These turned out really well, and they're not difficult at all. I followed the recipe pretty much exactly, except I cut each circle into 8 mini-scone wedges instead of 4. Cut them before you bake them, BUT don't separate them. You're kind of scoring them basically. Mine took 15-16 minutes in a pre-heated oven.They have a delightfully crispy crust and are soft and light inside. Serve them with butter and jam. We had some huckleberry jam that B brought back from Montana, yum! (And if you have access to a fresh steaming mug of cappuccino, it will only enhance the experience!)
Old-Fashioned Lemon Cream Scones
From The Best Quick Breads by Beth Hensperger
Ingredients:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
Grated zest of 2 lemons
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon mixed with 2 tablespoons sugar (optional), for sprinkling
** this is optional but I would not skip it!
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper. (I prefer parchment paper, love that stuff!) In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt. Cut in the butter with a fork or a heavy-duty electric mixer (I used a pastry blender) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl or 1-cup measure, whisk together the eggs and cream. Add to the dry mixture and stir until a sticky dough is formed.
Turn out the shaggy dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead gently just until the dough holds together, about 6 times. (I just did it within the mixing bowl.) Divide into 2 equal portions and pat each into a 1-inch-thick round about 6 inches in diameter. With a knife or straightedge, cut each round into quarters, creating 4 wedges. The scones can also be formed by cutting the dough using a 3-inch biscuit cutter to make 10 to 12 smaller scones.
Place the scones about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the tops with the cinnamon sugar, if desired. Bake in the center of the oven until crusty and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately with butter and homemade jam, or cool on a rack and freeze in heavy-duty freezer bags for up to a month.
(These don't keep very well, so definitely follow the freezing advice if you don't eat them right away. I like the double-wrap method, basically I wrap them well in foil then put them into a freezer bag and seal tightly. If I use a freezer bag alone, things tend to taste plastic-y and not keep as well.)
Yield: Makes 8 scones
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