Yesterday I felt like baking scones for breakfast. Well, to be honest, it was really brunch, it was so late. But isn’t this the time of year when sleeping in is 100% acceptable? It was also Sunday and the fog was super heavy, which was adding to the cozy vibes.

I decided to bring out the dessert plates I bought several years ago, when I was dreaming of having people over for Christmas dinner. So, considering they’ve just been gathering dust in the cabinet that’s in our living room, why not use them to brighten up our every day this winter instead?

I think we can use them for breakfast and dessert! Aren’t they cute? I am glad I got them. These put a smile on my face. 🙂

For those of you who asked for the recipe, I’ve added it here. 🙂

I found this recipe years ago in Sunset magazine. Since then, I’ve made some slight modifications to how I make them. In the original recipe the scones were glazed, but I think that a light sprinkle of sugar and some extra lemon or orange rind for some added color works much better.

Since I had just finished squeezing some fresh orange juice for myself (a great way to keep colds at bay), I topped the scones with a little orange rind as well.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (and about 2 tablespoons extra for topping)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick of cold butter, cut into small dice
• 3/4 cup milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice (Note: This is a quick way to make buttermilk. I rarely have buttermilk in my fridge, so I always use this method. You could buy ready-made buttermilk instead.)
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup dried currants (chopped black or golden raisins and even cranberries could work)
• 1 tablespoons grated lemon peel (and a little extra for topping)

Topping: 1-2 additional tablespoons sugar and lemon rind to sprinkle over the top before baking

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Make some buttermilk: Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 3/4 cups of milk and let it sit on the counter while you mix the dry ingredients.

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together. Using a pastry cutter cut it in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Add the egg to the milk and lemon mixture and whisk to blend well. Add wet ingredients to the flour mixture along with the dried currants and grated lemon peel. Stir with a fork just until evenly moistened (dough will look crumbly).

Place a piece of parchment paper on your counter. Dump the dough over the paper and handling it as little as possible shape it into a circle about 7 inches in diameter. Cut the circle into 8 wedges, sprinkle with a bit of sugar and some of the grated lemon and then lift the whole thing with the parchment and place it on a baking sheet.

Bake the scones until the tops are browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Lift them off the baking sheet onto a cooling rack with the parchment and let them cool about 10 minutes.

Some Tips:

Some people use a food processor to blend the dry ingredients, but I prefer to use a pastry cutter (like this one), which results in fewer dishes to wash. (It’s also nice and quiet.) If you don’t have a pastry cutter, you can use a knife to cut the butter into the flour.

When combining the dry ingredients with the wet ones you want to mix as little as possible. If you over mix things the scones won’t be as flaky.

I like to place a piece of parchment paper about the size of the baking sheet I plan to use on the counter. I shape the scones right on it and then grab the paper from the sides to transfer the scones to the baking sheet. This way your counter stays clean.

Serve the scones while they’re still warm alongside a fresh cup of coffee or your favorite morning beverage.

Enjoy!

-Gabi