Makes 20 scones
- Active time:25 min
- Start to finish:1 hr
Drop scones are a boon for busy holiday bakers, since they're a snap to make and almost foolproof. These bake up light and fluffy. A touch of maple syrup and pieces of fig make them just sweet enough—deal for breakfast or an afternoon snack.
December 2006
-
3/4
cup
well-shaken buttermilk
-
1/4
cup
pure maple syrup
-
1/2
cup
plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
-
3 1/2
cups
all-purpose flour
-
3/4
cup
sugar
-
1
teaspoon
salt
-
1
teaspoon
baking powder
-
1
teaspoon
baking soda
-
2
sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
-
1/2
lb
dried Calmyrna figs, stems discarded and figs cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
-
2
large egg yolks
-
Special equipment:
parchment paper
-
Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 400°F.
-
Whisk together buttermilk, syrup, and 1/2 cup cream in a small bowl. Mix together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment at low speed (or whisk in a large bowl) until combined. Add butter and mix (or blend with your fingertips or a pastry blender) until mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Mix in figs, then add buttermilk mixture and mix until just combined. (Do not overmix.)
-
Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper and drop 10 (1/4-cup) mounds of batter onto each sheet, leaving 1 inch between mounds.
-
Whisk together yolks and remaining 2 tablespoons cream, then brush over tops of scones (use all of egg wash).
-
Bake, switching position of baking sheets halfway through baking, until scones are puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes total. Transfer to a rack and cool to warm.
Cooks note: - Scones are best eaten the day they're made.