Early one morning a number of years ago, a friend dropped off a thank you gift of some fresh-from-the-oven scones and home made jam. They were a hit, and I soon asked for the scone recipe.

If you’re going to splurge on baked goods for a lovely brunch, these are a treat. Balance the low nutritional value of the scones with a plateful of fresh berries and other fruits, and you’ll have a happy crowd.

For a variation on the scones, we sometimes add small chopped pieces of cheddar cheese to a portion of the dough.

Ingredients

• butter – half a cup / 120 g
• flour – 4 cups whole wheat or white / 500 g
• baking powder – 1/8 cup / approximately 15 g
• milk – approximately 2 cups / 480 mL
• cheddar cheese or Daiya – to taste, if desired for a variation on the recipe

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425 F / approximately 218 C
2. Allow the butter to warm up to room temperature / soften in microwave
3. Cream/stir the butter with a spoon; you won’t need a mix master for these scones
4. Stir in flour and baking powder
5. Pour in milk, a cup at a time. As you’ll see here, once you’ve made these scones a few times, you’re likely to simply eyeball the quantity of milk you use. You’ll want your dough to be moist.
6. Sprinkle flour over a cutting board, and roll out portions of the dough on to the board; use a rolling pin or do so by hand
7. Use either a round cookie cutter or – as do we – a small glass to cut nicely shaped scones.
8. Bake at 425 F for approximately 15 minutes, depending on your oven. You’ll want to remove the scones when they begin to brown lightly on top.

Enjoy

Have the balance of your brunch or breakfast at hand and set the table while these are baking, so that you can serve the scones with jams of your choice directly from the oven. While leftovers may be a treat, such baked goods are best enjoyed piping hot.