Scones

Many, many years ago, I made the scone recipe from a Betty Crocker book for my mom.  She loves it when you do stuff like that, and being a kid, cash is short.  However it started, I have created a scone-monster in my mother.  The scones are deliciously buttery and crumbly, perfect with a cup of coffee, milk or hot chocolate.  They are not the most fun dessert to make, which is why I only make them once or twice a year.  My mother hoards them and freezes them.  What can I say?

{Scones for Mother's Day Tea}

{Chocolate Chip Scone}

Worry not, readers!  I have taken many photos and included step-by-step instructions!

{Whisk dry ingredients together until well blended}

{Add butter and cut it into small chunks with a knife.  If you have a pastry blender USE IT!}

{If you don't have a pastry blender, then you'll use your hands to get the butter incorporated}

{You'll take the butter and squeeze it into small pieces.  What you are going for is having the butter in sand to pea size chunks coated with flour}

{See the sandy texture with pea sized chunks?  That's what you are going for}

{Make a well in the center and add the beaten eggs}

{The eggs will not form a cohesive dough.  What you are looking for here is to make bigger chunks}

{Finally, add the 1/2 and 1/2.  Just add a little bit at a time!  This dough should just barely come together and should not be sticky.  If it's sticky, you've added too much cream and will have to add more flour}

{At this point, add whatever ingredients you want.  Here I added zest from 1 orange to make orange scones.  Then knead the dough to just incorporate the flavorings}

{Here I added green onions and cheese}

{Make even balls with the dough and flatten them out slightly.  The scones will barely rise or spread}

{Orange scones getting ready for the oven}

{Bake scones until the edges just start to turn golden.  These scones are on the dry side anyway so if you bake them too long, they will be VERY dry!}

Scones

Makes about 36

1 cup butter, room temperature

5 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons baking powder

1/2 tablespoon salt

3 eggs, beaten and at room temperature

1/2 cup half and half, room temperature

1 to 1 1/2 cups flavorings (if using zests of citrus, use 3)

egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon milk)

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Whisk all dry ingredients together.
3. Cut in butter using a pastry blender or hands.
4. Add eggs to dough and mix together.
5. Gradually add half and half until dough just comes together--keep in mind all of the half and half might not be used.
6. Add flavorings; knead dough about ten times to incorporate.
7. Roll dough into even-sized balls; place on greased cookie sheet and flatten slightly.
8. Brush with egg wash and place in oven.
9. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden.
10. Cool for 1 minute on baking sheets and then transfer to wire racks to finish cooling.

I might also mention that I love these too; that's the true reason why I seldom make them.  The hubby grabbed a chocolate chip scone and ate it that night after I was done making them.  He asked me the next day why I put chocolate chips in the biscuits, and I died laughing.  I told him what it was, and he said it tasted like a biscuit.  It's pretty close to a biscuit, I will give him that.  He asked me yesterday when I'm making more.  I told him I'd have to raid mom's freezer for some  :o)

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