Simple Scones

What a wonderful scone recipe. These turned out just slightly moist and not dried-out like other recipes I have tried. The addition of the orange zest and cranberries gave them a delicious, subtle sweet flavor. Like another reviewer suggested, I made these in the food processor so the dough came together very well, very quickly. But sticky is an understatement! Be sure you generously flour your work surface, hands, and knife when shaping and cutting these scones. This is the best scone recipe I've tried and it's a definite make-again and again! Update 11/12/07: I have made these scones no less than two dozen times and they are consistently a big hit with everyone, adults and children alike. I will never consider another recipe for scones, this one is the absolute best.

Great recipe! I used salted cold butter from the fridge and just cut it into the dough. My first batch was made with grated cheddar, second batch with fresh strawberries and my third batch with ham, cheese and green onions (sprinkled cheddar on top) all in 3 days! They went right away and they looked so pretty! This recipe is great as a base - add whatever you want for the flavour of the day!

I used this recipe as a base for my espresso cafe and they are one of our most popular sellers. I increased the sugar from 65g to 75g however and I do not use frozen butter and then grate it. I initially started following this recipe as it was written and found it to be far too time consuming and labor intensive with the frozen butter. It may work fine for home users but when I have 8 other batches of scones to produce as well as 15 dozen batches of bagel dough that's proofing that need to be pulled and shaped at a specific time, grating the frozen butter seemed to be an unnecessary step. I melt the butter and they come out perfect every time. My oven (non-convection, exposed elements at 25' above sea level) I bake these 5 degrees F down (395f) and at exactly 15 minutes on every batch. I also lightly top them with raw sugar before baking. The Cherry-Almond variant, I add a few sliced almonds to the mix and on the top for a bit of "bling" and I drop the 155g of sour cream to 105g, otherwise the almond extract makes the dough a bit too soft. I also make a Maple-Pecan, Bacon-Cheddar, Jalepeno-Cheddar and Sausage-Chive version. This recipe is a great base for any scone you want to make. I would encourage anyone wanting to make scones, either at home or in their restaurant/cafe to not forget that scones aren't always just a sweet treat with fruits, nuts and berries, you can make them into a great small meal by adding meats and herbs. Don't be afraid to experiment!

Excellent basic scone recipe. It allowed for substitutions nicely. I used half white and half whole grain flours to up the nutritional value (1/2 cup oat flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry four plus 2 TBSP ground flax seed.) I divided the dough in half and put chocolate chips in one half (alas, I hate currants and raisins!)and unsweetened finely shredded coconut & chocolate chips in the other half. Mmm, yummy, and halfway healthy too. Some other suggested "additions" are: craisins and white chips, lemon zest and orange flavored craisins, hazelnuts and toffee chunks, walnuts and chopped dried apricots, coarsely chopped candied ginger and cinnamon, pecans and Kraftmaid caramels cut into fourths... use your imagination and create scones to die for!

I made these tonight for my family and they loved them!!! The alterations I made was to used only ONE and a HALF cups of whole wheat flour and 1/4 cup flax seed ground up and 1/4 cup wheat germ. This makes it super nutritious and adds a lot of fiber. My kids said they were the best scones they had ever had!!!

These are the best scones I have ever eaten! I'm a top notch baker but even thought this recipe is easy, it doesn't skip on the flavor. The first time I made these, I did dried crannberry with orange zest. The second time, I did fresh blueberries with walnuts. I liked the cranberry recipe best. Bust my husband and daughter liked the blueberry. I made a frosting for the left overs. It had confectioners sugar, almond extract and orange juice. I dunked the scones in when they were completely cooled. And they were excellent with coffee the next day.

I used salted butter and they were fine. The hardest part was hand grating the butter and the whole mix with your fingers thing I didn't go for. So this morning I grated the frozen butter with my food processor, switched to the chopping blade, added the flour and just pulsed it a couple of times. Dumped in the wet ingredients and pulsed just until combined. MUCH easier, (probably took a total of 1 minute) and texture is the same. These are excellent! For the raisin version, I suggest adding a generous amount of cinnamon. The cherry/almond combination is wonderful. I also did a lemon/blueberry and a lemon/cranberry batch but definitely use fresh grated lemon rind along with lemon extract.

What a great recipe! I loved the simplicity of the recipe and the tasty results. The texture WASN'T dry and hard as a rock like some recipes; it was tender and relatively moist. I loved it! I followed the cranberry-orange recipe, except I didn't have any oranges that day so I substituted the zest of 1 lemon. YUMMY! I tried it again with orange zest a second time, but I found that I preferred the cranberry-lemon combo. Since then, I've found that cranberry-lemon plus 1 tsp. vanilla is also tasty, as is just lemon (zest) and 1 tsp vanilla.

These are so good, and extremely versatile. I added dried cranberries and white chocolate chips, and they were fabulous! Will make these again & again. 12/29/08 addition--these are also fantastic with dried cherries and lime zest & chocolate chips and orange zest.

I made these exactly as stated except I substituted fresh blueberries for the raisins, and I was much more generous with the 1tsp of sugar when sprinkling it on top of these before baking. I don't have a food processor large enough for these so I just used my kitchen aid stand mixer. If you mix the dry ingredients then add the butter on low speed it takes a few minutes but it breaks the butter up into small, pea sized pieces. Then when you add your wet ingredients you only need to mix it on low for a few seconds, just until it barely starts to come together. Then I dumped my dough onto parchment paper, placed another piece of parment on top of it to form it together and then cut it. These came out delicious and butter-y. I don't think ill ever use another scone recipe again... but next time ill use 1/2 a cup of sugar in the dough (plus extra for on top) if I use fruit or nuts in these because they weren't quite sweet enough for me. Thanks for sharing!

Very moist, tender scone and ingredients and porportions were pretty much perfect. No need to grate the butter folks. Just cube up the butter, add to the flour and mix with your Kitchenaid using a paddle beater on low. After a few minutes, the butter will become pea-size then add your wet ingredients. So easy to make in the mixer. I usually use regular salted butter and add 1 teaspoon vanilla. My favorite combo is making Orange Apricot scones. I add tsp. orange zest to the flour mixture and finely chopped dried apricots. I then make a glaze using orange juice, powdered sugar and orange zest. So moist and keeps well all day. I would suggest eating it all the same day or else it does get dry on day 2. I always get exactly 8 scones, bake for exactly 15 min.

I really wish I could give this recipe more than 5 stars. Tonight, I baked my first batch of scones and was delighted to find that this simple recipe was perfect and delicious! The footnotes are a wonderful addition - as I smelled these baking in the oven, I immediately began thinking of how many different ways I could change them up. The only thing "missing" from this recipe is storage suggestions...and I googled those :) FYI - all sources are in agreement that scones are best at room temperature, but can be wrapped in plastic once cool and stored in the refrigerator for one day or frozen for up to 3 months (then allowed to thaw in its packaging and warmed in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes before serving). Anyway, thanks so much for sharing this recipe. I will definitely add this one to my personal collection.

These are the best and I make them all the time, always by hand and it is very easy. Once the butter is grated in, you just need to toss it around gently in the flour and that is all the blending it needs. I usually use yogurt instead of sour cream, but sometimes, if I don't have either, I add lemon juice to milk to make a sour milk and it turns out really well. I usually put an egg in a measuring cup and fill the rest with sour cream or yogurt and a splash of vanilla. The dough ends up softer, but I don't handle it too much and it always turns out. I often sprinkle the top with cinnamon and sugar just before baking and it turns out lovely and crunchy. I have used dried cranberries or chopped apple instead of raisins on occasion. After never having much luck with scones, it's great to have a recipe that my family and friends love!

Excellent recipe! I needed a savory scone to go with chili for dinner, so I cut the sugar in half and added 1/2 t. garlic powder, 1/2 t. basil, 1/2 t. oregano, and 4 oz. colby cheese, shredded (abt. 1 c.) - added all this after working in the butter. I also don't freeze & grate the butter - I just work it in with my hands until I get a coarse meal texture. I will definitely use this recipe for sweet or savory scones!

Amazing Recipe! I make these for every event - always a hit! The trick is - Melt the butter and add the wet ingredients and then the dry. Keep it simple! The recipe says to grate the butter - I found no difference off using melted butter. I can make these in less than 5 minutes - they are addictive!

I found these to be tasty but more of a cakey cookie than a scone. I prefer my scones more like biscuits, less cakey.

A wonderful treat! I used one container of greek yogurt (5 oz) instead of the sour cream. This added 15 gr. protein and a fraction of the calories and fat! They where perfect!

I love this recipe, and I have yet to try it with the currants or raisins ! My tip would be what my mother passed on to me--whenever you're making scones, the key is to handle it as little as possible. The perfection of a scone is in the lovely brown lumpiness, not in treating it like piece of pie.

"grate recipe" ;) actually, grating the frozen butter worked well, faster than cutting in. i just held a frozen stick of regular (salted) butter in its waxed paper wrapper. certainly would be easiest in a food processor though. these scones are delish! i've made with craisins and orange zest, also dried blueberries and almond extract, and will probably try more flavors as it is a perfect dough recipe in my opinion. always have the ingredients on hand. got great reviews from my co-workers, too! oh and i brush tops with milk and sprinkle w/ raw or turbinado sugar. enjoy!

You don't have to use frozen butter. I used straight from fridge and cut into small cubes and added with all dry ingredients in mixer until crumbly. Then added wet ingredients, mixed well, then added a handful of dried cranberries, mixed well. This time did not top with sugar. Have made in food processor and standup mixer. I prefer the standup mixer because food processor dices the dried craisins too much. UPDATE*****4/29/12***Made yesterday and today, using KitchenAid standup mixer and prefer standup mixer. Came out perfect. You must try this recipe. Also, I add 1 TBSP. orange extract. I like my scones to be extra fragrant. Give this recipe a try.

This was a very good scone. I made these plain (without the raisins) and I also made some replacing the raisins with 1/2 cup frozen blueberries and another batch with 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips. I took these to a multicultural night for the England table and they were a big hit! I used a food processor to mix the butter with the dry ingredients and then added that mixture to the egg/sour cream mixture in another bowl, folding with a rubber spatula. At this point it still had a lot of dry crumbly pieces. I then put the mixture onto some plastic wrap and folded the mixture about three times until it all came together. The plastic wrap is great because it helps keep everything from sticking onto your hands! If you prefer not to use plastic wrap, even if the dough still seems a bit dry/crumbly, it bakes up very nice in the oven. Your scones won't look as "nice" but they are still very tasty!!! Even though the recipe says 8 servings, these puff up quite a bit in the oven. I actually made two circles and cut those into 8 servings each making 16 servings and each piece was very large after baking.

My first time making scones and all I can say is wow! I didn't use the food-processor method because mine is too small but honestly it's not hard at all to make by hand. I followed the advice fron someone and added 3/4 Craisins (dried cranberries) and 2 TBSP Orange Rind. I also sprinkled the tsp sugar on top like the recipe recommends. I also made a glaze using 1 cup confectioner's sugar, 1 1/2 to 2 TBSPs orange juice and about 1 tsp almond extract. Really good!!!!! Will be using this recipe over and over again to make my own variations.

You don't need a food processor! It is so easy to grate frozen butter and does not take long at all. I think it would take longer to clean all the pieces of a food processor, than it would to grate the butter with a box grater and use a couple of bowls. Follow the recipe! These scones are wonderful! Flaky and yummy and the recipe is so versatile. I have made them with raisins, dried blueberries w/lemon, and dried cherries w/ almond extract. All are sooo good! In fact I think I will use the technique of grating butter for pie pastry, too.

This was the very first time I've attempted to make scones but the results were amazing. Where has this recipe been all my life? I didn't have sour cream on hand but I did have a thick greek style yogurt which is similar in texture. My children liked them so much much that they had seconds and asked if I had bought them at the bakery. This recipe is a keeper. Next time I want to try using chopped dried apples. My son said with wide eyes, "That should taste like apple pie." Apple pie for breakfast sounds like heaven indeed. Try this recipe, you won't regret it.

I did some experimenting today. My outcomes show that this continues to be a great recipe! I made the lemon-blueberrie variation and the cherry almond variation this morning following the recipe exactly. I also then made the simple raisin recipe only substituting non-fat plain yogurt for the sour cream and adding 1 tsp. orange zest. All three batches of scones met high reviews by all the different personalities who were at my house and sampled all three, but I have to say that actually the batch made with the non-fat yogurt was actually lighter (most likely because of less fat content) but it still remained very moist and flavorful. I will probably make all my scones with non-fat yogurt from now on. I will see how the left-overs fare and will let you all know...later note: Yes! The left overs were still quite light and moist and fluffy!! Yum!

I changed this a bit but I'm sure the original deserves 5 stars too! I used 1 C whole wheat flour, 1/2 C white, 1/4 C ground flax, 1/4 C wheat bran, only 1/4 C sugar, and 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp cardamom and 1/2 tsp ginger. To the wet ingredients I add 2 tsp vanilla or almond extract and used plain yogurt instead of sour cream. I've even used soy yogurt and they were still fantastic. After grating the cold butter into the flour I toss it around with my fingers then use a pastry cutter to cut it in. I've made these without any fruit or nuts then made some with apricots then tried dried cherries and almond extract and also cut up fresh cranberries with almond extract. Even the variety with the raisins are delicious! Perfect everytime!!

Very delicious Recipe. My husband loved them! I was always afraid to try a scone recipe but this was so easy. Followed recipe exactly and flavored them with 2 t. orange zest and 1-2 t. orange juice. Brushed the tops with egg wash and sprinkled with sugar. Will try this recipe with other flavors. I bet the sky is the limit with what youcan flavor with. Using the food processor is a good idea BUT only if your processor can accomodate the amount of indgredients. Parchement paper is recommended!!

I loved this recipe. I make scones all of the time and take them to work. The idea of grating the butter is great (no pun intended) and I will use that for other recipes. I used buttermilk and 1/2 tsp cinnamon with the cinnamon chip scones. Then I had to make a second batch with chopped "candy melts" in orange and green for the grandkids. They loved em! I sprinkled orange or green sugar on top before baking. Just a note here - if you use the candy melts - for color and flavor - don't use the food processor to break them up - it does too good of a job. Just chop them coarsely with a chef knife. This is my new "go to" recipe for scones!!!

I tried to make these and they totally burned on the bottom of the pan. I added more flour and lowered my oven temp a bit because I live at high altitude but they still really burnt and didn't seem to be getting golden on top. Also they didn't smell especially good in the first place...I'm wondering if its because of the sour cream. I have read several other recipes for easy scones and they all call for buttermilk or just plain milk or half and half.

I've been searching for the perfect scone recipe and I've found it!! I basically followed the recipe to a T, but didn't freeze the butter (the stick out of the fridge was very cold and VERY easy to grate- I recommend grating it b/c it made it so much easier to cut in to the dry ingredients) I also used Craisins and light sour cream. The dough wasn't too sticky and was very easy to handle. They taste slightly sweet and are light and crumbly. YUM!

Terrific scone recipe! I have been intimidated by scones in the past (mine were always too dry) - but this is a great, simple recipe! Grating the butter is key - odd - but important to get the butter evenly mixed into the scones. Actually, i kindof forgot my butter for about 30 minutes until I worked it into the flour and it worked fine (albeit a little messy.) I used cherry craisins and added 3 big shakes of dried orange peel. The sour cream/egg mixture poured over the flour nicely and mixed up quite easily with the back of a spoon. I barely had to use my hands at all. I then split the mixture into two balls and flattened one to about 7" diameter (3/4" thickness)on parchment paper on a stone, patted granular sugar on top, and sliced into 8 pieces. Seperated them and then actually needed to cook them 15 minutes. They were perfect and I love the smaller scone size!

Great recipe, but instead of sour cream try flavored yogurt. Blueberry with blueberries, raspberry with raspberries, etc. The container size is perfect and it comes out tasty and delicious. I have tried Yopliat, Dannon and they all work

This recipe is very good. Make it a little easier by using a pastry blender to mix cold butter into flour rather than grating it. A good basic scone recipe which can be adapted with different flavorings.

I have used this recipe many times. I volunteer at a Cafe where we make all of our food from scratch. We raise money to feed children in our county. Anyway, when I make these scones (I do cranberry/orange) they are gone in seconds as soon as they come out of the oven. I don't frost them. They are easy to make and delicious, too. And...... children are getting fed. Love it!

**LOVE** this recipe! I doubled the recipe and divided the dough into 2 batches. I added chocolate chips to one batch and pecans & 1 tsp grated orange zest to the other. They came out perfectly sweet and moist! Thank you for a GREAT recipe!

Yum! I added orange flavoring to the the sour cream and used cranberries. Delicious. Next time I will buy an orange and grate the rind in the dry mix.

These are my 'go to' scones. I have tried a ton of scone recipes and these are great. I always change it up and add blueberries, a cinnamon crumb topping, mini choc. chips, whatever the mood. I like to leave the dough as a circle and cut the scones, just pulling them apart slightly, they cook more evenly. I also found good results when I wanted fresh scones in the morning without getting up much earlier, I made them the night before and baked them in the am. They actually cooked a little more evenly. I make this recipe almost every weekend. It's great!!

Simple can often be the best. These are beyond simple when you use a food processor, pulsing ONLY until butter is incorporated...I just cut frozen butter rather than grating. Then I added dried blueberries and the egg and sour cream (fat free) and pulsed a few more times and the dough comes together in seconds. I also added some orange zest...my husband ate three already. Definitely deserving of five stars...try these!

I loved absolutely loved these. I read other reviews (using a food processor) but don't have one. Only change I may was using fridge temp butter. I grated the butter and hand worked the flour and all the dry ingredients, then simply used a fork. I didn't have sour cream on hand so used heavy whipping cream. The texture came out PERFECT (just like Starbucks). The oven temp and time (17min) right on. I also added a simple drizzle (3/4 cup confectioners and 1 Tblsp of hot water). PERFECT I will so make these again THANK YOU!!

"The best scones I've ever had" according to my husband and I'd agree. My toddler loved them too. I didn't have sour cream so I substituted plain lowfat yogurt. I also forgot to add the sprinkled sugar at the end but it wasn't necessary. This one is going in my favorites!

This is my staple scone recipe now. I sometimes substitute low fat buttermilk for the sour cream. Our favorite verson is to substitute cinnamon chips for the raisins and add 1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans. Great with a bowl of fruit. Yum!

My husband says these scones are 'perfect.' :) I left out the raisins and added lemon zest. Also sprinkled with Sugar in the Raw. Made in the KitchenAid with the dough hook. Thanks!!

This is a wonderful recipe, though I did make minor changes. Rather than grate the butter in, I simply cubed it and then used a pastry cutter to mix it in until the mixture resembled coarse meal. I made sure my hands were floured well and kneaded the dough a little bit so there was a more even distribution of moisture, rather than clumps of dry/sticky dough. I used milk chocolate chips instead. Cooked for exactly 17 minutes and they are absolutely delicious, very light and fluffy, with a buttery taste kind of reminiscent of shortbread.

I'm not very good at baking but LOVE eating fresh! This recipe is perfect for me (newbie). It's easy to follow and very forgiving! I used box grater for butter (salted). I skipped baking soda (ran out) and the scones still came out perfect! I double serving size (for holidays party) so I didn't really measure everything 100% exactly as written in the recipe. I was surprise that my scones came out moist, perfectly sweeten and very very good! They were a hit at the party as well. For Christmas party, I added pieces of dried cranberries and sprinkled with sugar powder and name it Snowberry Scone.

These are the bees knees! I make them often and always make 2 batches (one at a time though). Only use the food processor---no bowls needed! I typically add some sort of flavoring such as vanilla or lemon also. Just put in ingredients---pulse---add whatever fruits or such and pulse a few more times and DUMP it all on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pat lightly into circle and cut into 8ths----pull apart---do not let them touch and bake for about 15 min. You will love them!

This is the best scone recipes! I have tried many different recipes. Very moist & flaky. I made the lemon-blueberry & the almond-cherry & plain. I also made lemon curd to top them. (I used the perfect lemon curd recipe on Allrecipes.) Also very good with rasberry jam & lemon curd on top.

I didn't freeze the butter because I didnt have time for that. I just used spoonfuls of country crock, which is real soft already and easily mixed into the flour mixture. I also used half sugar, half cinnamon/sugar mix and craisins. But before molding them to bake, i put the mixture in the fridge for about 5 min to firm up a bit so it wasnt so sticky to work with. They turned out excellent, perfect with coffee! This is a great recipe! <3

This recipe is super easy to prepare. I've made it up several times and they came out great every time. I omit the raisins and serve them with jam. I will keep this one in my favorite recipes folder!

Great!

These are wonderfully easy from start to finish. I used fat free sour cream and fresh blueberries (i actually froze them first so the dough wouldn't turn blue), and they were perfect. I'm going to try garlic parmesan next, and then chocolate cherry! [edit] Every variation i have tried has been wonderful. When i made the garlic parm ones, i used half whole wheat flour and it was a great savory scone! I also made the blueberry ones with splenda instead of sugar. The dough was harder to work with, but they were still delicious, and my family had no idea they were sugar-free!

I've used tons of recipes for scones over the years since scones are one of my favorite things. I was actually looking for one similar to a recipe I lost but came across these.... These happen to be my new favorite recipe. It's the sour cream that makes it I think. I decided on a cranberry almond variaton when I made them. Add 1tsp almond extract, and crasins instead of raisins. Soooooooo good.

I made the cherry almond variation and they were delicious! No leftovers! I used fat free sour cream and cholesterol free egg product and they still had a great texture and wonderful flavor.

Pam Anderson's Simple Scones are the best I've ever had. This recipe has the perfect combination of ingredients and is delicious. Can't stop making them! Thank you

Outstanding! I added a dash of cinnamon & nutmeg, leaving out the raisins. Very tasty with a nice texture. Not too sweet either. Easy to make.

I make these for two cafes. WONDERFUL! I make several different varieties by adding cinnamon chips, chocolate chips, peanut butter, orange extract/craisins, granola, white chocolate chips/almonds, cheddar/dill/garlic. I do increase the sugar for the sweeter versions. Grate the butter before you freeze it - duh. Don't overbake. Brush with melted butter when you take them out of the oven. I serve with soup also. Yum.

These are terrific. I make them plain or add a little almond extract and dried cherries. I had been buying a mix from Williams Sonoma because I couldn't find a good recipe--these are a staple now!

Oh. My. Goodness. I don't review very often, but this recipe is so incredible, I had to run to the computer to review! When I actually tasted the scones, I genuinely giggled - they are THAT good! I did tweak the directions, however, as I am much too lazy to do all that work. I cut the butter into chunks, stuck it in the freezer for a while, then tossed them into my food processor (using the metal blade, I still haven't figured out what the plastic one is for). I pulsed the butter until it looked pretty crumbly, then added all the dry stuff at once (including the zest of one orange), pulsed a while longer until it looked crumbly and well-mixed. I then dumped in the wet stuff (I did also add a tiny splash of vanilla), pulsed it all until it came to a ball on the side of the machine, then dumped it onto a floured cutting board. I kneaded in some chopped almonds and dried cranberries, cut it into pieces, baked, and voila! The most incredible scones I've ever tasted. EVER. (I also drizzled a confectioner's sugar/water mix over them once cooled, but it's not necessary) Thanks a million, Pam, for such an incredible recipe!

Great basic recipe that accepts variations/additions nicely. Here's what I like to do with this wonderful recipe to make it my own...I dice the 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter before I get started and put it in the freezer to chill, I use brown sugar instead of white, use vanilla greek yogurt instead of sour cream, put a little jam on top before baking and after baking drizzle on a powdered sugar glaze. I use my food processor...pulse dry ingredients, add chilled butter and long pulse a few times, stir the egg and yogurt together in a bowl and add to food processor bowl, long pulses just until the dough starts to come together. Pour onto counter dusted with flour and pat together to form a ball and continue to press into a circle, 3/4" high. Cut like a pie into 8 wedges and transfer to a cookie sheet lined with parchment. Using floured fingers, I press a circular indentation into each wedge and fill with approx. 1/2 tsp of jam (any fruit jam will work with this recipe!). After cooling a bit on a wire rack, I drizzle some powdered sugar glaze on top (approx.1 cup powdered sugar, approx 1 Tbsp of softened butter, 1/4 tsp vanilla and a bit of whole milk, stirred together, add tiny amounts of milk until you get that drizzle-icious consistency). Pour the glaze into a ziplock baggie and snip a tiny bit of a corner off, then let the drizzle flow out of the corner as you move back and forth across each scone.

I made a double batch of these, omitted the raisins and added almond extract. Then I served them warm with apricot butter. They were to die for! The consistency was just "melt in your mouth" right and they looked like we'd bought them at a bakery.

YOU MUST MAKE THESE - they are simply the best scones you will ever find on this side of the pond! My favorite are the cherry-almond ones (lemon-blueberry are a close second).

When my husband asked what I was making his response was a disappointed "oh biscuits" however after eating two he agreed they were light, fluffy and not a biscuit. Easy to make, I let mine rest in the refrig while cleaning up. This let the dough rest and butter firm back up before baking.

Fantastic base recipe. I replaced the sour cream with low fat Greek yogurt (less fat, more protein) and used 1/2 whole wheat flour and 1/2 regular flour. I cut my dough into two balls initially, then flattened and divided each ball into 8 wedges, so I ended up with 16 medium scones instead of 8 huge ones.

I followed the recipe as in, except I substituted chocolate chips for raisins. I had to bake the scones for at least 10 more minutes than the recipe called for and they're still almost wet in the middle. The scones are pretty bland, as is. They really could have used some vanilla extract. Maybe even a little more sugar, but I prefer things to be on the more sweet side.

I have made these a couple of times and they are really simple and yummy! A little sweeter and much more moist than any I have ever had while eating out. And, not being a fan of raisins, I added frozen blueberries from this years harvest and they were terrific!

The best homemade scones I've ever had! Sour cream may sound weird, but makes them soft and moist and taste absolutely delicious. I recommend brushing tops of scones with an egg wash to get the tops golden and crispy, and topping with sugar in the raw instead of granulated white sugar. I also used fat-free sour cream, which was totally fine. I also modified this recipe to make my "savory" scones. I used 1/6 cup sugar instead of 1/3 cup, and instead of any fruit, I added 1/4 cup of cooked and chopped bacon, 1/6 cup diced chives, and 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Those scones were super yummy too!!

Have been using this recipe for a little while and love it. Got the exact same recipe from my friend Laura, and we agree it's the amount of butter and the texture the frozen butter gives the dough that makes this one of the best scone recipes around. I have baked it a number of times, always adding something a little different and it always comes out great. Cranberries, white chocolate chips and walnuts is a great combo, as is dried cherries, mini chocolate chips and Mexican vanilla. I have even omitted the sugar, added minced garlic, a fresh squeeze of lemon juice and shredded parmesan cheese for a great savory scone. Definitely worth trying!

I was impressed by this recipe. My first attempt at scones and they turned out great. I soaked the raisins in amaretto prior to adding them to the mix. I would like to try gran marnier next time. The variations are endless and this is another great addition to my recipe box.

Very simple to make... so many options or flavors can use this simple recipe... I've made cranberry orange (add a bit of orange zest and 2/3 C cranberries to dry mixture, glaze with Orange Juice, Zest, and powdered sugar glaze)... I've made Lemon Poppyseed version.. similar to above, but with poppyseeds and lemon zest added to dry ingredients (+butter), and top with lemon juice, Powdered sugar, lemon zest and ALMOND extract... YUM... So moist and perfectly tasty... EASY EASY EASY. Family comes to spend the night they know they'll get scones.

I love this recipe! It is so easy! Like another reviewer I also just melt the butter instead of trying to cut it into the flour. My kids love them when I divide the dough in half and flatten it putting a layer of brown sugar and cinnamon between the layers and then seal them. Wonderful!

Yea 5 starts, very good flavour...didn't have unsalted butter, used regular didn't make a difference....thank you for this one.

very easy recipe, very delicious, taste just like the ones I have tried at a local tearoom, very light, buttery, rich taste. I served them with cream and blueberry and strawberry jam. Delish!! I did not have unsalted butter, but just used salted butter and left out the salt, very easy! I did not use the raisins either, tasted good just plain with the fruit jam

I've made these scones a dozen times now. They are soooo incredibly delicious. Don't let the dough get warm from hand mixing or it's quite possible your scones won't rise to the occasion!! Don't forget a generous spoonful of clotted cream & jam to go with it. You won't regret it unless your scone becomes a vehicle for the entire jar of clotted cream!!!!!!

This was great. I used it without fruit as a topping on a cobbler. The crowd loved it, in fact I was asked to make it 3 times in a week. Just cook about 6 cups of fruit with about 1/2c of sugar and 2tbsp of tapioca in a pie pan for 20 minutes at 400 and then add these on top for another 15-20. Wonderful and easy.

I woke up one morning with a burning desire to make scones (for the first time ever, might I add), and this recipe made it easy. They were just delicious. I substituted fat free vanilla yogurt for the sour cream and that worked great. They were delicious, and my family begged me to make them again.

These are the absolute best scones! (And I've tried many!) I've made these for several showers and everyone always says they're the best scones they've had. I make them several days in advance and underbake them a little then freeze them once they're cool. Right before serving, I take them from the freezer, pop them in the oven for about 10 minutes, and they're perfect! LOVE THEM!!

I've made the cranberry orange variation several times and they're better than the bakery! Nice and moist and they freeze beautifully! I've made 16 smaller ones with this recipe and they were perfect too.

This recipe was an OK recipe. Though i found them a little bit to dry, so I added a bit more sour cream . Much better. If you like moist scones, then I suggest that you would do the same. I added craisins to mine and it really perked them up.

Simply Delicious! I added craisins instead of raisins and they turned out great. everyone at my house thought they tasted as good or better than the scones that we love at the local bakery! I also added lemon cream cheese frosting to the top when the scones were done, and it was the perfect touch!

I love this recipe, it's so easy, and the scones are delicious. I use fat free greek yogurt instead of sour cream, and add craisins, chopped almonds and orange zest. I serve them with a bit of greek yogurt mixed with sugar or sweetener, and orange juice - this makes a lovely creamy topping! Can't be beat. I'm serving this for company tomorrow morning.

This recipe is so easy to prepare and tastes delicious. The scones were the absolute rave at a babyshower/teaparty we had for our cousin. Cannot recommend them highly enough. Why buy scones when these are so great!!!

Super yummy. I used cold butter and blended everything with a pastry cutter and then added the sour cream mixture. I also used dried cherries and added 2 tsp of vanilla.

I did not have sour cream so I added an equal amount of plain yogurt and an extra 1/2 tsp of baking soda to adjust. I had homemade candied orange peel that I chopped and added instead of the raisins. I followed CalJane's lead and used the food processor, super easy! The house smelled like heaven. I loved these scones! they were very simple, flakey and delicious. I will be making this again and again.-Thanks for sharing this recipe!

These scones were simply delicious and very simple to make. Because I didn't have sour cream, I used butter milk instead. Added one cup of raisins, lemon zest, and added one tsp. of vanilla extract. I used cold butter, which I cut into chunks. The food processor made this recipe almost effortless to prepare. The whole family loved them; will surely make these again.

I cheated on butter. I really thought I had frozen butter but was wrong so I had to use 3/4 cup margarine and 1/4 cup butter. Next time around, I will use real butter and will probably try to replicate Starbuck's Pumpkin Scone.

I have eaten scones in several cities in the U.S., also in the UK. and Europe. this is the best recipe I've found. a tiny bit of work for a superb end result.

So easy! I used mixed berry dried fruit and it was terrific. Moist on the inside. Great with lemon yogurt cheese (lemon yogurt strained through a coffee filter overnight)!

This is a very good, simple recipe. I followed recipe and baking instructions except I used dried cranberries and white chocolate chips. I put dry ingredients in food processor pulsed added slices of frozen butter and pulsed until mixture was in small chunks. It is IMPORTANT not to over mix! Then I dumped mixture out onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. I used the wrap to form dough into a round circle about 3/4" thick and cut into 8 wedges. I placed the wedges on a silpat on baking sheet and sprinkled with the sugar. No flour mess to clean up. I am looking forward to making these many more times!

I use this recipe as the base recipe for all my scones. I just modify to try new flavor combos. I tried on today that was amazing. I used brown sugar instead of white. I omitted the raisins, added 1/2 cup of oatmeal to the dry ingredients, and 1/2 of maple syrup to the wet ingredients. They turned out amazing! I use a food processor when making these, so the oatmeal was not large or noticeable. Just an amazing flavor. Maple oat scones is what I call them!

So far I've made Orange Cream Scones, Key Lime Scones, and Vanilla Bean Scones using this recipe! These scones always turn out perfect! I love love this recipe. I have never used sour cream but instead yogurt. I've used orange, key lime, and greek vanilla yogurt to make my scones. Such a great starter recipe to branch off from and create any type of scone to your liking. I love making a glaze for them as well. Powdered sugar (1 cup) and key lime juice along with zest was delicious on top of my key lime scones!

This is a great basic recipe! I used whole wheat pastry flour, half the butter, and 4 T applesauce. It was pretty sticky, so I dolloped them onto the parchment paper like biscuits. :-) Also tried the variation of lemon and blueberry. one container of fresh blueberries, 1.5 t. dried lemon peel, 1/2 t. lemon extract. Great flavor and wonderful consistency.

This recipe is incredible. I have used it without fruit for traditional English scones and with the fruit. Either way they taste incredible! For something different dust with powdered sugar. For English scones add Smuckers strawberry topping in the center & a side of whipped cream.

Delicious and easier than I thought. I've made it several times. Try adding dried cranberries and a little orange zest. They some out tasting very much like cranberry/orange scones from an overpriced coffee shop. Thanks for sharing.

Not a fan of scones, but these were delish!! I omitted raisins and added a generous 1/3 c of craisins and 1/3 c white choc. chips. Also added 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Used fat free sour cream. Didn't freeze butter. Baked on baking stone for 20 minutes or so. . . Perfect!!

Easy and delicious. I made the cranberry/orange version my guest raved about them.

My friends said these didn't taste like scones, because they weren't all hard like the ones you buy in a coffee house, but they loved them!

This is my go to scone recipe. Although I like Grandma's scone recipe, I find that the flavor and texture of this recipe is better. I do follow the direction from the other recipe about combining the sour cream and baking soda and letting it sit until frothy. I'm not sure if it works, but it's never failed me!

I saw this in the USA Weekend magazine and had to try it. I made the Cherry/Almond version and the scones were wonderful. I added a touch more almond extract than the recipe called for to suit our tastes. It takes minimum time and the product is light and flakey. I'm looking forward to trying all of the variations. Great recipe!

I will never buy a coffee house scone again! Everyone in my family loved them. I used dried cherries in my first batch and brown sugar and pecans in my second. Moist and yummy!!!

Yum! I can't eat gluten and I was able to use this recipe with Better Batter All Purpose Gluten Free Flour. I used the gluten free flour cup for cup. I did add 1/4 cup milk for a bit more moisture, and a tsp of vanilla, Goodness! They looked and tasted just like regular ol' scones. My gluten eating husband enjoyed them just as much as I did. Thanks for the great basic recipe!