One of my favorite places to go is my local tea shop. I love to sit at a quiet table in the corner and enjoy a pot of Tearoom Blend tea and one of their freshly baked warm, fluffy scones. Those scones inspired me to make my own. They are adaptable to many different additions, and freeze well. That way when you have a craving, just take one out of the freezer and heat it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. My favorite additions are chocolate chips and dried cranberries, but they can be made plain as well.
Cream Scones
- 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons cold butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup heavy cream
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse a few times to combine everything. Add the butter and pulse several times, until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some larger pieces of butter left. Transfer the mixture to a larger bowl and stir in the chocolate and cranberries. Pour the cream over the top and stir with a fork to quickly combine to form a dough.
Sprinkle the countertop with flour and turn the dough out onto the counter. Use a rubber spatula to scrape out any bits of dough left in the bowl. Knead the dough briefly until it forms a ball. Don’t overmix – knead as little as possible. Press the dough into a 9-inch round circle, about 1 inch thick. Cut the circle into 8 wedges. Place wedges onto prepared baking sheet. Bake scones until they are very lightly browned, about 12-15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Other add-ins:
½ cup each pecans and chocolate
½ cup each cashews and butterscotch chips
½ cup each dried apricots and white chocolate chips
¾ cup dried cranberries and ½ teaspoon finely grated orange zest
¾ cup white chocolate chips and ½ teaspoon lemon zest
½ cup chopped crystalized ginger
½ cup each dried cherries and chocolate chips
½ cup each chopped pitted dates and chopped pecans
