How to Make the Perfect Scones
- Prep – Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Dry Ingredients – In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add cold unsalted butter and cut it into the flour mixture with a pastry blender until pea-sized crumbs form. Gently fold in flavor add-ins if using. Refrigerate while preparing wet ingredients.
- Wet Ingredients – In a small bowl, combine cream, eggs, and vanilla. Beat with a fork until well blended. Combine the cream mixture and flour mixture and fold with a spatula until moistened.
- Work the Dough – Transfer the dough onto a clean, lightly floured surface and work it into a ball of dough just until it comes together. Next, flatten into a 1-inch thick and 7-inch wide disk. Chop into 8 equal wedges.
- Chill – Arrange scones on a lined baking sheet 1 inch apart. Brush the tops with cream and generously sprinkle with coarse sugar. Refrigerate for 15 minutes before baking.
- Bake – Bake for 20-23 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Drizzle with glaze if desired.
Pro Tip:
The scones are done when the tops are golden and the edges golden brown. The internal temperature on an instant-read thermometer should register at 200°F when done.
How to Make Vanilla Glaze
In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Stir until well blended. The glaze should be drizzling consistency; add powdered sugar to thicken or milk to thin the glaze. Using a spoon, drizzle the glaze over the cooled scones.
Pro Tip
The glaze will set and harden within an hour. If you are glazing ahead, cover and store the scones once the glaze sets.
What can I use instead of a pastry cutter?
If you don’t have a pastry cutter, there are several methods for cutting butter into flour. You can use two forks or knives, or a food processor. Alternatively, you can freeze the stick of butter and grate on the large holes of a box grater. The key is to use cold butter and not work the dough too much, creating overly dense scones.
What to Serve With Scones
We love to enjoy scones in the morning for breakfast or brunch. Scones go great with:
Make-Ahead Scones
Like most baked goods, scones taste best right out of the oven, still warm, but you can make them ahead and bake fresh the next morning.
- To bake in the morning: Follow steps 1-5 to prepare your scones, then cover and refrigerate the unbaked scones overnight. Bake them chilled, directly from the refrigerator.
- Storing baked scones: Transfer cooled scones to an airtight container for up to 3 days (or 5 days in the refrigerator).
- Freezing: You can freeze scones baked or unbaked.
- To freeze dough: Place your cut dough wedges onto a baking sheet and freeze for 1 hour. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or bake from frozen, adding 2 minutes to the baking time.
- To freeze baked scones: After baking, cool on a wire rack. Transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- To reheat: microwave for 20 seconds or place in the oven at 300°F for 10 minutes.
How to Make Scones
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add diced cold butter and cut it into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter until pea-sized butter crumbs form. Gently stir in flavor add-ins if using. Refrigerate the mixture while preparing liquid ingredients.
