Monday, December 18, 2006

Cheryl's Scones




Cheryl’s Scones

This is the recipe I’ve come up with after many experimentations. Many scone recipes don’t call for an egg, but I love the texture an egg gives the dough. Heavy cream makes a scone less like a biscuit. Egg nog is an ingredient I stumbled upon, and the flavor it adds is incredible. Orange juice is another alternative. You many add or substitute ingredients- for example craisins & raisins are interchangeable. Currants are an option. Walnuts or pecans are a good addition. Guess what--some people like them plain!

I always double this recipe.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Soak 1/2 cup raisins in warm water.
In mixing bowl sift together:
2 cups flour
½ tsp salt
2 ½ tsp baking powder
½ cup (or less) sugar

Use pastry cutter to cut 1/3 cup butter or margarine into the flour mixture.
Add 1 beaten egg
½ cup egg nog (or heavy cream)

Stir with fork till pretty well mixed (it will be dry and crumbly), then turn out onto lightly floured surface or floured waxed paper and knead several times until a dough forms. Keep a little cup of flour at your fingertips and dust surface and hands with flour until you get a good consistency for pressing out. (If it sticks to your fingers, add more flour.)

Press dough out to about ½ in thickness. You may either
cut dough into shapes with cookie cutters or a glass…
or roll out the entire batch into a circle (2 if you double the recipe) and cut into pie-shaped wedges.

Place on lightly sprayed cookie sheet and bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Some people brush the tops with milk. I don’t.
Optional: sprinkle with sugar or grated lemon peel
My special topping: sprinkle with lemonade mix!

Make ahead! These freeze great. Layer with waxed paper and freeze in a tightly sealed container. Thaw them out a few hours before serving.

Serve with preserves, jelly or lemon curd.

Measurements for double batch:
4 cups flour
¾ - 1 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
5 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup butter/margarine
2 eggs
1 cup eggnog
1 cup raisins

4 comments:

  1. Thank you, Cheryl! I LOVE scones and so does my Mom. I'm sending her your recipe as well as saving it for myself.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think I will have to make these in the next couple days I will be off for a while and I hope I get to enjoy the holidays.

    I want to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas and Happy New year.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think I will have to make these in the next couple days I will be off for a while and I hope I get to enjoy the holidays.

    I want to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas and Happy New year.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Love anything that can be made ahead; unfortunately, I rarely get the chance to do it, usually last minute on most things.
    Brenda, I am off school for 2 weeks while David is home from FL for 3. Fixed his favorite meal (pork steak in sauteed mushrooms/onions in cream of mushroom soup with potatoes) Thurs for him & a neighbor/friend. I am NOT a great cook, but have a few specialities so hope to make French toast & creamed peas & potatoes (at different meals! LOL)for my Dad if he can travel 6 hrs to join us Christmas day for a week.

    MERRY Christmas and Happy, healthy, prosperous New Year to you & ALL your readers from one of your biggest FANS!
    On to cleaning!! and sneaking some reading in between and warming my hands in front of the fireplace.
    A-A-AH. Cocoa or hot tea, Ye-e-s!

    ReplyDelete