Scones with Tea

Much like a cross between a biscuit and a pastry, scones are an easy and delicious treat to make for breakfast. You can get creative and add any mix-ins you like to create custom flavored scones that are sooo much better than store-bought. In addition, you can prepare the scones the night before and refrigerate them unbaked. Pop your baking tray in the oven the next morning and – voila! – freshly baked scones! After all, there is nothing better than a warm scone served with a nice cup of tea!

Recipe

Ingredients for Cranberry Lemon Scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup tablespoons sugar, plus more to sprinkle on top
3 ¼  teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 Tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 cup dried cranberries
1 ½ cups cold heavy cream, plus more to brush on top

Ingredients for Lemon Glaze
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 ½ Tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400º F (if you are baking the same day). 
2. Line a Miele Universal tray (or other baking tray) with parchment paper. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest to a large bowl. Stir until well combined. Add the dried cranberries and stir until well coated with the flour mixture. Add the cream and stir until just combined - there should be no more noticeable dry spots, but do not overmix! The dough will still be very wet and sticky. 
3. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit your baking tray. Lay the parchment on your work surface and sprinkle lightly with flour. Transfer the dough to the parchment paper. 
4. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour and flour your hands. Use your floured hands to pat the dough into a circle about 6-8 inches wide and about 1 inch high. Cut the dough like a pizza into 6 triangles. Separate the triangles so they are evenly spaced on your parchment. Then transfer the parchment with the scones to your baking tray. 
5. At this point, you can cover the scones with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to bake the next morning. 
6. When you are ready to bake, make sure your oven is preheated to 400º F. Brush the tops with cream, then sprinkle with lots of sugar. Bake for about 25 minutes until the scones are golden brown.
7. To make the glaze, stir together the confectioners sugar with the lemon juice until smooth. Wait until the scones have cooled and then use a fork to drizzle the glaze over the top of each. 

 

Tips for making perfect scones: 
Instead of the lemon zest and cranberries, try adding different combinations of mix-ins to create your own custom-flavored scones. Here are some suggestions:

• Orange/Chocolate Chip – Add 1 Tbsp. orange zest and 1 cup chocolate chips.
• Cinnamon/Walnut – Add 2 tsp. ground cinnamon and 1 cup chopped, toasted walnuts.
• Blueberry/Lemon – Add 1 Tbsp. lemon zest and 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw).
• White Chocolate/Pecan – Add ¾ cup white chocolate chips and ¾ cup chopped, toasted pecans.
• Coconut/Macadamia Nut – Add ¾ cup shredded coconut and ¾ cup chopped, toasted macadamia nuts.
• Try adding a handful of your favorite type of chips: chocolate, butterscotch, cinnamon, or peanut butter.
• Add a handful of any type of chopped dried fruit or nuts. The combinations are endless!
• Add fresh or frozen fruit. If adding frozen fruit, do not thaw. 
• For a different flavored glaze, swap out the lemon juice for orange juice or vanilla extract.
• You can also make savory scones! Reduce the amount of sugar to 2 Tbsp. and add a handful of chopped herbs or scallions, 2 minced garlic cloves, ½ tsp. black pepper, ¾ cup chopped ham or bacon, and ¾ cup any type of shredded cheese.
• Scones are best eaten the same day they are baked, but any leftovers can be stored in a Ziploc bag for up to three days.