Scones - original and "healthier" versions

Aside from a friend of mine who shall go by the name Zorro (and maybe you, M.), I have yet to meet anyone who does not like a good warm scone fresh out of the oven with some steaming tea. North Americans may call it a biscuit, but, let's face it, it's a scone. At 4pm, when hunger pangs strike and your will to live is directly and inversely proportionate to the amount of time you still have to spend at work, nothing is quite as comforting (to me) as a warm scone with melted butter and Marmite and a cup of strong black tea with a dash of milk. Unfortunately, when at work, these babies are pretty hard to come by, so I guess it's lucky for me that I am so far unemployed, or I'd also be without a scone in this instant! 

Now, there are two recipes here: one for the "traditional", no frills English scone. And one for the healthier yet oh-so-tasty version. Now I say "healthier" and not healthy because of the healthy (ha!) dose of butter involved in this recipe. But hey, if it tastes this good, I'm all for it! 

I've made these scones so often in the past 2,5 years I could make them with my eyes closed, my hands tied behind my back and my feet behind my head! And they always turn out delicious, they never disappoint (just make sure your oven is fully preheated or they won't rise and will end up being pretty dense).

Traditional English Scone

2 cups flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons butter (salted or not, your choice)

1/4 - 1/2 cup milk

1 egg

This recipe is really simple and takes only about 20 minutes from when hunger strikes to when it is fed, so it's as close as you will get to instant gratification with home-baked goods.

Start by mixing the dry ingredients (flour, salt, sugar and baking powder). I use a fork for this (and most of my cooking/baking) and it works perfectly fine. Then add in the cold butter. Don't melt it as this will ruin the lovely flaky texture of the scones. Cut it up into small chunks and then use the heat of your hands to mix/melt it into the dry ingredients until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs. 

Beat egg and 1/4 cup of milk, add to dough and mix with the fork. If the dough is too dry, add milk a tablespoon at a time. The dough should be homogeneous yet not sticky at all. When the fork stops being of use, knead with your hands as little as possible. This is key to obtaining a flaky scone! 

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and squish (yes, that is the technical term) to about 1,5cm thickness. Use a knife to cut diamond shapes or a glass to cut out round ones like I did. When you re-knead the leftovers, be sure to do it as little as possible. 

Put in a preheated oven at 180°C and bake for 12-15 minutes. Your scones should be lightly golden brown on top and baked through.

"Healthier" wholewheat and oats scones

1 cup firmly packed oats

1 cup wholewheat flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons butter (salted or not, your choice)

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

Mixing directions are the same as above. You will likely have to use a tad more milk than with the traditional scones as the oats absorb a lot of it pretty fast. Flatten your dough to about 2cm thick as it will rise less than normal flour scones would. Bake in preheated oven at 180°C for 12-15 minutes and enjoy!

Whichever recipe you decide to follow DON'T PEEK! Scones are only fussy once in the oven and need a constantly hot temperature to rise properly (like most baked goods). Use your oven light or your nose to figure out when they're ready!

I like my scones best with either salted butter and Marmite or mascarpone (in lieu of clotted cream) and strawberry jam, but the possibilities are endless for both the toppings and the scones themselves! I've successfully made cheese scones and maple syrup and oats scones and topped the first with freshly-made pesto. Seriously, the combinations are limited only by your imagination and taste buds! 

What's your favorite combo? Let me know!