Scone Recipes - Easy, Soft, Blueberry & More | Taste of Home (2024)

FAQs

What is the trick in making good scones? ›

Once you've cut out your scone shapes, flip them over and place upside down on the baking tray. This will help them rise evenly and counteract any 'squashing' that happened when you cut out the dough. Perfect scones should rise to about 2 inches high.

Just a reminder: Don't overwork the dough or the scones will turn out rubbery – or worse, bullety and hard. Cut out your scones cleanly. Twisting the cutter can impair the rise. If you use a fluted cutter, you can't twist it.

Blueberries. Don't worry if it's not blueberry season, this recipe calls for frozen blueberries. You can use fresh, frozen, or dried blueberries, but if you have fresh blueberries, freeze them first. This will help to keep them from breaking apart while you mix and shape the dough.

Use all-purpose flour for a higher rising scone that holds its shape nicely, both in and out of the oven. To make more delicate, lower-rising, cake-like scones, substitute cake flour for all-purpose flour.

Leave your scones to rest on the tray for about 10 minutes before brushing the tops with some extra milk. Bake in your pre-heated oven for 10 minutes.

"Once you've shaped your scones, chill them before baking," Youngman says. "You can use that time to preheat the oven so the kitchen doesn't heat up while you make the dough. The final chill relaxes the gluten which yields a tender texture.

You might need a teaspoon or two more cream as its consistency is thicker than milk. Large Egg - The egg helps bind the ingredients together and increases the richness and flavour. Unsalted butter - Has to be cold to create flaky layers within the scone.

Plain scones – made easy!

Self raising flour and cold butter – blitz 8 seconds. Add milk – blitz 8 seconds until ball forms. Turn dough out, knead lightly 10 times (no more), lightly roll across the top to smooth surface. Cut scones out, bake 12 minutes.

Whether you've forgotten to pick up a container of heavy cream, or you're looking to make hearty scones that can be split and covered with jam, you'll always be ready to bake a batch of perfect scones. Just remember the magic ratio: 1 cup (227g) of heavy cream can be replaced by 1/2 cup (113g) each of butter and milk.

Why do you have to freeze scones before baking? ›

Freezing the dough prior to baking keeps the butter solid and firm, which helps create light and tender scones and biscuits. Having the butter stay solid until you bake also means that the scones and biscuits will rise, rather than spread on the cookie sheet.

Once the package is opened, they should be consumed within a day or two for maximum freshness. Homemade blueberry scones typically have a slightly shorter lifespan, remaining fresh for about 1-2 days at room temperature. Both the store-bought and homemade versions can be frozen for up to 1 month.

Overworking the dough: when you overwork your dough, your scones can come out tough and chewy, rather than that desired light, crumbly texture. The trick is to use light pressure and only the work the dough until it just comes together.

Scones are considered ”quick” breads since they are leavened with baking powder or baking soda and cream of tartar. They may be plain, but often have a wide variety of sweet or savory ingredients. Scones should be golden on the outside and tender and flaky inside, like a slightly sweetened biscuit.

Don't forget to sift!

Be sure to double or even triple sift your flour, as it takes away the clumps in the flour allowing for more air pockets in the scone dough - the result being a fluffier and more crumbly scone.

My scones have spread and lost their shape

The mixture may have been too wet or the baking tray might have been too heavily greased. Twisting the cutter when cutting the scones can also have this effect.