Pretty much every time we have homemade soup, which is pretty much once a week in the winter/rainy months, we also have scones.

I love scones because I don’t have to plan ahead – they can be whipped up in 15 minutes, don’t need any rising time, and cook in only 20 minutes.  Ideal for when you have to stand nearby to stir or add things to your soup anyways!

This is my favorite scone recipe, adapted slightly from Canadian Living‘s Best Buttermilk Scones, and they can be made with absolutely any combination that strikes your fancy.  I tend to put my flavours right on top once the scones are made and about to go into the oven since then I’m not limited to one flavour for a whole batch, but you could definitely mix things right into the batter too if you’re a more decisive type.  I’d recommend still saving some of the goodies for the top, since you always seem to taste it a bit more that way, whether it’s raspberries, dried fruit, lemon rind, poppyseeds, bacon bits and tomatoes, herbs and cheese…plus it will look extra pretty.

Basic Scones

This time I went with Italian herb and cheese and raspberry white chocolate. Can you tell I used frozen raspberries…they like to make all things pink.  Normally I also melt white chocolate or whip up some icing to top the fruit scones, but since I intended to eat them for breakfast I held off.  It was a rare moment of self restraint.

Basic Buttermilk Scones
 
Prep

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A basic scone recipe you can dress up to suit any occasion, sweet or savoury!
Author:
Recipe type: Scone
Serves: 12

Ingredients
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour (or substitute 1 cup with whole wheat flour)
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 2½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup COLD butter, cubed
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup buttermilk (I rarely have buttermilk…you can sour milk by putting 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice in a measuring cup and filling to 1 cup mark with regular milk, or you can just use sour cream, which I always do.)

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper or dust with flour and set aside.
  2. In large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using pastry blender or your hands, cut in butter until crumbly, and approximately the texture of coarse crumbs.
  3. In separate bowl, whisk egg with buttermilk and pour over flour mixture. Sprinkle in any additions, up to about 1¼ cups of extras, if desired. Stir with a fork to make soft, ragged dough.
  4. With lightly floured hands, press dough into a ball and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently 10 times. Pat/stretch into a 10×7″ rectangle, straightening edges as much as possible.
  5. Cut rectangle into 6 squares, then cut each square diagonally in half to make 12 triangles. Place on prepared pan and add any toppings you want, patting them down lightly.
  6. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes, until golden. Serve warm or transfer to rack to cool. Freeze leftovers and reheat as needed.