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Simple Scones

SUBMITTED BY: USA WEEKEND columnist Pam Anderson  PHOTO BY: Gans 

"Make a holiday breakfast -- or afternoon tea -- really special with these sweet bakery treats."
Simple Scones Recipe
RECIPE RATING:
This recipe has been rated 568 times with an average star rating of 4.9
Read Reviews (486)
Original recipe yield 8 scones

SERVINGS

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Servings
 

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen
  • 1/2 cup raisins (or dried currants)
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 large egg

DIRECTIONS

  1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a box grater; use your fingers to work in butter (mixture should resemble coarse meal), then stir in raisins.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk sour cream and egg until smooth.
  4. Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form. Use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball. (The dough will be sticky in places, and there may not seem to be enough liquid at first, but as you press, the dough will come together.)
  5. Place on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7- to 8-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp. of sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper), about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.

FOOTNOTES

  • Cranberry-Orange Scones
  • Follow the recipe for Simple Scones, adding a generous teaspoon of finely grated orange rind (zest) to the dry ingredients and substituting dried cranberries for the raisins.
  • Lemon-Blueberry Scones
  • Follow the recipe for Simple Scones, adding a generous teaspoon of finely grated lemon rind (zest) to the dry ingredients and substituting dried blueberries for the raisins.
  • Cherry-Almond Scones
  • Follow the recipe for Simple Scones, adding 1/2 tsp. almond extract to the sour cream mixture and substituting dried cherries for the raisins.
  • This recipe was originally featured in the USA WEEKEND article Simply Perfect Scones on December 19, 2004.
  • Find the Perfect Recipe from Pam Anderson.
  • Pam Anderson is the author of four cookbooks, including her latest, Perfect Recipes for Having People Over.
  • Copyright 2006 USA WEEKEND and columnist Pam Anderson. All rights reserved.

REVIEWS

The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.88 star rating.
Reviewed on may 15, 2007 by Caljane 
I wouldn't recommend them if you do not have a food processor since making them as here... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.88 star rating.
Reviewed on dec. 26, 2004 by LITDOC 
I mixed these up using my food processor and the results were fantastic... and so easy.. put... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.88 star rating.
Reviewed on nov. 12, 2007 by TARADAWN 
What a wonderful scone recipe. These turned out just slightly moist and not dried-out like... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.88 star rating.
Reviewed on may 1, 2007 by mn 
Great recipe! I used salted cold butter from the fridge and just cut it into the dough. My... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.88 star rating.
Reviewed on oct. 19, 2006 by TIFFENY 
I made these tonight for my family and they loved them!!! The alterations I made was to used... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.88 star rating.
Reviewed on mar. 27, 2006 by ArmyMom 
I used salted butter and they were fine. The hardest part was hand grating the butter and the... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.88 star rating.
Reviewed on feb. 7, 2006 by EDDIEGIRL 
These are the best scones I have ever eaten! I'm a top notch baker but even thought this... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.88 star rating.
Reviewed on jan. 30, 2007 by SPARKLER8666 
Excellent basic scone recipe. It allowed for substitutions nicely. I used half white and... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.88 star rating.
Reviewed on oct. 16, 2006 by ivyguppy 
What a great recipe! I loved the simplicity of the recipe and the tasty results. The texture... MORE
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.88 star rating.
Reviewed on dec. 29, 2008 by jrbaker 
These are so good, and extremely versatile. I added dried cranberries and white chocolate... MORE

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Nutritional Information
Simple Scones

Servings Per Recipe: 8

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 319

  • Total Fat: 15.5g
  • Cholesterol: 64mg
  • Sodium: 235mg
  • Total Carbs: 41.1g
  •     Dietary Fiber: 1.3g
  • Protein: 4.9g

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