Scones, oh Scones
...how I love thee.
Scones really might be my favorite kind of pastry. I'm sort of a pastry connoisseur, but I try to keep the enjoyment of them to a minimum because well, they're not usually the most healthy. BUT, you gotta have a little fun in life.
A few weekends ago I had finished a 3 mile run + yoga and was doing chores around the house and had a hankering to do a little baking. It was the day before the Peterson Ridge 20 miler, so carb loading was an added plus.
I opened feedly and what do you know, Averie Cooks had just posted a berry scone recipe and I happened to have all the ingredients!
Luckily, I almost always have a bag of frozen berries on hand {because I'm obsessed}, so I pulled the berries, butter and all the other goodness out and got to work.
To note: for scones, the berries and butter are best when kept cold until ready for use. That way, your berries stay in tact when you mix them in and the butter makes for lighter {go figure}, flakier scones.
*I did a little internet research and it sounds like cold butter basically melts inside your pastry in the oven, opening up pockets of space in the scone, therefore making it flakier. Interesting!
Very Berry Carb Loading Scones
Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour (I like Bob's Red Mill or King Arthur)
1/2 cup white sugar (or slightly less)
1 Tbsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 cup of unsalted butter (keep it in the fridge until needed)
1 large egg
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup frozen mixed berries
turbinado/raw sugar for sprinkling
The recipe also called for lemon zest and a glaze, but I think these are perfect without all of that. I also went slightly less on the butter and sugar because that's how I roll.
1. Preheat your oven to 400F. Get out your silpat baking mat and cookie sheet, or add parchment paper if you don't have a baking mat.
2. Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl. {I subbed in 1/4 cup of rolled oats for a 1/4 cup of the total flour to health these up a bit.}
3. Grab your stick of butter (or slightly less in my case), and use a fork or pastry cutter to work in the butter until it is in small chunks throughout the flour mixture. You may need to use your hands to get the butter a bit smaller, but once the chunks are about pea size, you're good to go.
4. In a smaller bowl, mix the egg, vanilla and greek yogurt together until smooth.
5. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry, being careful not to overmix as it will make for tough scones. I had to add a splash of almond milk here because my dough did not have enough moisture.
6. Fold in your berries, being careful not to smash them too much.
7. Flour a clean dry surface or a separate cookie sheet to roll out your dough. Carefully roll out the dough to a 8-inch round circle. Then use a knife to cut your scones into 8 even wedges.
8. Transfer the scones to your baking sheet with the silpat mat or parchment paper. Carefully separate the wedges so there are about 2 inches between each scone as they'll grow while baking.
9. Finally, sprinkle a little turbinado sugar on top of each scone and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until light brown. Let cool for a few minutes before eating or transferring to a baking rack.
10. Best when eaten warm, but may be stored in an airtight container for a few days or saved in the freezer.
These scones are sweet enough on their own and perfect with your morning coffee or tea, or as a treat after a hard workout.
Also of Possible Interest...
The last time I wrote about scones on blog, it looks like they were blueberry lemon zest. Clearly, I have a thing for berries.
Scones really might be my favorite kind of pastry. I'm sort of a pastry connoisseur, but I try to keep the enjoyment of them to a minimum because well, they're not usually the most healthy. BUT, you gotta have a little fun in life.
A few weekends ago I had finished a 3 mile run + yoga and was doing chores around the house and had a hankering to do a little baking. It was the day before the Peterson Ridge 20 miler, so carb loading was an added plus.
I opened feedly and what do you know, Averie Cooks had just posted a berry scone recipe and I happened to have all the ingredients!
Luckily, I almost always have a bag of frozen berries on hand {because I'm obsessed}, so I pulled the berries, butter and all the other goodness out and got to work.
To note: for scones, the berries and butter are best when kept cold until ready for use. That way, your berries stay in tact when you mix them in and the butter makes for lighter {go figure}, flakier scones.
*I did a little internet research and it sounds like cold butter basically melts inside your pastry in the oven, opening up pockets of space in the scone, therefore making it flakier. Interesting!
Very Berry Carb Loading Scones
Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour (I like Bob's Red Mill or King Arthur)
1/2 cup white sugar (or slightly less)
1 Tbsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 cup of unsalted butter (keep it in the fridge until needed)
1 large egg
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup frozen mixed berries
turbinado/raw sugar for sprinkling
The recipe also called for lemon zest and a glaze, but I think these are perfect without all of that. I also went slightly less on the butter and sugar because that's how I roll.
1. Preheat your oven to 400F. Get out your silpat baking mat and cookie sheet, or add parchment paper if you don't have a baking mat.
2. Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl. {I subbed in 1/4 cup of rolled oats for a 1/4 cup of the total flour to health these up a bit.}
3. Grab your stick of butter (or slightly less in my case), and use a fork or pastry cutter to work in the butter until it is in small chunks throughout the flour mixture. You may need to use your hands to get the butter a bit smaller, but once the chunks are about pea size, you're good to go.
4. In a smaller bowl, mix the egg, vanilla and greek yogurt together until smooth.
5. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry, being careful not to overmix as it will make for tough scones. I had to add a splash of almond milk here because my dough did not have enough moisture.
6. Fold in your berries, being careful not to smash them too much.
7. Flour a clean dry surface or a separate cookie sheet to roll out your dough. Carefully roll out the dough to a 8-inch round circle. Then use a knife to cut your scones into 8 even wedges.
8. Transfer the scones to your baking sheet with the silpat mat or parchment paper. Carefully separate the wedges so there are about 2 inches between each scone as they'll grow while baking.
9. Finally, sprinkle a little turbinado sugar on top of each scone and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until light brown. Let cool for a few minutes before eating or transferring to a baking rack.
10. Best when eaten warm, but may be stored in an airtight container for a few days or saved in the freezer.
These scones are sweet enough on their own and perfect with your morning coffee or tea, or as a treat after a hard workout.
Warning: your dog may also want to be in close proximity to your scones
And just for fun, a few things I'm loving this week
1. My parents just got a new puppy after their dog passed away last summer. They brought this little husky over to our house last night to play with Jonah. I think they're naming him Niko...
How can you not love a cuddly face like that?
It's so fun to watch puppies prance around and just stare at things in curiosity. He was intent on watching Jonah run around the yard and on a few occasions sort of tumbled off our deck, unsure of how to hop down.
2. Friend email chains that keep going and going
My high school girlfriends and I seem to start up a new email string every few months when we want to get caught up with each other's lives. It's fun to hear about what everyone is up to and be reminded of how lucky we are that we've maintained our friendships so well for so long and across hundreds or thousands of miles.
What's on tap for your weekend? Doing anything fun for Mother's Day?
The last time I wrote about scones on blog, it looks like they were blueberry lemon zest. Clearly, I have a thing for berries.
Comments
I have very little planned for the weekend, which is nice. I'm having lunch at a French bistro with a friend today and running 8 miles with a local running group tomorrow but that is the extent of my plans for the weekend which I am OK with. I plan to read a lot and pack a little and hopefully relax as I know the month ahead will be a bit hectic/stressful with my move and starting a new job at a new company. Enjoy your Mother's Day plans!