Scones are a breakfast favorite and the perfect coffee and tea-time treat.
Requiring only a few ingredients, scones are simple to make and armed with a few baking tips, you’ll be able to serve perfect scones every time.
I use vanilla bean EVOO instead of butter, which makes for a light and tender scone with a soft moist inner crumb and an ever-so-slightly crispy exterior that will rival any coffee house version.
If you’ve ever tasted a scone that was as hard as a rock and dry it is usually the result of improperly measured flour. When measuring the flour, use a spoon to give the flour a quick stir, then spoon loosely into the exact-size measuring cup (do not press the flour down or tap on counter). Using the back of a knife, sweep away the excess flour.
Baking powder ( leavening agent) begins to lose it’s effectiveness once the can is opened. I write the date on the can and use within 6-8 months.
Scones (like biscuits) continue to cook after you take them out of the oven, so check them at the minimum time. A perfectly baked scone will look done on the edges, (not wet) be a light golden-brown and be moist inside. When in doubt, pull one apart. It will only take a batch or two before you’re baking scones so moist and delicious you won’t need the smear of butter and jam that makes most scones palatable. You might also enjoy lemon-blueberry scones with mascarpone cream and cranberry and toasted walnut scones.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 4 1/2 tablespoons Vanilla Bean Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- sparkling sugar (for topping)
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and lemon zest.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and cream.
- Add liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, mix with a fork to form large crumbs.
- Using your hands, form the mixture into a ball (it won’t seem like dough yet, but once you form a ball, it sticks together and magically becomes dough).
- Turn the dough ball onto a work surface, divide into three smaller balls of equal portions. Cut each ball into quarters.
- Drizzle (or use a pastry brush) some vanilla bean EVOO on the top of each scone, sprinkle with sparkling sugar.
- Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, bake in a 425*oven for 13-14 minutes.
- Scones can be stored at room temperature for three days.
