Friendship Scones

Many years ago, my kids received a Star Wars cookbook that came with tiny cookie cutters shaped like Yoda, Darth, and R2D2. Clone Scones was the favorite out of all of the recipes, so this stellar army of buttery goodness appeared at every sleepover. Warm homemade scones topped with marmalade or strawberry jam and a thick swipe of Irish butter were a special treat for kids.

I found the following recipe in an old cookbook and it has always turned out perfect scones. They are quick and easy to make! The sleepovers have stopped over time, so the new tradition is surprising my grownup friends with golden scones and a jar of jam or lemon curd, lightly covered with a bright napkin and tucked in a basket.

Friendship Scones

Recipe for 12

Gather: 

3 cups bleached all-purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter

¾ cup currants or other small, dried fruit (optional)

2 eggs

¾ cup milk

Egg wash: 1 egg well beaten with a pinch of salt

Baking stone (ideal) or cookie sheet (covered with baking parchment).

Do: 

1. Set the oven rack at the middle of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees.
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Cut the cold butter into 12 pieces and rub it evenly into the dry mixture until it has a cornmeal texture. (I use a pastry blender)
4. Add dried fruit, if desired.
5. Whisk the eggs and milk together and stir into the flour/butter mixture with a fork to form smooth dough.
6. Remove from the bowl to a floured surface and give it a light kneading 3 or 4 times.
7. Divide the dough into 3 pieces and pat to form thick, 5”-ish discs. Using a sharp knife, cut each disk into quarters, separating them on the stone or pan.
8. Apply egg wash to top and sides of each scone.
9. Bake the scones for 10-15 minutes, until they are golden and firm.

Serve with good butter, favorite jam or curd, and a pot of tea.

The featured image of friendship scones is courtesy of Annie Nardone and used with her kind permission for Cultivating and The Cultivating Project.

Annie Nardone

Annie Nardone is a bibliophile, author, and adventurer who seldom travels with a map because joy is discovered in the journey! Inspired byExodus 31:1-5, she believes that, like Bezalel, we are gifted by God with “ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship” to create as a reflection of our Creator God. Her sincere belief is in the reintegration of the arts with the Christian imagination, guiding people to train their eyes and minds to see holiness in everyday life.

She holds a MA in Cultural Apologetics from Houston Christian University, and is a Fellow with the C.S. Lewis Institute. Annie writes for Cultivating, Literary Life, and Clarendon House Books, and is a managing editor and writer for An Unexpected Journal. Annie collaborated on three books in 2022, published by Square Halo Books and The Rabbit Room. She recently designed a curriculum detailing the intersection of theology, the arts, and history and is a Master Teacher for HSLDA. She resides in Florida with her Middle Earth/Narnia/Hogwarts-loving family, and an assemblage of sphynx cats and feline foundlings.

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