Scone recipe

This Scone recipe. How can I even describe it? It's moist, sweet, and delectable. It can also be savory, or spicy depending on how you want to flavor it.
On Christmas morning I always make these scones, a savory batch and a cranberry orange batch. They're usually both gone before I can have one! this is not a flaky dry scone that you'll want to dip in coffee, if you like that, just cut out some of the sour cream and it will harden up. I like mine to be great on their own, with out having to dip them in anything.

If you want to make the dough for a savory batch cut the sugar in half, and in the end stage of scone making add your bacon, cheddar and onion or smoked salmon and Gruyere; or even this idea: ham chunks and green onion, then when they're done baking swipe some brie in the center while it's still warm. Hungry yet?

For the sweeter version, you can add pumpkin and spices to make a starbucks like scone, you can even add blackberries and lemon zest and make a lemony glaze for the top. let me know if you are interested in these variations and I can write one up for you.


Beki's Scones
3/4 c Sour cream (I sometimes use 1 cup to make these over the top moist, and melty in your mouthy)
1 tsp Baking soda
4 cups flour
1 cup sugar (cut this down to 1/3c for savory scones)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp salt
1 c Butter, cold-ish
1 egg, gently beaten
1-1/4c dried cranberries (if making pumpkin, only add 1/3c, and then 1-2t pumpkin pie spice)
2 large oranges for zesting and juicing.
1/4 c orange zest, divided (some will go in the dough, some will go in the glaze)

***
Put sour cream in a small bowl and stir in baking soda, let sit and proof on the counter while you sift the rest of the ingredients. I
n large mixing bowl or mixer with whisk attachment: flour, sugar, powder, tartar, salt. stir slowly til combined. cut in butter with wisk attachment or pastry cutter. then add the sour cream stuff, and the egg.
If you're using a mixer, get your dough hook out and switch from the the whisk. again, slowly stir just until combined, this will ensure you don't have a tough scone to bite into, you want moist, and flakey NOT chewy and tough.
at this point add your mix ins (again, i am using the cranberry and orange zest, reserving some of the zest for the glaze) mix them in. then turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface, not to much flour or it will mix in and make the dough tough. shape into a disk about 1" thick, and cut like you would a pizza making a bunch of little triangle shapes. this will make about 8-10 large scones about starbucks's size. if you want the cute little sizes make 2 disks with your dough instead of one. get out a cookie sheet and spray with some spray oil, or lightly grease. bake at 350 for 12-15 mins, you want them to be set and just starting to get golden on the edges, do not over bake, they'll be dry. unless you like that sort of thing, then bake away!
when they're no longer hot, dig in and eat or pour a glaze over them like I do.

Orange Glaze
1/2c orange juice
1T orange zest
1c powdered sugar

mix together in a pyrex and gently pour over slightly warm Cranberry orange scones. this makes a lot of glaze, so you'll have enough for 2 coats of glaze

for a pumpkin glaze
1/2c water
1c powdered sugar
1/2t cinnamon
1/4t maple flavoring


I really hope you guys try these. they're amazing and always on my table on christmas morning, the perfect breakfast to grab inbetween gifts :)