I have always imagined that making scones was a time-consuming, difficult process involving measuring scales and British accents. Boy, was I wrong!
Scones are simple to make and to turn out impressive results. A basic sweet scone recipe can be modified countless ways by adding different mix-ins like chocolate, dried fruit, or nuts. I decided to use add English toffee bits to the batch for my Royal Wedding Tea Party.
Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and mix in the rest of the dry ingredients.
Cut the butter into small pieces. Cutting the butter into the dry ingredients will be easier if you throw the butter into the freezer for a while first.
Go to your gadget drawer to get your fancy pastry cutter thingy like my mom has that works really well for cutting in butter. Remember that you don’t have one of those fancy thingies.
Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a fork. Get a sore thumb because you apparently need to do more thumb calisthenics.
To make a substitute for buttermilk, put half a tablespoon of vinegar in a measuring cup and add milk up to the half cup line. Let it sit for several minutes.
BAM! Buttermilk!
That was my best Emeril impression. Does anyone even watch Emeril anymore?
Add in your wet ingredients and mix SLOWLY! Overmixing = tough pastries. Tough Pastries = excellent band name.
Open the package of toffee bits and prepare to add them to the dough.
But… for me… this is what happened instead.
This is why blogging is therapeutic for me. Before, if this had happened, I would have uttered some choice words (which may have still happened) and then been mad at myself for hours for clumsily wasting all that toffee.
Instead, I grabbed my camera and took a picture of it. Because this picture might brighten someone’s day or make them giggle or remind them that everyone screws up.
Blogging has made me an optimist. Who knew?
Salvage the toffee that didn’t spill all over the floor, and add it to the batter. Mix.
With floured hands, form the dough into a 8 inch mound. Flour ‘em up real good like, this dough is STICKY!
I sprinkled a few more toffee pieces on top of the dough for good luck.
Using a large non-serrated (un-serrated? flat?) knife, cut the dough into triangles and bake for 15 minutes.
Yum! Freshly baked English toffee scones that are perfect for tea time! Or breakfast. Or midnight.
I don’t judge.
Basic Sweet Scone Recipe
Print PinIngredients
- 2 cups sifted flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 6 T. unsalted butter cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3/4 cup toffee bits
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F degrees.
- Sift flour well. Mix together dry ingredients. Cut in butter using a fork or pastry cutter.
- Add buttermilk substitute, egg, and vanilla. Mix in toffee bits.
- Flour your hands well. Create a 8-9 inch circle of dough on an ungreased cookie sheet.
- Sprinkle the top of the dough with an additional tablespoon of flour. Cut into wedges.
- Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.
thanks for the wonderful recipe and your warm sense of humor….
I love these! I am creating a links roundup for National English Toffee day and am going to include this in the links roundup! Wonderful.
Can you use almond or coconut milk, do not want to use buttermilk ( no dairy for me).
I haven't used it before, but I would imagine it would work. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out!
I found the oven temp way too high. The bottoms burnt in no time! Anyone else first day this template too high?
All of my other scones recipe has the temp at 400 degrees F.
You could try placing scones on the next higher shelf in the oven to keep bottoms from baking faster than tops.
Thanks for the tip!
Okay you made me laugh! There is nothing better in life than laughing at oneself. Not only the gift of laughter but an awesome recipe! This will be a fav.
I’m curious as to why you sprinkle tops with a tablespoon of flour before baking. I’ve never seen that in a scone recipe before. What does that do?
It just keeps the dough from sticking to the knife as you cut the dough into triangles. Thanks for the question!
I have a convection oven. 15 minutes=burnt scones. My fault, but thought you might want to know.
I used maple flavoring as I was out of vanilla…Great recipe. And I love your humor. I also put a powdered sugar glaze on top, drizzled it on these wonderful scones
That sounds delicious!!!
I have made these two times now. And they are wonderful. I love this recipe so much that I decided I love the base scones And decided to make cranberry orange using the base. I exchanged the vanilla for orange baking emulsion, added about 3 teaspoons of fresh grated orange peel.. and exchange the toffee for cranberry dried. I do add a simple glaze to my scones.
Those sound so delicious!
I was today years old when I laughed out loud at a blog post. This might have been the first blog post where I read every word instead of skipping to the recipe. Seeing the picture of the toffee on the floor is the best thing that happened to me today.
Thank you.
I love this recipe …but I end up with burned bottoms…and have to cut off….did you ever try the 400 temp? or the higher level? ..going to try these again today….just curious…
Shannon
I haven’t ever had issues with them burning so I haven’t tried the lower temp.
FYI, the easiest way I’ve found to mix in the butter is to freeze it first, and then use a box grater (larger slots) and grate into your flour mix. I saw this on someone else’s blog, and I do this every time I make scones. This way you get the bits of butter spread throughout the dough without your thumbs/hands aching! Hope this helps.
Not being negative, but is there any way to print the recipe? I’m was retired long ago and seeing as well as I used to and it would really help me if I could see the recipe easily. Thank you!
Not negative at all! That’s great feedback. I have reformatted the recipe in this post so there should be a Print button near the recipe now. Please let me know if you have other questions!