Friday, April 29, 2011

Plain scones

My Anglophilia kicked into high gear today, for obvious reasons,* and I felt I must make some scones to have with my tea. After my walk with Edmund, we stopped by the store and picked up some strawberry preserves, lemon curd, and heavy cream, then I whipped up these plain scones in no time.

Plain scones
  • 2 c. flour
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1/8 c. sugar
  • 1/4 c. butter
  • 1/2 c. milk, + 2 tbsp.
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix dry ingredients, then cut in butter. Add milk and mix to form dough. [EDITED TO ADD: you may find you will need more milk than just 1/2 cup -- the dough should be sticky enough to adhere together in a ball, but not so sticky that it sticks to the bowl.] Divide in half and shape each into a flat round (about 1/2 - 3/4 inch thick). Cut each round into six triangles. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush the top of each scone with extra milk. Bake for 10 minutes, or until tops are golden.

I am not sure where I got this recipe; I think I found one online and then modified it. It is my favorite plain scone recipe, though. On their own, the scones aren't much, but they make a perfect stage for delicious jams and spreads.

*I don't normally follow the doings of the royal family, but when I remembered that today was Prince William's wedding, I looked up the highlights on YouTube, and Edmund and I enjoyed watching a few selections. His favorite part was when the planes buzzed Buckingham Palace to congratulate the newlyweds. :) I loved the ceremony as it reminded me of my own wedding (same format, though the Royal wedding used a slightly modernized version). The Brits sure know how to pull off a gorgeous wedding with pomp and elegance!

12 comments:

  1. The scones look delcious, Laura! I've been aching to be about the kitchen during the last four months, and after watching the royal wedding this afternoon (my dad kindly taped it for his absent daughters!) I'm offically in the mood for scones and tea. :)

    As a side note, I must comment again to say that your wedding was beautiful and am saving some ideas from it for my own someday, Lord willing. :)

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  2. Oh, thanks for the scones recipe! I usually just get the in the supermarket (I live in London) but making my own will be all the lovelier (and tastier). The Royal Wedding was quite the spectacle and I thought Catherine looked stunning. I hope her dress will inspire many more!

    Enjoy your Anglophilia :) I write quite a bit about tea, so feel free to take a peek if you're so inclined.

    Blessings,
    This Good Life

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  3. Thanks, Cheri -- I'm sure you'll be cooking up some delicious stuff after not having a kitchen of your own for four months! Starting with scones would be a great idea. ;)

    TGL, I quite like Catherine's dress, too -- very classy. I'm off to take a peek at your blog! :)

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  4. Catherine's dress was a delight. And except from the plunging neckline, reminded me a little of my own (mine had a high-necked, Victorian feel to it). I love my dress till this day. What a pity we don't get to wear them again...

    I noticed the floral decoration on your dress. Beautiful! Do you have more photos of it on your blog?

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  5. Thanks, TGL -- yes, if you click on the "marriage" category on both this blog and my old blog ("Dec. 2006 - Mar. 2010" under the "Archives" heading) you'll pull up all the posts with wedding photos. I did a post explaining all about the construction and design details of my dress shortly after my wedding.

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  6. Ohhh, I've read your older posts! You made the dresses yourself? Amazing. Stunning wedding, by the way and your love for tea really shone through. The decorations were gorgeous and classy. And moreover, I loved reading about how you and your husband 'met'. He sounds like a wonderful man.

    Blessings,
    This Good Life

    P.S. How did you find the books of Ruth and Esther?

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  7. Dear Laura,

    Just so you know: I blogged my lemon curd recipe and linked to your scone recipe.

    Blessings,
    TGL

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  8. Good morning Laura,

    Just a little note to say that I made your scones this morning, and I think this is my new favorite scone recipe. Others that I've tried in the past are either flavorless, hard and dry, or far to large to enjoy in one sitting.

    I used buttermilk in place of the plain milk and butter, and I started out with 1/2 cup thinking that was the only liquid I'd need, but then kept adding more (probably up to another 1/2 cup) to make a manageable dough. They turned out fabulous, even if I pulled them out in the middle of baking to brush buttermilk on top! ;)

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  9. TGL, thanks for the compliments on my wedding. It was certainly fun to plan and a joy to remember. I enjoyed reading Ruth and Esther on my recent vacation, and right now I am reading through the Psalms and Proverbs, but taking it slowly as I am trying to meditate on meaningful verses and get back into the habit of memorization. :)

    Cheri, thank you for bringing that to my attention! I actually meant to say something about that, but I forgot. As you can see I went back and added a note to the recipe. I have made these twice in the past week and each time I have also had to add more milk, although I don't think it was ever as much as another 1/2 cup -- maybe 2/3 c. would be a better amount? I will try that amount next time I make them and see if that works. I'm so glad you enjoyed them!

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  10. Dear Laura, what passages of Ruth and Esther do you like best? If you like Proverbs, you might also find inspiration in Ecclesiastes. (It always takes me a while to think of the English names for the books of the Bible, am so used to the Hebrew!)

    Personally, in terms of the shorter, Prophetic books, I also ready love Hosea and Jonah. Jonah is such a dramatic story with psychological depth. And Hosea offers some beautiful insights on both the relationship between God and people and between men and women.

    I wish you inspirational study!
    (And may I ask how and why you memorize?)

    Blessings,
    TGL

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  11. TGL, I feel I could better answer your questions via e-mail so I will try to pop one off soon! :)

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  12. These look so scrumptious! I never would have thought of plain scones. :)

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