Bakery-Style Scones

We go through a lot of half-and-half at home between my sister and I. We each have a minimum of a morning cup of coffee every day during the week, and very often more whenever we can make it work, each with a little dollop of half-and-half because that’s the only way to drink it in my opinion. There are no boundaries on the weekend. In other words, we also go through a lot of coffee too.

Recently, when I walked to the neighborhood grocery store to pick up a pint of half-and-half they were out of my brand, at least in the pint size. But they did have the quart, so why not? Well, we did a good job working our way through that container, but as 3 weeks were quickly approaching I decided something had to be done to use up what was left. After thinking for a bit, I decided on scones because, well, scones. :) If you’re in the same predicament as I was, give this recipe a try, they’re delish!

I made this recipe twice. The first time I made a 1.5x batch to get a really nice sized scone. They turned out beautifully, but unfortunately they were too salty. Since they just have a little sugar in them, as scones should, the salt was overpowering. Still completely edible with a nice spoonful of homemade jam, but certainly not top notch. I made them again with half the salt and a smidge more sugar and enjoyed them much more. The original recipe also calls for 2 tablespoons of milk and 4 tablespoons of cream. I just replaced all of the liquid with the half-and-half and it worked great. Perfect way to use up that last little bit of the carton!

Bakery-Style Scones
Adapted from Serious Eats
Ingredients

• 9 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 cups, spooned; 255g), plus more for dusting

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 2 teaspoons sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 2 ounces cold unsalted butter (4 tablespoons; 55g), cut into 1/2-inch cubes

• 6 ounces roughly chopped milk chocolate (1 cup; 170g)

• 6-8 ounces half-and-half (or a mix of milk [2 ounces] and heavy cream [4 ounces])

• ~1 cup mixed nuts and dried fruit (I used almonds, pecans, cranberries and cherries)

Directions
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 400°F (204°C). Sift flour into a medium bowl, then whisk in baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add butter and use a pastry blender, or two forks, to work the butter into the flour until it resembles a coarse meal. Add nuts and dried fruit and toss to combine, then stir in the 1/2 and 1/2 to form a soft (but not wet) dough.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7-inch round. Cut into 6 or 8 wedges with a chef’s knife or a bench scraper. Sprinkle generously with coarse sugar, and arrange on a parchment-lined half sheet pan. Bake until puffed and golden, 25-30 minutes. Serve warm with clotted cream, jam, or a spoonful of whipped cream.

Scones are best eaten the day they are made. They do freeze well however if you have leftovers. When ready to eat, thaw to room temperatures. Reheat in a preheated 425 degree oven for 4-6 minutes until heated through and crisp, but before they start to bake through again and dry out.

Oat Flour Pumpkin Scones

It may not be autumn any longer (the 4 inches of snow we got last night made this very clear), but that does not mean that baking with pumpkin is over. I am a fan of baking with pumpkin all year long. It's such a good way to add healthy moisture to baked goods. These healthy pumpkin scones are not a traditional scone, but that was the best way I could think of to describe them. Definitely not a "true scone", but close, and a lot healthier then a real scone - I really liked them a lot! There are made with a majority of oat flour, and a little olive oil for fat and moisture. The rest of the moisture comes from the pumpkin. Sweetened with a mix of brown sugar, maple syrup, and molasses, and flavored with cinnamon and vanilla, yum. 

These scones are very tender due to the oat flour, a little on the delicate side, but that is not a problem. They still help together just fine. All you have to do once the batter is whipped up is drop them by the spoonful onto your baking sheet and pop them into the oven. A nice little drop scone. If you don't have a can of pumpkin in your pantry, I recommend you pick some up soon...

Oat Flour Pumpkin Scones
Adapted from Pinch of Yum
Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (120 grams) oats, ground into oat flour
• 3/4 cup (90 grams) spelt flour
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup (60 grams) pumpkin
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup (75 grams) maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 3 tablespoons (1.5 ounces) olive oil
• 1/4-1/2 cup total of chocolate chunks and chopped walnuts

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the oat flour, all purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a smaller bowl, whisk the vanilla, pumpkin, egg, maple syrup, molasses and olive oil. Add the wet ingredients to the larger bowl with the dry ingredients - stir until just combined. Add the chocolate and walnuts and stir just a few times to distribute them throughout the batter.

Drop the batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper using a round cookie scoop. Sprinkle the tops with a little turbinado sugar and bake for 12-15 minutes until baked through. Cool slightly before eating, or let cool to room temperature. 

Classic Pumpkin Scones

So, I know I posted a pumpkin scone recipe just a few weeks ago, but I couldn't resist posting another one. Since it's almost the end of November (which I consider the unofficial pumpkin-baked-good month) I had to share this recipe before the month is over. I've made quite a few different pumpkin scone recipes in the past which have all been good, but when I made this one last week I knew I had the winner! I think this is probably the best one of the bunch. It's a classic scone, buttery and tender, with the addition of a little pumpkin and scented with warming autumn spices. I was planning on adding some chocolate or nuts to the dough, but I realized when they were all cut and on the baking sheet that I had forgotten to add anything at all. But I needn't have feared, they turned out amazingly! Everything I wish for in a scone. Whether you keep theses scones plain, or add your favorite mix-ins, you won't be disappointed, I promise! 

Yum!! So tender and delicious! These scones did not turn out tough like some pumpkin scones do. I think it's key to work the butter evenly into the dough, not leaving the pieces too big so the butter just melts out. And also be very careful not to add too much liquid. I've made this mistake in the past and it leads to a tough finished product. You want just enough of the liquid to pull it all together, and not any more. I usually don't add all the liquid right away at the beginning, instead adding it a little bit at a time until all the dough is moistened and just sticks together. Stop at this point and start shaping. This will help that end product be a real winner! Some chocolate, walnuts, pecans, or cranberries would all be fabulous. Or just keep them plain and simple, and enjoy those warm and buttery spices.

Classic Pumpkin Scones
Adapted from Vanilla and Bean
Ingredients

• 1/2 stick butter
• 1 cup (120 grams) all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/8 teaspoon ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2-4 tablespoons half-and-half
• 1/4 cup (60 grams) pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Cut the cold butter into 1/4" cubes and place in the freezer while prepping the other ingredients.

Sift the flour, corn starch, brown sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large mixing bowl.

Add the cold butter to the sifted ingredients. Use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter into the pastry until evenly incorporated. The butter should be small, about pea sized, evenly coated, and distributed in the flour.

In a separate bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of the half and half, pumpkin puree and vanilla and pour into the flour mixture. Gently stir the mixture until the flour is just moistened. The dough will be shaggy and seem dry. Add more half and half very slowly as needed for the dough to just hold together. Do not add too much liquid or the scones will turn out flat and tough, you want to add just enough so that the dough barely holds together. 

Dump the contents out of the bowl onto a flour dusted work surface and shape into a circle approximately 3/4-1 inch thick, depending on your preference. Cut the circle into 4-6 wedges. Place scones on the parchment lined sheet pan, cover and place in the fridge for 20 minutes. (At this point, the scones can be held in the fridge overnight for a quick bake in the morning. Just make sure they are wrapped tightly).

Preheat oven to 425F while the scones are resting in the fridge.

Before baking, sprinkle the coarse sugar evenly over the top of each scone if desired, using a little water to help it stick if needed. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden. Enjoy warm or at room temperature. 

Cherry Walnut Pumpkin Scones

This past week I took my first vacation days of residency. It has been absolutely wonderful. 5 days off (plus both weekends - bonus!) to do absolutely nothing. I really had nothing planned (other than a dentist appointment, woohoo) which is really how I like my days off to be, relaxing and uneventful. It's been kind of a gloomy week. Rainy and cold for several days, not a lot of sun. Early in the week I decided that I needed to had something fun to enjoy for breakfast while on vacation. Since it's October I really didn't have any other choice than to make something pumpkin-y! Something seasonal to leisurely enjoy with my morning cup of coffee. After much deliberation I settle on scones. 

Scones are one of my favorites! I made some delicious pumpkin scone with cranberries and pecans last year, but I had a couple other recipes pinned so I figured I'd try a new one! This recipe is from Joy the Baker, one of my favorite bloggers, and probably the blog I've been following the longest of any food blog. I trust her recipes so I knew this would be a winning recipe. They were the perfect treat for my chilly fall morning breakfasts!

Scones are not difficult. These are pretty basic as scones go, similar to the ones I made last year. These did spread a little while baking, but not too much. They are moist and hearty. Pumpkin scones never have that crispy airiness that traditional scones have, but that's to be expected due to the moist and dense pumpkin. Add a little drizzle of glaze for looks and extra sweetness and then dig in. Don't forget the coffee! 

(Sorry about the dark, not so wonderful pictures of these scones. The batteries in my camera died and I haven't been able to go buy some new batteries yet!)

Cherry Walnut Pumpkin Scones
Adapted from Joy the Baker
Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (180 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) brown sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons, 3 ounces) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
• 1/2 cup (110 grams) buttermilk, cold
• 1/2 cup (120 grams) pumpkin puree
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup a mix of coarsely chopped walnuts and dried cherries

Directions
Place rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all of the spices.  Add the cold butter to the dry ingredients and toss to coat.  Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, break the butter down into the dry ingredients.  Work quickly so that the butter remains cold.  Some of the butter will be the size of oat flakes, others will be the size of small peas.

In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract.

Add the wet ingredients, all at once to the dry ingredients.  Stir together until almost thoroughly combined.  Add walnuts and cherries and stir until no dry flour bits remain.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Shape into a small circle, approximately 1 1/2 inches tall. Use a bench scraper or a sharp knife to cut the circle into 6 or 8 wedges. Transfer scones to prepared baking sheet.  Leave about 2-inches of space between each scone.

Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until browned slightly with dry tops.  You can insert a toothpick into the center of a scone to test for doneness.

Buckwheat Scones

Earlier last month I went on my last trip before residency started. The last hurrah to normal life for a while. Lara and I took a quick trip to Chicago to visit our cousin who lives in Bucktown. We had been talking for a while about us visiting Chicago to see her and her place, and explore her neighborhood. We finally got it done just in the nick of time. We only went for a short weekend, but we had a marvelous time while there. Did a lot of walking, exploring, shopping and of course, eating! I had my first real ramen eating experience which was awesome, visited a great local coffee shop, and perhaps most importantly, grabbed a quick breakfast at a nearby bakery before church on Sunday morning. 

Since Lara and I are earlier risers than most, we got up before anyone else on Sunday and decided to grab some coffee and pastries while everyone else in the house slept. Just a couple miles down the road was Floriole Bakery. I'd been here the last time I visited Chicago and loved it, knew it was a place I would go back to. I was right, it was just as wonderful on this visit. It was very difficult to decide what to get, everything looks amazing, but I ended up ordering a delicious cup of coffee and a buckwheat scone which sounded interesting to me. It was the perfect choice. I absolutely loved the scone. The combination of the buckwheat combined with a little cardamom and some citrus notes was just perfect. A little sandy and course in texture, but not too crumbly. I instantly wanted to recreate this at home. 

When I got back to Michigan I did a little online searching and wouldn't you know it, I found a recipe for buckwheat scones from Floriole Bakery on the Chicago Tribune's website. Perfect!! I quickly ran to the store for some buckwheat and whipped a batch of these beauties together. The verdict? The flavor is spot on, but the texture is slightly different, not as sandy. Their scones almost seemed like they had cornmeal in them, giving them a coarser texture which my scones did not have. When I look on the bakery's website online they describe the buckwheat scones as flourless while this recipe calls for 1/3 cup of flour. So there are definitely some differences, not surprising, but in the end it's not a big deal. This recipe is definitely similar to the original and most certainly a keeper! It is unique, easy to make and delicious. I will definitely make these over and over again!

I made a few changes to the recipe as it was printed online. I replaced the orange zest with lemon zest because I didn't have any oranges. I was bummed about this because I love adding orange to baked goods, but they still turned out great. I  also didn't use cream as stated, but instead used a mix of whole milk and liquid whey (2 ounces whole milk, 1 ounce whey) to make my own "buttermilk" and it worked just fine. I did only needed to use 6 tablespoons of liquid though, as opposed to the 1/2 cup of cream called for. So be careful when added the liquid, start with less than 1/2 cup because you may not need it all. 

Because there is not a lot of gluten in these scones (buckwheat is actually not wheat and is therefore gluten free) they are a little more delicate than traditional scones, but they aren't so delicate as to fall apart with a glance. As with the original scones, this recipe calls for you to make a thumbprint in the scones before baking and fill this with raspberry jam. I didn't have raspberry jam, or any other jam, so I skipped it this time and they were just fine without it. But for a little extra oomph of flavor I would definitely add this in on another go around. So if you're looking for something a little different for breakfast, or have been wanted to play around with some buckwheat flour, give these scones a go, you won't be disappointed!

Buckwheat Scones
Adapted from The Chicago Tribune
Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (60 grams) old fashioned oats
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) sugar
• 3/4 cup (90 grams) buckwheat flour
• 1/3 cup (40 grams) all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons (85 grams) butter, cut into cubes and chilled
• 4-6 tablespoons buttermilk

Directions
Measure 6 tablespoons of the oats (30 grams) and the sugar into the food processor. Buzz, reducing oats to flour. Transfer oat/sugar mixture to a large bowl. Add the buckwheat flour, all-purpose flour, lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt. Stir to combine. 

Add the butter. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter, stopping when the largest butter bits are about the size of peas. Mix in remaining 6 tablespoons rolled oats. Drizzle in the buttermilk slowly. The dough will come together in large clumps that stick together readily when pressed. You may not need to add all the liquid. Add only as much buttermilk as needed for the dough to hold together. 

Shape the dough into 10 equal sized balls and set on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with a little coarse sugar if desired.

Slide baking sheet into a 350-degree oven and bake until just set, 18-20 minutes. Eat warm, or at room temperature. 

Pumpkin Scones with Cranberries and Pecans

Scones are one of my absolute favorite breakfast treats, but they are one of those things I just don't seem to get around to making very often. I'm not really sure why, they are so easy to throw together. Truly, they come together in just minutes, and usually with just a few ingredients. So last week I finally managed to get my act together and whip up a batch of scones, and since it's November I decided on pumpkin scones with some cranberries and pecans. They came together in a jiffy and baked up beautifully. A perfectly delicious fall breakfast. 

Whenever I make scones I make sure that I have time to freeze the cut, unbaked scones for at least an hour or two, preferably overnight. I've found that this ensures the tallest, prettiest scones. To me a scone should rise nice and tall, I really do hate it when scones spread out and flat. But that's just my opinion, I'm sure some people out there like a flatter scone, to each their own.

Like I said, I filled these scones with dried cranberries and pecans but you can change that up if you'd like. Some dark chocolate would be wonderful, pumpkin seeds would be very fitting, or some other nut, walnuts or almonds maybe. Whatever you decide on you shouldn't be disappointed with this tasty fall treat. Grab a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy!

Pumpkin Scones with Cranberries and Pecans
Adapted from King Arthur Flour
Ingredients

• 1 3/8 cup (5.75 ounces) flour
• 3 tablespoons (1 ounce) sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/8 teaspoon salt
• 3/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) butter
• 1.25 ounces dried cranberries
• 1 ounce raw pecans
• 1/3 cup (2.75 ounces) pumpkin
• 1 egg

Directions
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices.

Work in the butter with a pastry blender or two forks just until the mixture is unevenly crumbly; it's okay for some larger chunks of butter to remain unincorporated. Stir in the cranberries and pecans.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin and egg till smooth. Add the pumpkin/egg to the dry ingredients and stir until all is moistened and holds together, trying not to overwork the dough.

Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured counter and shape into a 5-6" circle approximately 3/4" thick.

Slice the circle into 6 wedges and arrange the wedges on a parchment lined sheet pan. Brush each scone with milk, and sprinkle with coarse white sparkling sugar or cinnamon sugar if desired.

For best texture and highest rise, place the pan of scones in the freezer for 30 minutes, uncovered. While the scones are chilling, preheat the oven to 425°F.

Bake the scones for 20 to 24 minutes, or until they're golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean, with no wet crumbs. 

Remove the scones from the oven, and serve warm. Wrap any leftovers airtight, and store at room temperature. Reheat very briefly in the microwave, if desired.

Yield: 6 Scones

Bridal Brunch

I love parties, especially parties that involve good food, so when I had the opportunity to throw a bridal shower for my cousin, I knew that I would be spending a lot of time in the kitchen to prepare for it. Since I absolutely love baking and eating baked goods, I knew I wanted the shower to include brunch, because at what other time of day can you stuff yourself with baked goods and not feel guilty about it? I did manage to throw a few (slightly) more healthy options into the mix, but my the baked goods are still my favorite! Lara and I started preparing the food several days in advance, so on the morning of the shower all that was really left to do was bake up a few goodies. In the end, the shower went super well and I had a lot of fun with it, both preparing and hosting. Everyone seemed to enjoy the food (thank goodness!) and there was plenty for everyone. All in all, it turned out great; I can't wait to do it again!

Bridal Brunch Menu
Broccoli Cheddar Quiche
Sausage Gouda Quiche
Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting
Mini Coffee Break Muffins
Vanilla Cream Scones
Chocolate Chip Scones
Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
Homemade Yogurt
Granola Bites
Fresh Fruit: Strawberries, Cantaloupe, Grapes
Drinks: Coffee, Water, Orange Juice

Favors:
Frosted Sugar Cookies

Here are just a few pictures of the shower and the shower prep

 Preparing the favors well in advance, the first day of decorating

 Monogrammed cookies for Bailey and Chris

 And some flowers, because I like flowers

Finished them off with a cute border

 Some close ups of the foods, here are the quiche

 This was my favorite, it was very cheesy, sorry if anyone doesn't like cheese as much as me!

 This was yummy too!

 Gotta have the homemade cinnamon rolls

 Mini muffins, for a quick bite

Yogurt and fruit

The whole spread

 With the bakers

The beautiful bride to be with a 

homemade cookbook from her favorite cousins :)

And don't forget a cookie when you leave!