The Secrets of Scones

Secrets to a perfect bridal shower scone.

Every afternoon Bridal Shower needs scones and cream.  I promise, it is required eating at a shower.

But so many scones are, well, just bad.  They either are hard, have too much sugar or are like flat muffins.

We have posted a few scone recipes here in recent months – here and here – and these really are great recipes to use.

But before you do, a few scone tips:

Serve Them Fresh

Like I did in this recipe, any scone dough can be made in advance and frozen before baking.  Day-old scones start to take on a brick-like quality that no one wants to bite into while enjoying a chat with the ladies at a Bridal Shower (or any event).  Scones only take about 15 minutes to bake, and 30-45 minutes to cool.  So bake them off the morning of the party while you are eating breakfast (and, as a cook’s treat, snag a fresh warm one for yourself.)

Use the Real Stuff

OK … I am all about low-fat, low calorie recipes these days.  But scones are not the place to skimp on the calories.  They need the real butter and cream to really work, and be firm on the outside, and soft and crumbly on the inside.  This also goes for the cream that you serve with scones – use this recipe, it is the best ever!  Besides, it is a special occasion, and special occasions require a bit of diet leniency.

Don’t Overwork the Dough

Mix the dry and wet ingredients just until they are mixed together.  This means as soon as all the wet ingredients and dry ingredients are mixed, stop mixing.  Then, when you shape the dough after it is turned out, make sure — make absolutely sure — to only work it a little bit.  Why? Overworked scone dough creates scone rocks.  Really, they taste and feel like rocks (I have experience).

Experiment with Mix-Ins

Going sweet with your scones? Try some different kinds of dried fruit or sturdy fresh fruit, or throw in some nuts and chocolate.  Don’t cherry, almond and dark chocolate scones sound wonderful?

Try savory scones also – these are great to try out. (Love ya Barefoot Contessa!)

But, please, whatever you do, try some scones for your next shower (or even for breakfast tomorrow)!

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