Scones: Rock hard = Bad (unless discussing abs)

Photo: Quyen's Blueberry Buttermilk Scones with Lemon Zest

This morning we had some friends visiting, so I decided to make some scones (plus I just bought some dried blueberries and wanted to use them.) Any excuse, really, to bake. Seriously, though, by the time your oven is fully preheated, your scones are ready to go in.

With quick breads, scones, biscuits, etc. it's more about technique than anything else, and that mainly entails NOT overmixing. Overmixing is for bread and pizza dough, where you actually want to develop the gluten in the flour. I know it's tantalizing handling that biscuit dough, but REFRAIN from TOUCHING. Make yourself some playdough and play with that, but RESIST the URGE to touch. You can look all you want, but don't touch. Just imagine me standing there with a wooden spoon smacking you...yeah, that's right, a little harder...what? No! Bad touch! Bad touch!

Moving on, whether you're making biscuits, scones, zucchini bread, pancakes, or other delicate treats, always stop mixing a couple beats before you think it's fully mixed. Make sure all your ingredients are COLD for scones and biscuits (room temperature for cakes, but that's another topic), and work with your fingertips quickly. And of course, your oven should be completely preheated.

Not to brag or anything, but I actually had to WAIT for my oven to preheat because I made the scones so damn fast.

Wish you could have a bite,
Quyen

PS Scones shouldn't be rock hard. They should be flaky, delicate, and moist. It's all in the hands, baby. You haven't had a good scone unless you've made them yourself (or I've made them for you, and trust me, mine are gooooooood.)