Plain Scone Base

Yield: 12 Scones

Ingredients:

  • 4 oz., cut in ¼” cubes unsalted butter, cold                                                      
  • 1 cup + ½ cup heavy cream                                                                           
  • 1 tbsp. baking powder                                                                                    
  • 3 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup crème fraiche
  • sugar in the raw, for dusting

Procedure:

  1. Preheat oven to 350f and set up baking trays with parchment paper or silicone baking mats
  2. In a large mixing bowl sift together the all purpose flour, baking powder, salt and granulated sugar
  3. Add in the cubed butter and then using your hands, “flake” the butter, think pie dough
  4. Don’t overmix the butter, you want to leave little chunks and flakes throughout the dough to promote tenderness and flavor
  5. At this point add in any inclusion you would like to flavor your scone with, the amount is up to you! add a little or add a lot
  6. Create a well in the center of your mix and add in the heavy cream and crème fraiche
  7. Mix in the cream and crème fraiche until the dough comes together, being careful not to overmix as this will cause the scone to be tough and chewy
  8. On a lightly floured bench, place your finished dough and roll it out to ¾” to 1” thick
  9. Using a knife or a round/square biscuit, cutter cut the dough to your desired shape
  10. Place onto your prepared baking trays
  11. Brush each scone with the ½ cup heavy cream and then sprinkle some sugar in the raw on top for a crunchy crust
  12. Bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden brown, rotating your pans halfway through baking
  13. Allow to cool slightly then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling

About Chef Matthew

While his name might be familiar to many as the Fan Favorite from Season 2 of Top Chef’s Just Desserts, it’s Matthew’s pastries that have garnered accolades while working at an eclectic mix of top restaurants: Morimoto in Philadelphia, DB Bistro in New York, and most recently at CityZen and Sou’Wester in DC’s Mandarin Oriental. But the rising star is a simple family man at heart: if he could have one last meal with anyone, it would be with his wife Laura; they’d make BLT’s on fresh ciabatta bread with arugula salad with chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches for dessert. They currently live in Bristol with their two daughters.