Scones

When I think of scones, I think of fine ladies wearing silk dresses and big hats while eating dainty snacks and drinking tea out of ornate china with their pinkies in the air. It is tea time in Britain (in the 1800s, of course).

Scones may seem very fancy, but don't worry, they are actually super easy to make. In fact, they are closely related to the American biscuit; both require similar ingredients and preparation methods. So what is the difference between the two?

Scones originated in Scotland, whereas biscuits are American.

Scones are slightly sweeter, and are eaten for breakfast or tea while biscuits are eaten with meals.

Scones may be flavored with various mix-ins, such as chocolate, cinnamon, or fruit and may be eaten with jam, butter, lemon curd, or cream; biscuits are usually eaten plain or may be used to soak up gravy.

If a scone is not made right, it can be dry, hard, and crumbly...yuck! But if a good recipe is used (like the one below, from Alton Brown), and they are not over mixed and nothing else crazy happens, they will have a crispy outside and a soft, flaky inside. They are absolutely delicious eaten warm, but they are good cold as well.

Scones

Makes: 12-16
Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup sugar
4 Tbs. cold butter
2 Tbs. shortening (or butter if no shortening is available)
3/4 cup cream
1 egg, beaten

1 handful of mix-ins (optional, e.g. chocolate chips or dried fruit)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375ºF. Grease a large baking sheet; set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar until fully combined.

3. Cut in butter and shortening using a fork or a pastry cutter.

4. In a separate bowl, combine cream with beaten egg; add to dry ingredients. Stir in mix-ins, if used. Mix until just combined, being careful not to over-mix.

5. Place dough on a floured surface. With a floured rolling pin, roll dough into a 3/4 to 1 inch thick sheet. Cut into biscuit-sized rounds and place on prepared baking sheet.

6. Bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Cool on pan for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Recipe from: Alton Brown, http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/scones-recipe.html

Scone history from: http://www.marthastewart.com/874314/marthas-column-scones