Sour Cream Scones
Author: Nancy Baggett
A bit like biscuits, but a little tenderer and sweeter, these sour cream scones are, of course, perfect with afternoon tea, but are equally fabulous for breakfast or as a snack. Due to the sour cream, they stay moist for a couple days and can be successfully frozen and reheated. But if possible,enjoy them still warm from the oven. Note that my recipe calls for a food processor;this makes cutting the butter into the flour super guick and easy.
Ingredients
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus a generous 1 tablespoon for garnish
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup cold, unsalted butter, cut in bits
  • ½ cup sour cream, or light sour cream
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment. Remove 3 tablespoons flour from the 2 cups and reserve it for dough shaping. Combine the rest of the flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt in the processor; process 1 minute. Sprinkle the butter over the dry ingredients; process in quick on/off pulses until it is in small pea-sized lumps.
  2. In a medium-sized bowl, thoroughly whisk together the sour cream and 3 tablespoons room-temperature water in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the sour cream mixture to use as garnish, then stir the butter-flour mixture into the bowl with the remaining sour cream; don’t overwork the dough or the scones will be tough. With floured hands and working in the bowl, pat and smooth the dough into a ball; if necessary for easier handling, dust it with just a little reserved flour.
  3. Evenly sift 1 tablespoon reserved flour out over a square of wax paper or baking parchment. Cut the dough ball in half, then shape each into a ball. Working with one ball at a time, place on the flour-dusted sheet. Sift a little more flour evenly over the top. Press and pat the dough out into a 6-inch evenly-thick round, dusting with a little more flour if necessary. Brush half reserved sour cream mixture lightly over the dough top, then sprinkle with half the garnishing sugar.
  4. Run a wide spatula under the dough to loosen it from the paper. With a greased sharp knife, cut the dough round in half, then cut each half into 3 or 4 equal wedges; lift them up and place them separated an inch apart on the baking sheet. Repeat the same procedure for the second dough portion.
  5. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until the tops are golden brown. Serve with butter and a selection of jams, if desired.
  6. Makes 12 medium-sized or 16 smallish scones.
Recipe by KitchenLane at http://kitchenlane.com/2016/02/sour-cream-scones.html