superfine) sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 and 1/8 cup (275ml) buttermilk or milk, plus extra for the egg wash*

Granulated sugar for sprinkling over scones before baking (optional)

*I did not have buttermilk so I used approximately 1/8 cup sour cream and stirred in enough milk to make 1 and 1/8 cup liquid.

Preheat the oven to 426F ( 220C/gas 7).

Sift the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt into a large bowl. Add the sugar and blend. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Set aside about a third of the beaten egg and combine the rest with the milk. Add to the flour mixture and mix briefly to combine into a moist dough. Place dough on a lightly floured work surface and press together lightly. Roll out to a thickness of about 1 to 1-1/2 inches.

Using a round cutter, cut out approximately 12 scones and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or a silicone liner.

Brush the scones with an egg wash made with the reserved egg to which a little milk has been added. Sprinkle the tops with granulated sugar, if desired.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10–14 minutes or until golden brown on top. Serve while hot.