Eight to ten tender, rustic scones — cold butter, gentle hands, and a hot oven do most of the work.
Use
1 stick butter (4oz)1/2 c + 1 tbsp heavy cream (4.5oz)
You'll Need
1 Stick Butter
4 oz, unsalted. Cut into small cubes and chill or freeze before using.
Cold Heavy Cream
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp (4.5oz), kept cold in the fridge until you're ready to mix.
Ice Cream Scoop
A 2 oz scoop, for packing and releasing portions.
Baking Instructions
Step 1
Preheat
Heat oven to 375°F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2
Add Butter
Pour the scone mix into a large bowl.
Add the cold, cubed butter.
Step 3
Cut in the Butter
Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to work the butter into the mix.
Stop when it looks like sandy crumbs with small pieces of butter throughout.
Have a food processor? Pulse the mix and cold butter together 6–8 times, then add the cream slowly, pulsing, until the dough just forms. This does Steps 3 and 4 in one.
Step 4
Add Cream
Pour in the cold heavy cream.
Mix gently until the dough just comes together.
The dough may look a little sandy — that's fine. Sugarbird scones are meant to be tender and rustic, not overmixed.
Step 5
Scoop
Use a 2 oz ice cream scoop to portion the dough — pack it into the scoop, then release onto the sheet. Makes 8–10 scones.
Place scones on the baking sheet 1 inch apart.
No scoop? Pat the dough into an 8" round, 1" thick, and cut into 8ths instead.
Photo: scooped dough, ready to chill
Photo: no-scoop method, cutting dough round into 8ths
Step 6
Chill
Chill or freeze the scooped dough for 15 minutes before baking.
Step 7
Bake
Bake at 375°F for 20–22 minutes, until lightly golden.
Step 8
Cool
Cool for 5 minutes before glazing.
Photo: fresh-baked scones, cooling
Makes 8–10 scones2 oz of dough per scoop.
Sugarbird Tips
Keep the butter very cold for the flakiest texture.
Do not overmix the dough.
Chilling before baking helps the scones hold their dome shape.
Glaze only after the scones have cooled for 5 minutes.