Gold Medal Classic Scones Recipes

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, stir the flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, the baking powder and salt until mixed. Cut in the butter, using a pastry blender or fork, until mixture looks like fine crumbs.
• In a small bowl, beat the egg with a fork until yolk and white are mixed. Using the fork, stir the egg, vanilla and just enough of the 4 to 6 tablespoons whipping cream into the flour mixture until mixture forms a soft dough and leaves the side of the bowl.
• Lightly sprinkle flour over a cutting board or countertop. Place dough on floured surface; gently roll in the flour to coat. To knead dough, fold dough toward you. With the heels of your hands, lightly push dough away from you with a short rocking motion. Move dough a quarter turn and repeat 10 times. Dough will feel springy and smooth.
• Place the dough on an ungreased cookie sheet. Roll dough with a rolling pin or pat dough with fingers into an 8-inch round. Using a sharp knife that has been dipped in flour, cut dough round into 8 wedges, but do not separate the wedges. Brush 1 tablespoon whipping cream over wedges, using a pastry brush. Sprinkle with sugar crystals.
• Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until light golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to a cooling rack; carefully separate wedges. Serve warm.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Tip the self-raising flour into a large bowl with ¼ tsp salt and the baking powder, then mix.
• Add the butter, then rub in with your fingers until the mix looks like fine crumbs. Stir in the caster sugar.
• Put the milk into a jug and heat in the microwave for about 30 secs until warm, but not hot. Add the vanilla extract and a squeeze of lemon juice, then set aside for a moment.
• Put a baking tray in the oven. Make a well in the dry mix, then add the liquid and combine it quickly with a cutlery knife - it will seem pretty wet at first.
• Scatter some flour onto the work surface and tip the dough out. Dredge the dough and your hands with a little more flour, then fold the dough over 2-3 times until it's a little smoother. Pat into a round about 4cm deep. Take a 5cm cutter (smooth-edged cutters tend to cut more cleanly, giving a better rise) and dip it into some flour. Plunge into the dough, then repeat until you have four scones. You may need to press what's left of the dough back into a round to cut out another four.
• Brush the tops with a beaten egg, then carefully arrange on the hot baking tray. Bake for 10 mins until risen and golden on the top. Eat just warm or cold on the day of baking, generously topped with jam and clotted cream. If freezing, freeze once cool. Defrost, then put in a low oven (about 160C/140C fan/gas 3) for a few minutes to refresh.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with rack in center. Line a 9-by-2-inch round cake pan with plastic wrap; line a baking sheet, preferably insulated, or a double layer of two baking sheets with parchment. Whip cream just until soft peaks form; refrigerate.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Add butter cubes and, using a fork, toss to coat it with flour. Press butter cubes between your fingers to form very thin flakes. Stir in cranberries. Make a well in center. Pour whipped cream and honey into well; using a silicone spatula, stir flour mixture into cream mixture until ingredients are moistened.
• Lightly knead dough in bowl just until it holds together. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently knead a few times until dough is a little stretchy and can be shaped into a smooth disk.
• Press dough evenly into prepared pan (or shape dough into a 9-inch disk, 3/4 inch thick, without using pan). Press in any loose cranberries. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
• Lift out disk of dough using plastic wrap. Using a sharp knife, cut disk into 8 even wedges. Transfer to prepared sheet, spaced 2 inches apart. (Alternatively, wrap wedges individually and freeze.)
• Bake 10 minutes, then rotate sheet and continue baking until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes more. (If baking frozen scones, bake 20 minutes, then rotate sheet, cover loosely with foil, and continue baking 10 minutes more.)
• Transfer sheet to a wire rack. Using a pancake turner, transfer scones to another wire rack; let cool until warm or room temperature. Scones will be slightly moist. If you prefer a more traditional, drier scone, let sit, uncovered, overnight. Scones can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days or frozen up to 3 months.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Put the flour, salt, baking powder and 2 tablespoons of the sugar in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles cornmeal.
• Add the egg and just enough cream to form a slightly sticky dough. If it's too sticky, add a little flour, but very little; it should still stick a little to your hands.
• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead once or twice, then press it into a 3/4-inch-thick circle and cut into 2-inch rounds with a biscuit cutter or glass. Put the rounds on an ungreased baking sheet. Gently reshape the leftover dough and cut again. Brush the top of each scone with a bit of cream and sprinkle with a little of the remaining sugar.
• Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until the scones are a beautiful golden brown. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 450°F. In a medium bowl, stir the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt until mixed. Cut in the shortening using a pastry blender or fork, until mixture looks like fine crumbs. Stir in the milk until mixture forms a soft dough and leaves the side of the bowl (dough will be soft and sticky).
• Lightly sprinkle flour over a cutting board or countertop. Place dough on floured surface; gently roll in the flour to coat. To knead dough, fold dough toward you. With the heels of your hands, lightly push dough away from you with a short rocking motion. Move dough a quarter turn and repeat 10 times. Dough will feel springy and smooth.
• On the floured surface, flatten dough evenly, using hands or a rolling pin, until dough is 1/2 inch thick.
• Before cutting each biscuit, dip a 2 1/2-inch round cutter into flour to lightly coat it so it will cut cleanly through the dough without sticking. To cut, push the cutter straight down through the dough without twisting or turning. Cut the biscuits as close together as possible. On an ungreased cookie sheet, place biscuits about 1 inch apart for biscuits with crusty sides, or place with sides touching for biscuits with soft sides.
• Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm.