Dreamy Creamy Scones

2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, preferably a low-protein brand such as Gold Medal or Pillsbury
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup currants (I used dried cranberries, and chopped them into smaller bits)
1 cup heavy cream

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425°F.

2. Place flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in large bowl or work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Whisk together or pulse six times.

3. If making by hand, use two knives, a pastry blender or your fingertips and quickly cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few slightly larger butter lumps. Stir in currants. If using food processor, remove cover and distribute butter evenly over dry ingredients. Cover and pulse 12 times, each pulse lasting 1 second. Add currants and pulse one more time. Transfer dough to large bowl.

4. Stir in heavy cream with a rubber spatula or fork until dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.

5. Transfer dough and all dry, floury bits to countertop and knead dough by hand just until it comes together into a rough, sticky ball, 5 to 10 seconds. Form scones by either a) pressing the dough into an 8-inch cake pan, then turning the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, cutting the dough into 8 wedges with either a knife or bench scraper (the book’s suggestion) or b) patting the dough onto a lightly floured work surface into a 3/4-inch thick circle, cutting pieces with a biscuit cutter, and pressing remaining scraps back into another piece (what I did) and cutting until dough has been used up. (Be warned if you use this latter method, the scones that are made from the remaining scraps will be much lumpier and less pretty, but taste fine. As in, I understand why they suggested the first method.)

6. Place rounds or wedges on ungreased baking sheet and bake until scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

See more: Breakfast, Photo, Scones/Biscuits

Wholemeal drop scones recipe

Makes 20-30
Ingredients
250g self-raising wholemeal flour
Pinch baking powder
Pinch sea salt
25g caster sugar
2 medium eggs
275ml milk
50g butter, melted
A little sunflower oil
To serve
Butter
Caster sugar
Pinch ground cinnamon (optional)
Jam, honey or macerated fruit
Method: How to make wholemeal drop scones
1. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl and stir in the sugar. Make a well in the centre and break in the eggs. Pour in about half the milk. Whisk, gently at first, and then as you start to get a thick paste, add more milk and the melted butter. Beat until you get a creamy batter a little thicker than double cream - you might not need all the milk.
2. Put a large, heavy-based frying pan or a flat griddle over a medium/high heat. Add a few drops of oil and rub with a thick wad of kitchen paper to oil the pan very lightly. Pour (or 'drop') a scant tablespoon of batter into the pan – to get a disc about the size of a digestive biscuit; you should be able to fit 4 or 5 in the pan.
3. After about a minute, little bubbles will start to appear on the surface of the drop scones. As soon as they cover the surface, flip the scones over with a spatula - be warned, the first batch may stick. Cook the other side for 40-60 seconds or so, then transfer the drop scones to a warm plate and cover them with a clean tea towel so they stay soft – or hand them over to those waiting eagerly to get stuck in.
4. Cook the remaining drop scones in the same way, adjusting the heat level if they start browning too quickly and re-oiling the pan with kitchen paper as necessary.
5. To serve, top with a little butter and sprinkle with some sugar, and a fine dusting of cinnamon, if you like. Or serve buttered and spread with jam, honey or macerated fruit. Eat quickly, while still hot.

Lily's Scones (Nigella Lawson)

Ingredients
* 500 grams plain flour
* 1 tsp salt
* 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
* 4.5 tsp cream of tartar
* 50 grams cold unsalted butter, diced
* 25 grams Trex, in teaspooned lumps (or use another 25 grams of butter)
* 300 mL milk
* 1 large egg, beaten, for egg-wash
^ 6.5 cm crinkle-edged round cutter
^ 1 baking tray, lightly greased.

Method
* Preheat the oven to 220C / gas mark 7.
* Sift the flour, salt, bicarb and cream of tartar into a large bowl.  Rub in the fats till it goes like damp sand.  Add the milk at once, mix briefly – briefly being the operative word – and then turn out onto a floured surface and knead lightly to form a dough.
* Roll out to about 3 cm thickness.  Dip the cutter into some flour, then stamp out at least 10 scones.  You get 12 in all from this but may need to re-roll for the last 2.  Place on the baking tray very close together – the idea is that they bulge and stick together on cooking – then brush the tops with the egg-wash.  Put in the oven and cook for 10 minutes or until risen and golden.
* Always eat freshly baked, preferably still warm from the oven, with clotted cream and jam or, my favourite Thunder & Lightning, which is clotted cream and black treacle.
* Makes 12.
VARIATION: Add 75 grams of raisins or sultanas for fruit scones, or, something I’m keen on, use the same amount of dried sour cherries, with or without the finely grated zest of 1/2 an orange.  To make cheese scones, add 75 grams of mature Cheddar, grated.