Cinnamon Chip Scones

scones2.jpg


I love scones. They come together quickly, have almost limitless possibility for either sweet or savory variations, and they almost always come out perfectly. Plus, they're one of my go-to recipes for the day before grocery-shopping day, when it seems like Mother Hubbard has one up on me -- no eggs? No problem. No milk? No problem. You can be pretty flexible with scones.


Scones are best served hot from the oven, or at least within a few hours of when they were made. Unlike muffins and other moist quick breads, scones don't really keep well. If you'd like to streamline the process, just mix up the dry ingredients beforehand, store them in a container with a tight-fitting lid, and then all you have to do is preheat your oven and add your liquids and you're good to go.


Cinnamon Chip Scones


2 cups unbleached all-purpose flourscones1.jpg

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 tablespoons white or light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

6 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup cinnamon chips

1/2 cup plain yogurt or buttermilk

1 egg, lightly beaten

Cinnamon sugar for sprinkling


1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in cinnamon chips. Make a well in the center and pour in yogurt or buttermilk. Stir briefly to combine, just until dough comes together and crumbs are incorporated.2. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and pat into a 7-inch disk. (Overhandling will toughen the dough, so don't knead it.)


2. Cut the disk into 8 wedges and place on a lightly buttered baking sheet. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 425 degrees F for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown on top and bottom. Serve warm with butter and honey.


Makes 8 scones.

Comments

  1. I love these scones!!!

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  2. I agree with the anonymous poster! Thes scones are great!
    Thank-you!

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  3. I'll look forward to trying these, but have a question too. You said that scones are pretty flexible regarding missing eggs or milk. I appreciate the thought to use yogurt (or maybe even sour cream?) instead of milk, but what would you do if you didn't have the egg? Use water? Oil? Applesauce?
    I came across your blog through my friend Beth Twist. I really appreciate your recipes and insights. I'll also look forward to trying some. Thanks! :)
    Denise

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  4. Hi Denise,
    Thanks for your comment! To answer your question, scones are great because they're a recipe you can whip up when you don't have a lot left in the fridge and you really feel like baking something, or you're suddenly called upon to produce some lovin' from the oven for unexpected guests.

    This recipe, for example, doesn't use eggs in the dough. The only egg is for the egg wash, which can be easily substituted by cream or even milk. If a scone recipe calls for buttermilk, you can use yogurt or sour cream (the latter thinned with a little milk), or you can even make sour milk with whatever milk you have on hand and some vinegar.

    An exception where you wouldn't want to substitute liquids is in the cream scone recipes (stay tuned . . . I've got one coming right up!). In these, the liquid, usually heavy cream, is also the fat, so you can't sub it out without making additional accommodations.

    Generally speaking, the egg in a recipe serves the function of binding, aerating (trapping air bubbles and providing some lift), and blah-de-blah (insert technical baking talk). In some cases you can replace a whole egg with two egg whites, but not always. A good rule of thumb in baking is to know the role each ingredient plays in the final product, and then you'll know if you can swap it out with something that would perform similarly. (Incidentally, if there's anyone interested in baking-science-type posts, please let me know. I'm developing a series of posts along those lines for www.Justbaking.net, a blog I edit on the Well Fed network.)

    Thanks so much for reading, and please feel free to e-mail me or comment with any other questions you have.

    All best,
    Sandy

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  5. Dear Sandy,

    Thanks for the recipe...I was sort of bummed at first because I didn't know where I would find cinnamon chips here in Switzerland, but then I decided to try and make some myself.

    Here is my recipe for cinnamon chips:
    1/4 butter, 1/4 c brown sugar, 1/4 white sugar, 1/4 corn syrup or simple syrup, 2T powdered cinnamon, 1T water, 1T vinegar heated to soft ball stage as it cooled I put 5 drops cinnamon essence oil. spread it in a buttered dish to cool then cut up the pieces and added them into your recipe!! Super...thanks again. Christina

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  6. I have been looking for a good Version of this recepie, and this one is exactly what I was looking for.
    Thanks!
    Donna

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