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A Scottish quick bread, scones may have derived their name from the Stone of Destiny (or Scone), the place where Scottish kings were once crowned. Other sources claim that the word comes from schoonbrot or sconbrot, meaning "fine white bread." Scones were traditionally made with oats and cooked on a griddle, while modern versions are generally prepared with flour and baked in the oven.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 8 Tbs. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup currants
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Zest of 1 orange
Directions
Preheat an oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease a scone pan, or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until pea-size crumbs form. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the currants.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, cream and orange zest until blended and add to the flour mixture. Using a fork, stir to form large, moist clumps of dough.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and press together with your hands until the dough comes together. Roll out the dough, flouring as needed, into a 10-inch round about 3/4 inch thick. Cut into 8 equal-size wedges. Press each wedge into a well of the prepared scone pan, or place the wedges 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake until the scones are golden, about 25 minutes. Invert the scone pan onto a wire rack and lift off the pan, or transfer the scones from the baking sheet to the rack. Let the scones cool for 10 minutes before serving. Makes 8 scones.
Adapted from a recipe given to Chuck Williams by Judy Rodgers, Executive Chef and Co-Owner, Zuni Café, San Francisco.
Rated 5 out of
5
by
adlgel from
Easy to prepare, cooked up beautifully
I made these in a scone pan, replacing the currants with Craisins. They cooked up perfectly golden brown with a wonderful typical scone texture. I made a glaze out of powdered sugar and orange juice which provides a nice sweet highlight to each bite.
I would definitely use this recipe again. Next time I might add some orange juice or orange extract to give the dough a bit more of a citrusy flavor. i
Date published: 2020-05-03
Rated 5 out of
5
by
EHughes from
Delicious family favorite
My family loves this recipe, and I make it all the time. I love making them with my little sister because they are lots of fun and they are simple. Even picky kids will love these scones.
Date published: 2020-02-22
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Syrah76 from
Holiday Favorite
I made these scones for a holiday breakfast one year and now they are requested on a regular basis.
They are simple, quick to prepare, and easy to modify for different flavors. For larger groups, you can put 2 batches in the oven at a time, or just have the next one ready to go in the oven when the first comes out.
My standard variation is to use dried cranberries instead of currants. They also work well with lemon zest and fresh blueberries. The dough is a little more moist going into the oven, but they bake up very well.
You can serve warm, or let them sit for about 20 minutes and top with a simple frosting of 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1-2 tsp fresh squeezed juice from the fruit that you zested.
Date published: 2014-06-23
