I have no idea when I started baking scones. We never grew up eating them. But I have been making them for at least 20 years. A simple accompaniment to breakfast, lunch or even dinner, these ingredients all get put in one bowl, mixed lightly and then baked for about 15 minutes. Simple assembly, simple clean-up and simple enjoyment. Let’s begin!
Preheat your oven to 425F. Assemble your ingredients.
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
dash of salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup milk – soured with a few drops of white vinegar
In a large bowl, mix your flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together with about 10 stirs. Do not over mix!
In a measuring cup, measure out 1 cup of milk (any kind will do – skim to homogenized is fine) and add 3-4 drops of white vinegar to the milk. Stir once to mix vinegar into milk. Pour oil to the dry ingredients followed immediately by the milk and then mix with a rubber spatula. Work the dough at the edges of the bowl into the middle, making sure that everything is mixed well. About 30 seconds should change the dough to a workable texture that forms a ball. Do not over mix again.
Take a non-stick baking sheet or if you don’t have non-stick, spray a baking sheet with a light spray of cooking spray. I take a large cookie scoop so that my scones will be fairly even and place them 2″ apart on the sheet. Because we have both baking powder and baking soda in the dough as a leavening (rising) agent, they will double in size. You can also drop the dough onto the baking sheet with 2 spoons. The scones are rustic and do not have to be perfect. Just make sure they are reasonably the same size so that they all bake evenly.
Slide the baking sheet onto the middle rack in your hot oven and set the timer for 13-15 minutes. Keep your eye on the oven. You will smell the scones as they are nearing their completion time. The tops should be very golden brown and the scones quite fragrant as we baked them on high heat. Put the baking sheet on a safe surface for about 5 minutes, then remove the scones and place them on a cooling rack until you are ready to serve them or eat them! They are great served warm with butter, jam or honey. You can serve them in a nice basket or platter and guests can cut into them to eat right away. Once cooled, you can also put them into a sealed bag to eat the next day. My kids love them hot or cold.
I believe that presentation matters! A simple tablecloth, your favourite dishes and the coolest place you can find to serve your creations!
Lolita Bakes! 