Slow Down with Some Scones

Life moves fast. Breakfast shouldn’t.

I know in reality, it does. You’ve got to get to work, school, drop off the kids, get to the gym, get to the grocery store, tackle your hundred-page to-do list.

Just slow down. Appreciate the bread and butter of life. Pun intended.

I first made these scones (with my next-door neighbour, Shirley) when I was five years old. Which means you can make them too.

The last time I made these scones, was, coincidentally, when I was 5 years old. All I could find in my recipe box yesterday was some ingredients listed on a 4×6 recipe card and no directions. So you know what I did?

I slowed down. I figured out the directions myself, meticulously, so a five year old could make these with just a little help.

I’ve already done the tough part for you. Slow down, relax, enlist the help of your kid (or a neighbour) and make some flaky, slightly sweet, buttery, scones. You’ll be glad you did.

Read on for some tips, or jump to the recipe.

Tip #1: Start by getting that oven warm, and preparing your buttermilk if you don’t have any handy. I got out a measuring cup and combined 2 cups of 1% milk with 3 TB lemon juice. Set it aside and let it curdle.

Tip #2: The butter. The butter should be cold, straight from the fridge. I suggest you cube it like this, and only take it out right before you need to use it.

Tip #3: The Eggs. Crack two in a one-cup measure like this:

Top up that one-cup measure with buttermilk like this:

Pour this cup measure into a mixing bowl, and add another cup of buttermilk.

Tip #4: The dough. I was reminded of my Irish Soda Bread when I was making these scones, because the dough is quite sticky. Make sure your hands are well-floured, the surface is well-floured, and you have a damp paper towel nearby. After a bit of kneading, it will look something like this:

I didn’t want to fuss around with cookie cutters, so I just rolled it out and cut them into some-what triangles. The recipe makes two baking sheets worth, and they taste best the day they’re made. I think you could easily halve this one. Even my 5-person family couldn’t finish them all on the first day.

Slow down. Make some scones. Have breakfast with your family. Smile.

Scones

Print Recipe

Prep Time: 30 min

Cook Time: 15-20 min

Total Time: 45-60 min

Ingredients:

• 4  cups all-purpose flour
• 4 tsp cream of tartar
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• ½ cup white sugar
• ½ cup butter, cold
• 2 eggs
• buttermilk (about 1 and ½ cups. See note)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. If making buttermilk, prepare it now.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and sugar. Begin with a whisk, then use a spoon to make sure it is well-mixed.
3. Take out the butter from the fridge and cube it. Mix it into the flour with a pastry blender or your hands (its easier with your hands) until the mixture is crumbly. Don’t overmix- that’s how they stay soft and flaky.
4. Crack two eggs into a one-cup measure, and fill with buttermilk. Pour into a separate mixing bowl. Add another cup of buttermilk. Whisk to combine.
5. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
6. On a well-floured surface, with well-floured hands, roll out dough. Knead about 15 times, then take a well-floured rolling pin and roll flat into a rectangle about 1 and ½ inches thick.
7. Cut into scones of desired shapes and place on baking sheet. Bake in oven 15-20 minutes until golden. When finished cooking, remove from pans immediately to cool on wire racks.
8. Serve warm or at room temperature. They taste best the day they are made, but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. They can also be frozen and reheated in the oven or microwave.

Note: I made my own buttermilk by combining 2 cups of 1% milk with 3 TB lemon juice and letting it sit and curdle for a few minutes.

Know what these would go great with? Some of my strawberry jam.

What do you have fond memories of baking as a young child?