The Best Vegan Blueberry Scone Recipe, Made with Fresh Fruit | Foodal (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to a perfect scone? ›

Scones are always best baked cold as it makes them rise better, and allows for the frozen butter to melt inside the scone whilst baking creating that fluffy moist texture. And of course, don't forget to pre-heat your oven up to around 208°C whilst leaving them in the fridge or freezer.

How to make scones rise high? Once you've cut out your scone shapes, flip them over and place upside down on the baking tray. This will help them rise evenly and counteract any 'squashing' that happened when you cut out the dough. Perfect scones should rise to about 2 inches high.

Why are my scones not light and fluffy? The trick to getting beautiful light and fluffy scones is to handle the dough as little as possible. So when scones don't rise or aren't fluffy, it could be because the dough was over mixed or over kneaded, which makes them more dense.

As well as the raising agent in the flour, baking powder adds a bit of lift to scones. Baking powder is a convenient choice as it is a ready-mixed leavening agent, generally made of bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar (usually some cornflour too).

Use all-purpose flour for a higher rising scone that holds its shape nicely, both in and out of the oven. To make more delicate, lower-rising, cake-like scones, substitute cake flour for all-purpose flour.

To knead the dough very lightly fold and press the dough, repeating until the dough is smooth and supple. Form the dough into a ball and cover with clingfilm and rest for 30-60 minutes. This rest period relaxes the dough so that when you roll and cut out the scones the mixture doesn't spring back.

Avoid overworking your scone dough when shaping. Don't overbake! If you bake scones too long, they'll dry out, so keep an eye on them through the oven window. (Don't open the oven to look — it'll let out the heat.)

American scones use much more butter than British scones, and they usually have quite a bit more sugar. The extra butter is what makes them so much denser. This is not really a good or bad thing, as British scones pile on plenty of sugar (in the form of preserves/jam) and butter or clotted cream as toppings.

You might need a teaspoon or two more cream as its consistency is thicker than milk. Large Egg - The egg helps bind the ingredients together and increases the richness and flavour. Unsalted butter - Has to be cold to create flaky layers within the scone.

How wet should scone dough be? ›

The mix should be moist, and while it should come out of the mixing bowl clean, expect it to leave your fingers a little sticky. Scone mix is far wetter than a dough – it's somewhere between a batter and a dough. Only lightly flour your work surface to avoid incorporating extra flour into the dough.

Gently tap a scone to check if it's cooked through. If it's ready, it should sound hollow.

To ensure taller scones, start with a thicker dough disc and place the scones on a tray with sides, allowing them to slightly touch one another. This arrangement encourages the scones to push against the pan and each other, promoting height.

Heavy Cream or Buttermilk: For the best tasting pastries, stick with a thick liquid such as heavy cream or buttermilk. I usually use heavy cream, but if you want a slightly tangy flavor, use buttermilk.

Yes! Butter makes everything better. But when making scones, I prefer to use shortening instead of margarine because it gives me more control over the consistency of the dough. So, you can use butter instead of margarine when making scones but they will not be quite as light.

The best scones have a crisp, slightly caramelized exterior and a tender, buttery, just-sweet interior. They can be dressed up with a glaze, studded with fruit or nuts, or gently spiced. Whichever route you go, we're here to help you achieve scone perfection. These are F&W food editor Kelsey Youngman's favorite tips.

Scoop out clotted cream and jams onto your plate, enough for one scone. Break apart a small bite-sized portion of scone with your hands or if using a knife, cut the scone horizontally. Use a knife to slather on cream and jam onto the broken-off piece of scone. The bite-sized piece of scone should be eaten in 1-2 bites.

The longer you knead the dough, the stronger the gluten network will be. We want just enough gluten for the scones to hold their shape, but not so much that we sacrifice the light and flaky texture. Over-kneading your dough also increases the chance of your butter getting too warm.