January Scones
I hope your 2024 is off to an amazing start and that you are staying cozy.
This month’s photo is from a hike with my family in the Peak District of the UK. There were lots of sheep grazing throughout but I loved this lone sheep atop a hill; I couldn’t believe it climed this high for the greener grass. On a similar note, my sister just brought back some Devon Cream Company Clotted Cream from the UK! I have been using it as an excuse to craft the perfect scone recipe, complete with strawberry jam (of course). Chicago has been extra hygge this month, and my apartment is filled with the smell of fresh coffee and scones.
I have tested four different recipes and this was the closest to what I remember from cream tea in the UK. Tell me what you think.
Scones for your Morning Coffee
Ingredients
- 500 g of plain flour
- 2 tbs baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 tbs caster sugar
- 110 g of unsalted butter (cold)
- 300 mL whole milk
- 1 egg
Method:
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and gather your ingredients. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Grate frozen butter using a box grater into pea-sized pieces. Chill milk.
- Mix dry ingredients with your fingertips or a whisk until just combined. Gently fold in butter pieces until visible and the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Drizzle in chilled milk a little at a time, using a spoon or spatula to gently mix until the dough just comes together (it should be shaggy and slightly sticky).
- Lightly flour a work surface and pat the dough into a 1-inch thick circle. Cut into 2-inch rounds and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Brush tops of scones with egg wash. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Let cool slightly before splitting and serving with clotted cream and jam. Store leftovers in an airtight container.
After this, sit down with your fresh scone + coffee and enjoy these photos from my January. When days start to shorten, I hunker down in the studio. As always, my life is a balance of professional work and personal work but regardless of what I am doing, it’s all just a hunt for the best light.
Was that too mushy? too bad.