1-2-3-4 Scones
A formula recipe in the Julia Child tradition—easy enough to memorize, and a tender, lightly sweet base for whatever fruit, zest or chocolate you have.
- MakesMakes 8 scones
- Cook Time1 hour
- Active time plus cooling30 minutes active
The 1-2-3-4 formula for these cream scones yields a rich, moist crumb, and is very customizable. If you prefer fresh blueberries or raspberries in your scones, substitute an equal amount for the dried fruit. Or ditch the fruit and add a cup of toasted and chopped pecans, walnuts or hazelnuts. If spices excite you, add some ground cinnamon, cardamom or ginger to the dry ingredients. If you find citrus scintillating, stir some grated lemon or orange zest into the wet ingredients. Make sure the cream and egg are cold; this will help keep the dough cool and workable. If your oven has a convection function, this is a good time to use it. Ignore advice to reduce the temperature by 25°F if using convection. Keep it at 425°F, but shorten the baking time to 12 to 14 minutes.
Don’t worry if you don't have a food processor. Freeze the butter as a chunk for at least 30 minutes while you prep the wet and dry ingredients. Grate the cold butter on the large holes of a box grater into the dry ingredients and toss to combine. Continue with the recipe to add the wet ingredients, knead, shape, chill and bake the scones.
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