My mother is not an avid baker like myself; however, whenever she does bake, she tends to make either German plum sheet cake or English scones. Recently, for Mother’s Day, I decided to surprise her with some homemade English-style scones. I think that scones often get a bad rep for being heavy and dry. For my first attempt at making them, I wanted to make a lighter version that not only tastes delicious, but also is easy on the stomach. These scones have a flaky texture and a hint of sweetness. Plus, by substituting cream and full-fat milk, these scones are healthier and more waistline-friendly than the original. You will want to eat more than one. Guaranteed!

Instructions

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups light spelt flour
• 5 teaspoons baking powder, leveled
• 1 generous pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup organic brown cane sugar
• 1/2 cup salted butter (cold and diced) – I used Kerrygold, which seems to be the preferred butter of several pastry chefs that I admire and follow, including  Claire Saffitz of Bon Appetit and Zoë François of zoebakes
• 1 organic egg
• 3/4 cup skim milk (plus, 2-4 tablespoons, depending on the dryness of the dough)
• 1 cup raisins (optional)
• Milk to glaze

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients until well-combined.
2. Add cold butter to the dry mixture. Using your fingers, break the butter into the flour mixture. Gather flour and butter into your fingers and use your thumbs to press the butter into the flour. Quickly repeat motion until a breadcrumb-like mixture is formed. Don’t worry about getting it perfect!
3. If adding dried fruit, e.g. raisins, add them at this point, i.e. before the wet mixture is added.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the egg and milk until well-combined.
5. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and then use a hand mixer to combine the two mixtures until a dough is formed. The bowl should not hold any dough scraps. No dough wasted! 🙂
6. Transfer the dough onto a floured work surface.
7. Knead the dough lightly until it has a smooth surface.
8. Pat the dough down with your hand until it has a thickness of roughly 2.5 cm or 1 inch.
9. Use a circular, floured cutter, to cut out the scones. The dough makes around 12 scones, depending on the size of the cutter.
10. Transfer the scones onto a baking sheet and then glaze the tops with some milk. This milk glaze gives the scones a golden appearance when baked.
11. Bake at 350oF (18OoC) for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
12. Enjoy with butter and jam. Clotted cream or whipped cream also pair well with these goodies. Scones taste best when eaten the day they are baked. If you have leftover scones the next day, just reheat them in the oven or using the raised rack of a toaster.

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