I have a serious scone obsession. It’s been going on since I was sixteen and has only grown stronger in the years that have followed. As a sophomore in college, I started a weekly event in my dorm (which is an all-girls Learning Community for women studying STEM) called Science and Scones, where I’ve invited all the girls on my floor to come down to the community kitchen at 7 am on Fridays to bake with me while discussing the latest science news, listening to science podcasts, or sharing what we’ve been up to in our labs. Despite having to wake up really early and carve out time at the end of a busy school week, S&S has become a hit among residents. Girls have come right before organic chemistry exams to destress and clear their minds. I’ve received emails over winter and summer breaks asking me for scone recipes we’d made together months before. This has perhaps been the most gratifying part–knowing that this initiative has motivated others to share what they’ve learned with their family and friends brings me great joy.
I can’t tell you how many scone recipes I’ve tried over these past four years. I do remember my very first, however: glazed lemon-blueberry scones served with fresh whipped cream. I owe it those scones for sparking not only my love for scones, but I think for baking in general. From sweet to savory, eggless to buttermilk-rich, whole-wheat to gluten-free, I’ve experimented with just about every ingredient, and I’ve concluded that, above all, it’s the butter that’s most critical. You want to get good, rich, creamy butter. The best you can find. My go-to is unsalted Kerrygold, but I realize that this is the most expensive butter sold at Stop and Shop, so treat scones like a special treat, and the butter will be totally worth the investment. And if you’re lucky enough to have a dairy farm nearby that makes great butter, please do support them! In any case, don’t buy that butter that tastes like a refrigerator and remains bright white even after sitting out for days. You’ll end up with sad lumps you just don’t want to eat.
Today I’m sharing a recipe that I made fairly recently and which I’m definitely going to be making again come peach season in Connecticut. This one’s particularly flakey, buttery and aromatic. Enjoy!
Ingredients
2 ¾ cups of unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
⅓ cup of white granulated sugar
½ tsp salt
8 tbsp unsalted butter (1 stick), frozen and cut into pea-sized morsels
½ sour cream or full-fall greek yogurt
1 large egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp orange blossom water (if you’ve got some)
1 ½ cups of chopped fresh peaches cut into tiny cubes (3 medium peaches should suffice, not overly juicy and ripe)
fine zest of half a ripe lemon
One 4-in sprig of fresh rosemary, finely minced
⅓ cup heavy whipping cream (use as much as needed)
3 tbsp demerara sugar (sprinkle as much as desired
Glaze
3 tbsp salted butter, melted
1 ½ cups of powdered sugar
¼ cup of lemon juice
Instructions
Position your oven rack on the lower-middle level and preheat your oven to 405 degrees. Line a standard baking tray with parchment paper. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Quickly cube your butter and work it into your dry ingredients along with your lemon zest until it feels like a very coarse meal. Your hands will get messy. Embrace it. Toss in your peach pieces and rosemary. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together sour cream, egg and vanilla, and orange blossom water until smooth. Make a well in the center of your dry ingredients, and with a fork, pour your wet ingredients into your dry ingredients. Work together until a lumpy dough forms, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Use your hands to gently form a ball and press down to form a ¾ inch-tall circle of dough about 8 inches in diameter. Your dough should be spotted with butter and peach pieces. Using an oiled, sharp knife, cut the dough into eight evenly-sized wedges and place them on your baking tray leaving about an inch in between each. Pop the tray in your freezer for five minutes to chill, and clean up a bit in the meantime. Once removed, lightly brush the tops of the scones with heavy cream and sprinkle with demerara sugar. Bake for about sixteen minutes, until golden brown. Prepare lemon glaze but whisking melted butter, sugar, and lemon juice together until smooth. Add more sugar to achieve the desired thickness. Let your scones chill for five minutes on a wire rack and drizzle a small amount of glaze over top of each. Serve with a cup of hot black tea and clotted cream.