Scones Recipe

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This scone recipe is a great base for perfectly tender, flaky scones that can easily be spruced up with add-ins to vary the flavors each time.

Prep Time15

Cook Time16

Chill15

Total Time46

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: scone recipe, scones

Servings: scones

Ingredients

For the Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar (*see note)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter , cut into a bunch of tiny cubes
1 cup half n half (*see note)
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the Icing

2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup half n half
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add cold butter and cut in with a pastry blender (or your hands) until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
Pour in the half-n-half and vanilla; fold together gently until the mixture just begins to come together, everything is moist, and forms a soft dough. (Do not knead or over mix!)
Turn dough out onto a floured surface and sprinkle with a little flour on top, so it's not so sticky. If it seems too dry, add 1-2 more tablespoons of half-n-half. Gently mold and pat into a 1/2-inch thick circle, without kneading. Try to use as few strokes as possible.
With a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut the circle into 6 equal wedges.
Place scones onto prepared baking sheet and transfer to the refrigerator for 15 minutes. (If you can't fit a baking sheet in your refrigerator, place the scones on a plate and then transfer them to the sheet once chilled.)
While scones are chilling, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
Place baking sheet in the oven and bake 14-17 minutes until no longer wet, lightly golden, and cooked through. (If your oven runs hot, start checking at 14 minutes. Keep an eye on them - if they’re golden on top and bottom, they’re done.)
Transfer scones to a cooling rack and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before icing them.
Make glaze by whisking together powdered sugar, half-n-half, and vanilla until smooth. (If glaze is too thick, add a bit more half-n-half. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar.)
You can either gently submerge the tops in the glaze or just drizzle over the top. Glaze will firm up when scones are completely cool.
Eat and enjoy!

Video

Notes

If you're not going to glaze the scones with icing, I would recommend adding an additional 2 tablespoons of sugar into the dry ingredients and also brushing the tops with a little half-n-half or sprinkle with sugar before baking, which will give them an extra crisp and crumbly exterior.

Half-n-half is located next to the milk, buttermilk, cream, etc. If you can't find it, you can make it - it's simply equal parts whole milk and heavy cream.

Don't miss reading the full article which is full of helpful recipe tips, variations, and storage information. And watch the video for visual instruction!

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