For Formal Afternoon Tea, Breakfast or Dessert you cannot beat scones….Namaste, The Queen Cronista

Basic Scones

Yield: 8 scones

Ingredients

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour

⅓ Cup Sugar

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

½ Teaspoon Salt

¼ Teaspoon Baking Soda

8 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Frozen

½ Cup Sour Cream

1 Large Egg

1 Teaspoon White Sugar

Directions

Step 1 Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C); adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Step 2 Mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a box grater. Use your fingers to work in butter until mixture resembles a coarse meal, Toss in cranberries, nuts or other add ins.

Step 3 Whisk sour cream and egg together in a small bowl until combined.

Step 4 Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form. Use your hands to shape dough into a ball. (Dough may seem dry at first but will come together as you work it.)

Step 5 Place dough on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7- to 8-inch circle, about 3/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 equal triangles; place on the prepared baking tray, about 1-inch apart.

Step 6 Bake scones in the preheated oven until golden, 15 to 17 minutes.

Step 7 Cool for 5 minutes; serve warm or at room temperature. Serve with Amish Butter and flavor paired jelly if desired.

Cranberry-Orange Scones

Follow the recipe for Simple Scones, adding a generous teaspoon of finely grated orange rind (zest) to the dry ingredients and dried cranberries.

Lemon-Blueberry Scones

Follow the recipe for Simple Scones, adding a generous teaspoon of finely grated lemon rind (zest) to the dry ingredients and 1 Cup blueberries.

Cherry-Walnut Scones

Follow the recipe for Simple Scones, adding 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or rum extract to the sour cream mixture and 1 Cup dried cherries.