Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Scones {recipe video} (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to making good scones? ›

Baking tips for making the perfect scones

The colder the better when it comes to scones, we recommend a chilled bowl and pastry cutter too. Use pastry flour: This will create a noticeably lighter scone. However, self-raising flour works just as well and creates a higher rising scone that holds its shape nicely.

Just as in old times, today's scone recipes don't include eggs, but there are some rare recipes that do. Eggs may change the texture of the scone, which should be golden on the outside and airy inside. RELATED VIDEO: Video Player is loading.

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.

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. Reduce the liquid in the recipe by 1 to 2 tablespoons, using just enough to bring the dough together.

Recipes for scones sometimes provide a make-ahead option that involves refrigerating the dough overnight so it can simply be shaped and then popped into the oven the next day. But now we've found that resting the dough overnight has another benefit: It makes for more symmetrical and attractive pastries.

In general, scones should be baked at a higher temperature than most other pastries. Using too low of a temperature will prevent the scones from rising. If the recipe called for a lower temperature, try baking the scones at 400°F (205°C) next time, and see if that helps.

Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the overall flavor of the scones. Butter: Make sure the butter is frozen before you incorporate it into the dough for the flakiest results. Milk: Milk lends moisture and flavor. Egg: An egg adds moisture and helps bind the scone dough together.

fattening. A Food Standards Agency (FSA) report has found that the average scone contains 408 calories, with the best – sorry, most fattening – clocking up a remarkable 756 calories and 39.2g of sugar. Add jam and cream to the largest scone tested, and you are talking more than 900 calories.

Are plain scones OK for diabetics? ›

"I have been making these scones for a long time now and they are so quick to make and if like me you are a diabetic you can have these as they are very plain or you can add to them by the way of reduced sugar jam or cheese.

Thanks to the properties of cinnamaldehyde, a compound that gives cinnamon its flavour and odour, this sugar alternative may help fight off different infections, particularly those caused by fungi. It's also been shown to lessen the growth of bacteria such as Listeria and Salmonella.

If we were to whip or steam the scones, they wouldn't retain their flakiness, and wouldn't rise as much as they would with baking powder. That leaves yeast. Yeast just needs some water and sugar to start producing carbon dioxide.

Don't forget to sift!

Be sure to double or even triple sift your flour, as it takes away the clumps in the flour allowing for more air pockets in the scone dough - the result being a fluffier and more crumbly scone.

Use the top of your fingers for this. Insert a skewer or toothpick into the scone. If it comes out clean, the scone is ready. If it comes out with dough on it, the scones need a little more cooking time.

Not chilling the dough before baking: to really ace your scones, it helps to chill your dough again before it's baked. Using cold ingredients does help, but your hands will warm up the dough when you're working with it and the extra step of chilling will help you get the best result.

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.

Add some extra baking powder/soda, they might not have raised enough. If your scones barely rise in the oven, reconsider the amount of water you've added. You might want to add more. Otherwise, increase the amount of baking powder/soda.

For example, if you substitute oil for butter or margarine, you can significantly reduce the amount of saturated fat in your baked goods. This streamlined recipe for Light Scones uses just 3 tablespoons of canola oil, which contains a fraction of the saturated fat found in butter or margarine.