Name: Easy Scones Recipe
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American, British
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled); ¼ cup cane sugar; 2 teaspoons baking powder; ½ teaspoon sea salt; 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick, frozen for at least 1 hour); ½ to 1½ cups mix-ins* (such as berries, dried fruit, or chocolate chips, optional); ½ cup cold buttermilk* (or heavy cream, plus more for brushing); 1 large egg; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional); Coarse sugar (for sprinkling)

Easy Scones Recipe

We love these buttery, flaky scones for breakfast or brunch! This easy recipe works well with a variety of add-ins like blueberries, dried fruit, and chocolate chips. Find some of my favorite flavor variations in the blog post above.

1 hr total 40 min prep 20 min cook 8

Instructions

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1 Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2 In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
3 On the large holes of a box grater, grate the frozen butter. Add to the flour mixture and toss to coat. Use your hands to work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add desired mix-ins and toss to incorporate.
4 In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla, if using. Pour over the flour mixture and use a spatula to mix until a shaggy dough forms. Knead with your hands to incorporate any remaining dry flour. The dough should feel soft but not sticky. If it’s sticky, work in a bit more flour. If it’s dry, drizzle in a little more buttermilk. Form the dough into a ball.
5 Transfer the dough ball to a lightly floured surface and form it into a 7- to 8-inch disk about 1 inch thick. Slice into 8 equal wedges and transfer to the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space around each scone.
6 Freeze the scones for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F.
7 Remove the scones from the freezer and brush with buttermilk. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, if using. Bake for 18 to 27 minutes, or until golden brown on top.
8 Transfer to a wire rack to cool.