If ever there was a food that summed up my 8 year old I think this would be it.  Sweet, fun, and lots of colorful sprinkles! 😀 She made these for a baking contest at our county fair this August and won first place!  These are really a sweet biscuit and definitely something kids can make.  My Biscuits 101 post can be found here for more tips and tricks if you haven’t made biscuits before or need help getting them to turn out better.

BIRTHDAY SCONES

2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 T baking powder
½ cup unsalted butter
½ cup sprinkles
¼ cup mini chocolate chips
¼ cup white chocolate chips
½ cup milk (more if needed)
1 egg

For egg wash:
1 egg
1 T cream

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Mix the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder together in a medium bowl.
Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until smaller than the size of peas.
Stir in the sprinkles and chocolate chips.
Lightly beat the egg in a small bowl and mix with the milk.
Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the milk.
Stir with a fork just until combined.  Add an extra 1-2 T of milk if needed to bring dough together.
Pat dough on a lightly floured surface until about ½ inch thick.  Cut with a 2- 2 ½ inch fluted circle cutter.
Place on an ungreased baking sheet, spacing circles so they are about 1/8 to 1/4 inch apart.
Combine the egg and cream for the egg wash, and brush tops of scones.
Bake for about 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Birthday Scones

October 30, 2015

by Holly

Category Bread, Quick & Muffins Tea time

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 T baking powder
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• ½ cup sprinkles
• ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
• ¼ cup white chocolate chips
• ½ cup milk (more if needed)
• 1 egg

For egg wash:

• 1 egg
• 1 T cream

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Mix the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder together in a medium bowl.
3. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until smaller than the size of peas.
4. Stir in the sprinkles and chocolate chips.
5. Lightly beat the egg in a small bowl and mix with the milk.
6. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the milk.
7. Stir with a fork just until combined. Add an extra 1-2 T of milk if needed to bring dough together.
8. Pat dough on a lightly floured surface until about ½ inch thick. Cut with a 2- 2 ½ inch fluted circle cutter.
9. Place on an ungreased baking sheet, spacing circles so they are about 1/8 to 1/4 inch apart.
10. Combine the egg and cream for the egg wash, and brush tops of scones.
11. Bake for about 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Sooo, I haven’t posted in awhile…. I was having some technical difficulties here.  Turns out I just needed to do updates.  I am so lost with technology.  I am in my mid 30’s and have NEVER sent a text.  I don’t even know how to check my messages on my cell phone.  No joke.  But you know what I can do? Bake scones 🙂 These won me first place in the King Arthur Flour Baking Contest at our county fair last month.  Funny thing is, I entered the exact same scones in another scone contest at same fair.. and they didn’t even place. 🙂  I love them, with their bright citrus flavor and crunchy poppy seeds.  I adapted them from my other version here.  They are perfect with a cup of herbal tea.

LIME POPPY SEED SCONES (2nd version)
Lime juice powder adds a great citrus punch, but if you don’t have any handy (I have to order it online), just double the amount of lime zest.

2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 T baking powder
1 ½ tsp lime juice powder, optional
½ cup unsalted butter
zest from 1 lime
2 tsp poppy seeds
1 T lime juice
1 egg
1/2 cup cream (extra if needed) 

For egg wash:
1 egg
1 T cream
2 tsp sanding sugar

Mix the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and lime juice powder together in a medium bowl.
Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until resembles the size of peas.
Stir in the zest and poppy seeds.
Combine the lime juice, egg, and cream in a small bowl or measuring cup, then make a well in the flour mixture and pour in.
Stir with a fork just until combined.
If needed, add additional cream, 1 T at a time.  Gently knead to bring dough together.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and pat to ½ inch thickness.
Cut using a biscuit cutter (I like a 2 ¼ inch fluted circle).
Place on an ungreased baking sheet, spacing them 1/8 to ¼ inch apart.
Combine the egg and cream for the egg wash, and brush tops of the scones.
Sprinkle with sugar, and bake at 450 for about 10- 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Lime Poppy Seed Scones

September 16, 2015

by Holly

Category Bread, Quick & Muffins Tea time

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 T baking powder
• 1 ½ tsp lime juice powder, optional
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• zest from 1 lime
• 2 tsp poppy seeds
• 1 T lime juice
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup cream (extra if needed)

For egg wash:

• 1 egg
• 1 T cream
• 2 tsp sanding sugar

Instructions

1. Mix the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and lime juice powder together in a medium bowl.
2. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until resembles the size of peas.
3. Stir in the zest and poppy seeds.
4. Combine the lime juice, egg, and cream in a small bowl or measuring cup, then make a well in the flour mixture and pour in.
5. Stir with a fork just until combined.
6. If needed, add additional cream, 1 T at a time. Gently knead to bring dough together.
7. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and pat to ½ inch thickness.
8. Cut using a biscuit cutter (I like a 2 ¼ inch fluted circle).
9. Place on an ungreased baking sheet, spacing them 1/8 to ¼ inch apart.
10. Combine the egg and cream for the egg wash, and brush tops of the scones.
11. Sprinkle with sugar, and bake at 450 for about 10- 12 minutes or until golden brown.

If you know me much at all, you know I’m a total herbal tea junkie.  One of my favorites is Celestial Seasoning’s Bengal Spice.  It’s an herbal version of chai tea, which usually contains black tea leaves.  I was trying to figure out how to infuse scones with that flavor and figured I could steep the cream with the tea.  It worked, but I wanted to bump up that flavor a little more.  With some spices added to the dough I finally had what I was looking for.  With that little hint of black pepper, these remind of pfeffernusse.  I think I’ll be making them for a Christmas tea sometime.  Of course, if you know me much at all… you know me and my girls are ready for Christmas now! 😀

CHAI SPICED SCONES WITH BROWN SUGAR GLAZE

Scones:
2 cups flour
¼ cup brown sugar
½ tsp kosher salt
1 T baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp black pepper

½ cup unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream, divided (or milk works fine too)
3 Chai tea bags (I used Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice)
1 egg

Glaze:
6 T brown sugar
2 T unsalted butter
pinch kosher salt
1-2 T cream (reserved from recipe)
¼ tsp cinnamon
pinch cloves
pinch nutmeg

Put the cream in a small pot and bring just to a simmer over medium heat.  Add the tea bags, cover pot, and remove from heat.  Let steep 5 minutes then remove tea bags and transfer cream to a bowl and chill in the refrigerator.  (This can be done the day before even).
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.  Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside.
Measure all of the dry ingredients into a medium bowl and whisk together to combine.
Cut butter into 1 inch cubes and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender until butter is smaller than peas.
Make a well in the center of the bowl.  Lightly beat the egg with ¾ cup of the cream (reserve the remaining cream for the glaze).  Pour into the well and use a fork to stir together until combined.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured counter and pat to ½ inch thickness.
Cut with a circle or fluted circle cutter and place on baking tray ¼ – ½ inch apart.
Bake for 10-12 minutes.

To make the glaze:
Melt the butter in a small pot.  Add the remaining ingredients  (start with just 1 T of cream) and whisk until sugar is melted.  Add the additional T of cream if needed.
Drizzle over scones.

Chai Spiced Scones with Brown Sugar Glaze

August 18, 2015

by Holly

Category Bread, Quick & Muffins Tea time

Ingredients

Scones:

• 2 cups flour
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 1 T baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup heavy cream, divided (or milk works fine too)
• 3 Chai tea bags (I used Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice)
• 1 egg

Glaze:

• 6 T brown sugar
• 2 T unsalted butter
• pinch kosher salt
• 1-2 T cream (reserved from recipe)
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• pinch cloves
• pinch nutmeg

Instructions

1. Put the cream in a small pot and bring just to a simmer over medium heat. Add the tea bags, cover pot, and remove from heat. Let steep 5 minutes then remove tea bags and transfer cream to a bowl and chill in the refrigerator. (This can be done the day before even).
2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside.
3. Measure all of the dry ingredients into a medium bowl and whisk together to combine.
4. Cut butter into 1 inch cubes and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender until butter is smaller than peas.
5. Make a well in the center of the bowl. Lightly beat the egg with ¾ cup of the cream (reserve the remaining cream for the glaze). Pour into the well and use a fork to stir together until combined.
6. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured counter and pat to ½ inch thickness.
7. Cut with a circle or fluted circle cutter and place on baking tray ¼ – ½ inch apart.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
9. To make the glaze:
10. Melt the butter in a small pot. Add the remaining ingredients (start with just 1 T of cream) and whisk until sugar is melted. Add the additional T of cream if needed.
11. Drizzle over scones.