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:
- Preheat oven to 350f and set up baking trays with parchment paper or silicone baking mats
- In a large mixing bowl sift together the all purpose flour, baking powder, salt and granulated sugar
- Add in the cubed butter and then using your hands, “flake” the butter, think pie dough
- Don’t overmix the butter, you want to leave little chunks and flakes throughout the dough to promote tenderness and flavor
- 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
- Create a well in the center of your mix and add in the heavy cream and crème fraiche
- 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
- On a lightly floured bench, place your finished dough and roll it out to ¾” to 1” thick
- Using a knife or a round/square biscuit, cutter cut the dough to your desired shape
- Place onto your prepared baking trays
- Brush each scone with the ½ cup heavy cream and then sprinkle some sugar in the raw on top for a crunchy crust
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden brown, rotating your pans halfway through baking
- 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.