Scone Tray Recipe

Preheat

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and fine salt until evenly combined.

Add the cold cubed unsalted butter to the dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. This creates flaky layers.

In a separate small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the heavy cream, buttermilk, large egg, and vanilla extract (if using). Reserve 1 tablespoon of the cream for brushing the scones before baking.

Make a well in the center of the flour-butter mixture. Pour about two-thirds of the cream mixture into the well and gently fold with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until the dough just starts to come together. If the dough seems dry, add small additional tablespoons of the cream mixture until it holds together but is still slightly shaggy. Avoid overmixing; the dough should be slightly sticky but manageable.

If making different flavored scones, divide the dough into portions now. For example: fold in dried currants/raisins for one portion; fold in fresh blueberries and lemon zest for another portion (toss blueberries first in 1 teaspoon flour to keep them from bleeding); fold in shredded cheddar and chopped chives for a savory portion. Use roughly 1/2 to 1 cup add-ins per portion depending on desired intensity. Gently fold add-ins until evenly distributed, being careful not to overwork the dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat it to a 1-inch thick round (or rectangle if preferred), about 8–9 inches across for a single batch. For a tray of varied sizes, you can divide the dough and shape each portion separately.

Using a 2 1/2 to 3-inch round cutter (or a knife to cut into 8 wedges), cut scones and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. Press scraps together gently and re-cut—handle as little as possible to keep scones tender.

Brush the tops lightly with the reserved heavy cream and sprinkle coarse sugar on sweet scones or extra shredded cheddar on savory ones.

Bake in the preheated 425°F (220°C) oven for 12–16 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until the scones are risen and golden brown on top. Smaller scones may bake faster; check at 10–12 minutes.

Remove scones from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool for 5–10 minutes on the baking sheet, then fully on the rack. For sweet lemon or blueberry scones, prepare the optional glaze by whisking powdered sugar with lemon juice or milk until smooth and drizzling over warm scones. Savory cheddar-chive scones are best served warm without glaze.