Sometimes it is good to go back to the beginning.
On a library visit eight-year old Marianne scribbled down on a little piece of paper a scones recipe that she found in a children's cookbook. Two decades later I still have this tiny piece of paper which has grease spots and is wrinkled. It seems like it was only yesterday that I was standing in the corner next to a book shelf and asking my mom if she had a pen and a piece of paper, so I could copy a scones recipe. The only paper that my mom found in her bag was a receipt from a bakery which she handed to me and I wrote down the recipe on the back of this receipt.
I also have very vivid memories making the scones for the first time and the moment eating my homemade scones. From that moment on I made these scones at least once a week and over time I altered the recipe a little bit. Over the years - while I was trying out more and more new recipes - I was making these scones less and less and some day I stopped making these scones and forgot about my scones recipe.







Last year, two decades later, I made my scones recipe again and I was transported back to my childhood. The taste, the texture, the smell, the atmosphere: everything was right there in front of me. I was shocked;  I did not expect this at all. It was truly a Proustian moment.
Now I made it a tradition again and make these scones once a week and I am always looking forward to the moment when I take a bite from a freshly baked scones. It truly feels wonderful to go back to the beginning of my passion for baking.

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I like my scones best when they are still warm and the caramelized sugar top of the scones are still very crunchy. I also like to serve the scones with homemade rhubarb strawberry jam and crème double. Or just plain, in particular when making petite scones with a cup of tea, of course.
You can also make these scones vegan. I tried it out and to my surprise I was quite impressed by the result. The vegan version tastes slightly different but not in a bad way. Replace the milk with unsweetened almond milk. Try to use a plant based butter and almond milk that is not full of additives which, unfortunately, are often the case.
I hope you will like these scrumptious scones as much as I do. It is such a simple recipe - it does not take longer than 30 minutes, including baking time - with basic ingredients that you probably have on hand and you do not need any fancy kitchen equipment. So simple, easy, delicious and comforting. Enjoy. 





Makes 6 or 12 petite scones

INGREDIENTS

• 225 g / 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 pinch of salt
• 25 g / 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 50 g / 1/2 stick unsalted butter (or plant based butter)
• 120 ml / 1/2 cup whole milk (or unsweetened almond milk)
• 50 g / 1/3 cup raisins, dried cherries or cranberries
• 1 tablespoon milk (or unsweetened almond milk)
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat the oven to 200 °C / 390 °F.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Mix flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a big bowl. Add butter and rub the butter into the flour mixture, use your fingertips, until it resembles bread crumbs.
• Add dried fruits and milk and mix until ingredients forms together. It is important that you do not overmix the dough.
• Transfer the dough to a well-floured surface. Form the dough to a disc, 15 cm / 6 inches in diameter, cut into half and cut each half into three wedges. For the petite scones: divide the dough and form each dough to a disc, 8 cm / 3 inches in diameter. Then cut into half and cut each half into three wedges.
• Place the scones onto baking sheet.
• Brush the scones with milk and sprinkle with brown sugar.
• Bake scones for 10-12 minutes.