I swear, if my head weren’t attached to my shoulders, I would have certainly misplaced it this weekend. I don’t know what’s gotten into me, but I just can’t seem to follow a straight lines these days.
Somehow, I did manage a coherent 45 minutes to bang out these incredible Sour Cream Scones. Easy, soft and buttery. They’re perfect warm from the oven with jam… but what isn’t?
I ate four without blinking an eye on Saturday morning. You could say I love them. And because I share, and because you indulge me, here are a few other things I love, dictated in picture form.
First, scones. Focus, Joy. Focus.
Sour Cream Scones
a la Paula Dean
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 Tablespoons chilled butter, cut into cubes
1 cup sour cream
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar in the raw
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Add the cubed butter until a coarse meal forms. Pulse in the sour cream and egg yolk until just combined.
Turn the sticky dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough comes together into a ball. Gently pat the dough down into a 3/4 inch thick square shape. With a large knife cut the dough square into 4 smaller, equal squares. Then cut each smaller square diagonally, with an X, making 4 smaller triangles. I made 9 larger square scones.
Transfer the 16 triangles onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush the tops of each scone with heavy cream and sprinkle it with some sugar in the raw. This will create a shiny and crunchy top for the scones. Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes until the bottoms of the scones are light brown.
Remove from oven, cool slightly on the sheet pan and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Now… things I love.
I love these reusable shopping bags by Baggu. They come in a handy pouch, so you can throw them in your purse and always have a shopping bag when you need one. Save the world. Use the bag.
I love my stove away from stove in Oakland.
Raise your hand if you love sprinkles.
I love me some Lyle Lovett. Look at that face. Seriously. Melt your heart right out. And he also happens to be one mighty fine musician. Listen and swoon.
Well, thanks for indulging me. Really.
{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }
random sprinkles story. . . way back in the mid-nineties, a neighbor told me a sprinkles tale that still makes me shake my head to this day.
Her friend back in the late 80s had a job at an ice cream shop. One day an African-American customer asked for colored sprinkles. . . .and she covered his ice cream in chocolate, not rainbow ones. . . .Needless to say, it did not go over well with the customer.
Yes, what isn’t good with jam!
Scones look mighty good.
OH. MY. LYLE. Yes, isn’t he the most amazingly wonderful best? When he married Julia Roberts, while everyone was asking why would SHE marry HIM, I was asking the opposite. Nothing against her, but he is just a mighty man of substance and grace and talent. I saw him perform live at the Backyard, outside Austin, and he was incredible.
Also, I love sprinkles too. :)
I think it is you who is indulging us with your recipes and stories. Thanks!
I love sprinkles – on ice cream, cereal, yogurt, plain. The problem is that here in northern Calif., they are almost impossible to find unless you’re willing to spend a small fortune for a little, itty bitty bottle. My sister sends sprinkles with every package she ships to me from New York. Her local grocery store chain sells them in large containers in festive colors that coordinate with holidays. How fun is that??
No doubt about it, you’re the one that’s indulging us! Love your writing, and the scones look great!
Hey Joy – If you don’t have a food processor can you do this in a blender or with an electric hand mixer? Help!? Thanks.
Hi Rebecca. If you don’t have a food processor, make these scones by hand. Just cute the butter into cubes, work it into the dough with a pastry cutter, or your fingers until the flour resembles course meal (you’ll also still have some pea sized chunks of butter), return to the fridge to chill for a few minutes, then add the sour cream and egg yolk, using a wooden spoon to work it all together. Let me know if you have any more questions!
a few things: 1) joy, i am so delighted to have found your blog; so lovely 2)that random sprinkles story above had my eyes bulging out of my head–so crazy, and 3)sprinkles just plain make the world a happier place. :)
I love recipes like this–more or less ordinary tasting scones. That’s how scones should be. They sound fantastic with jam. Reusable shopping bags that go into a pouch are of my favorite things… I own too many of them.
Potaaaato potahhhhto….on the right coat they’re called jimmies. Either way they make everything bright and happy. The scones look to-die-for. Thanks for the brilliant start of the day, Joy!
I, too, love your stove away from stove . . . though I’ve never met it. I know we’d get along famously. For years now I’ve been playing on a piece of $hit compact I-live-in-a-studio-model gas stove/oven. Though it has 4 burners, I can only use 2 or 3 at a time, unless I’m using really small cooking vessels . . . because the burners are so close together. The tiny oven sucks too. When I moved into the place, I had to buy new little baking sheets b/c a half-sheet pan won’t fit. At least it’s gas powered . . . that’s all the poor thing has going for it. I dream of the day I live with a full-size gas stove. And I covet your stove away from stove!
I have always wanted to make scones. I just may have to try this one. I am sending a friend of mine a package of goodies to celebrate the new tattoo shop that he helped open. I just may include these.
Thanks!
I also love sprinkles too, I have bottles and bottles of them hehe
I agree with food rockz man. I love your stove away from stove. My home stove is currently an okay ceramic top, but once you go gas, you never really go back- I miss the gas stoves I have lived with, tho at least I get to see one at work everyday.
The scones look delicious- bet they’d make some wicked lazy cinnamon buns.
I love scones too! Dorie’s are my favorite, I will have to try these though. I loved reading your post. Thanks!
I have bought more sprinkles since I found your blog. You are too funny!
Love the Baggu!! I always find myself leaving the supermarket debating on whether or not to sacrifice my hands and arms to carry home the groceries or to fork over the extra $5 for delivery service. This seem like a great solution. The scones look so yummy as well! Thanks!
Raising hand for those sprinkles. And those scones? Raising hands for those too! Yummy sounding.
They’re perfect warm from the oven with jam… but what isn’t? – so true!
Those scones look delicious. And I’m such a huge fan of sprinkles! I just got some new “barnyard” sprinkles.
I’ve had some of those days (often weeks) where you can’t think in a straight line. I’m impressed you managed to bake with that. It looks delicious.
That stove looks amazing…much better than my little apartment one!
Freshly made scones still warm from the oven are so good! They do tend top disappear quite quickly though.
These sound soo good. Sour cream Scones warm from the oven with Jam. Im salivating.
I refuse to believe those scones could possibly be as good as they look. Is it your freaking camera?!
Beautiful scones! I love the sparkly sugar on top. And your favorite things are all excellent! Love your blog.
i have never seen those shopping bags in australia, but i know i would love them, too! i am a huge sprinkles fan–they make even a screwed up cake look happy and fun!
These scones look amazing! Looks like a fun variation on the classic scone!
I heart Lyle Lovett too (actually my ex-husband even looked remarkably similar).
OH MY GOD LYLE!! You have no idea how happy it makes me that you are a fan of his. The man is a true genius. He does melt my heart ;)