Flakey scones and biscuits don’t have to be hard. The key to layers and layers of buttery, flakey deliciousness is very cold butter and a good way to incorporate it into your other ingredients without melting it. I’ve used various methods before, including a food processor, pastry cutter, chopping butter and then cutting it in with a fork. It all works, but the most tender scones and biscuits I’ve made use something different—frozen butter and a box grater. Stick your butter in the freezer, grate it like you would cheese, then gently work it into your flour mixture. You end up with a dough that has little bits of visible butter all throughout. Little bits of visible butter that will melt, steam, and then puff those scones up into layers and layers of goodness.
- For the Scones:
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ⅓ cup heavy cream or half and half
- 1 vanilla bean (will use half for scones and half for glaze)
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 6 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, very cold
- For the Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoon milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line two large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a medium sized bowl, beat together cream cheese and cream. Split the vanilla been in half lengthwise. Using a knife, scrape out the seeds from one half of the vanilla bean and add to the creamed mixture. Add egg and vanilla extract and beat until well combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a box grater with a small grate, grate the frozen butter into the flour (just like you would grate cheese). Using a fork or your fingers, combine the grated butter with the flour mixture until it is a coarse consistency. There should be some visible chunks of butter still.
- Pour previously prepared wet ingredients over the butter/flour mixture. Gently stir together until a dough begins to form. Try not to overwork it. Dump onto a lightly floured surface, kneading to form together. Roll into a large rectangle about 1-1.5 inch thick. Using a sharp knife, cut the rectangle into approximate 2-3 inch squares, then cut each square into 4 triangles by cutting from corner to corner. Arrange triangles onto baking pans, leaving a little space in between.
- Place in a preheated oven and bake for about 8-10 minutes, until set and starting to brown slightly on bottoms/edges. Remove from oven and let cool.
- While scones cool, make the glaze. Stir together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Scrape vanilla bean seeds out of the unused half of the vanilla bean from above. Add to glaze mixture and stir until combined. Spoon glaze over warm (but not hot) scones. Let cool completely and serve.
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