Scrumptious Scones

Here's a bonus recipe for today since I missed posting on the 23rd...


I always thought scones were dry crusty pieces of hardtack that old people ate after they soaked it in applesauce or prune juice. But once again, my prejudices had gotten the best of me and kept me from a whole new world of flaky, moist, and mostly healthy breakfast or anytime snack options. There are innumerable ways to change these up; I'll list out several different options to the basic recipe below.


Ingredients:
- 2 cups all purpose/whole wheat flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick unsalted hard/frozen butter
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 large egg


Create:
Preheat oven to 400*. Again, if you have a baking stone, put it in at the beginning so that it warms up. Otherwise it takes forever to bake.
Mix dry ingredients together. Grate butter into the flour mixture, and toss with your fingers till it is evenly distributed. Add _______ (cranberries, chocolate chips, etc).
In a small bowl, mix sour cream and egg and ______ (lemon zest, almond extract, etc), then add to dry mixture.
Use a fork to mix the dough together, then keep pressing with your hands till it forms a big ball. It will seem too dry, but will come together eventually.
Turn out onto a floured surface and press into a 7-8 inch circle, about 3/4 inch thick.
Sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar on the surface, and cut into 8 triangular pieces (like pie pieces).
Place on baking sheet/stone about an inch apart and bake for 14-16 minutes, or until nicely browned.

Cranberry/Lemon:

Add 1/2 cup dried cranberries to the flour mixture and 1 generous tspn lemon zest to the wet mixture. 

White Chocolate Almond:

Add 3/4 cup white chocolate chips to flour mixture, and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract to wet mixture. 

Chocolate Chip:

Add 3/4 cup chocolate chips to the flour mixture. 

Cinnamon Swirl:

Mix together 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Roll the dough out to 1/2 inch thickness. Spread half of cinnamon mixture on one half. Fold over and press together. Spread the other half on top again, and fold again. Gently knead and mush the dough back together into a ball till it is PARTIALLY incorporated. Don't knead it too much, just enough to form, cause it's nice to have the cinnamon lines within the scones. Press back out into a circle, and cut into triangles for baking. 

Disclaimer: this will be messy and there will be cinnamon and sugar everywhere. Can't say I didn't warn you.