Buttery Irish Scones
Amazing buttery, flaky scones from But First, Cookies!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup skim milk cold
- 1/4 cup half and half cold
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar white
- 1 tsp salt kosher or coarse sea salt
- 3 cups flour all purpose
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/4 cup butter unsalted
- 3 Tbsp demerara sugar
- 1/2 tsp sea salt coarse
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375, and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, half and half, granulated sugar, and 1 tsp salt until dissolved. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and 1 cup (two sticks) of the butter using a pastry cutter (or your hands). Continue to break up the butter until it is in mostly pea-sized bits.
- Pour the milk mixture over the flour and combine until dough sticks together. Turn out onto a floured surface.
- Roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 15" long and 8" high. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and use a basting brush to spread it across the dough surface. Because the dough is cold, the butter should firm up a bit on the surface.
- Fold the bottom half of the dough up to the middle, and then fold the top down over this- just like folding a letter to fit in a long, business size envelope. Fold the long rectangle in the middle to halve its length, and then fold it over again the same way.
- Gently roll the dough flat again, until it is a rectangle about 8" high and 4" wide. Use a sharp knife to cut vertically down the middle, diving the dough in half. Cut each of the two columns into four pieces, making a total of eight scones.
- Place the scones on the parchment paper and sprinkle liberally with demerara sugar, then lightly with the sea salt.
- Bake 20-25 minutes, or until edges are golden.
- While scones bake, clarify 4 tablespoons of butter on the stove. As soon as the scones come out of the oven, brush the tops with the butter and serve warm with topping of your choice.