Sour Cream Scones
I first tried traditional English scones when my sister treated our family to a high tea at the spectacular Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City. The scones were absolutely delicious, with a soft texture and buttery flavour. Ever since then I’ve searched for a traditional English scone recipe that would deliver the same amount of enjoyment. This recipe comes close! It uses cake & pastry flour to create a soft texture and the combination of sour cream and butter gives them a nice buttery flavour. They are very versatile so feel free to add additions like dried cranberries or cheddar cheese to the dough before baking. I love to eat these scones plain but they are also great with fruit preserves or softened butter.
Tips for Making Perfect Scones
- Make sure the butter is cold: Mixing cold butter into the scone dough will ensure the scones rise well in the oven – as cold butter facilitates leavening – and are flaky. If warm butter is worked into the dough, the scones will not rise as much and will have a harder texture.
- Do not over-mix the dough: Do not over-mix the dough once the egg mixture has been added or the scones will not rise as much in the oven and be tougher.
- Serve warm: These scones taste best freshly made and served warm.
Recipe Q & A
Q: The bottom of my scones are getting too dark during baking. How do I prevent this?
A: You can prevent scones from becoming too dark on the bottom during baking by doubling up the baking pans. This means placing the baking pan with your unbaked scones on top of another baking sheet. Doing this allows the heat to dissipate and be less intense at the bottom of the pan resulting in less browning.
Sour Cream Scones
Recipe By: Blue Ribbon Eats
Servings: 10 scones
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Baking Time: ~15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
2 cups cake & pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
90g unsalted butter, cold
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 large egg, cold
1/4 cup 14% sour cream, cold
1/4 cup 2% milk, cold
Whisked egg, for egg wash
INSTRUCTIONS
- In the bowl of a mixer add flour, baking powder, salt, white sugar and butter. Mix on low speed using a paddle attachment until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Combine the egg, sour cream and milk in a bowl and mix until blended. Add to the flour mixture. Mix on low speed just until a dough forms. Form the dough into a disk, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for ~1 hour.
- Roll out the dough to 1 1/2 inch thickness. Using a circular cookie cutter, cut 10 circles out of the dough and place them ~2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat.
- Brush the tops of each scone with egg wash.
- Bake the scones at 450°F for ~15 minutes or until they have risen and are lightly browned on top. Serve warm.
Yields 10 scones
25 minPrep Time
15 minCook Time
40 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
2 cups cake & pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
90g unsalted butter, cold
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 large egg, cold
1/4 cup 14% sour cream, cold
1/4 cup 2% milk, cold
Whisked egg, for egg wash
Instructions
- In the bowl of a mixer add flour, baking powder, salt, white sugar and butter. Mix on low speed using a paddle attachment until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Combine egg, sour cream and milk in a bowl and mix until blended. Add to the flour mixture. Mix on low speed just until a dough forms. Form the dough into a disk, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for ~1 hour.
- Roll out the dough to 1 1/2 inch thickness. Using a circular cookie cutter, cut circles out of the dough and place them on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat.
- Brush the tops of each scone with egg wash.
- Bake the scones at 450°F for ~15 minutes or until they have risen and are lightly browned on top. Serve warm.
Calories
Fat
Carbs
Protein
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