I admit I was intimidated when I first read this recipe—so many bowls and utensils! If you don’t have a kitchen fairy to handle the dishes, that can feel overwhelming. Still, the scones from Magnolia Table are worth the fuss: they deliver a balance and texture I haven’t found in other recipes.
These scones strike the perfect note between biscuit and cake. They hold together well without feeling heavy—light and tender on the tongue, yet substantial enough to slice and enjoy with toppings. As a professionally trained chef, I’ve tried many scone recipes over the years, including one I used for a catering summer, and none came close to these. My only tweak might be to increase the orange juice slightly and reduce the lemon in the glaze for a brighter, more tart finish—I’ll probably try 2 tablespoons orange to 1 tablespoon lemon next time.
The original instructions separate dry ingredients, wet ingredients, and sugar with zest into three bowls. That kept me from trying the recipe for a while, so I adapted the method to save dishes. Start in a large bowl: combine the sugar and orange zest and work them together with a pastry blender. Add the dry ingredients to that bowl and blend with the pastry cutter. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
If you have just enough sour cream in the container, crack the egg into it and whisk until smooth, then add that mixture to the dry ingredients. Fold the dry into the wet rather than stirring the wet into the dry—this helps keep your fingers cleaner and brings the dough together more evenly. You will need to work the dough a bit to incorporate all the dry flour; aim to avoid overworking but be patient until it’s cohesive. Divide the dough in half, place each piece on a lightly floured surface, and flatten to form rounds.
They baked into beautiful scones. I managed the whole process with just two bowls, including the one used for the glaze, which made cleanup much easier than the recipe implied. After a brief five-minute rest, I transferred the scones to a plate and glazed them. They were irresistible straight away—I had to hide some so I could enjoy one with my morning coffee.
If you’ve hesitated because of the dishes, try the simplified approach: combine sugar and zest, add dry ingredients, cut in butter, then blend the sour cream and egg and fold everything together. Fewer bowls, same exceptional results. These scones are worth making on weekends for family or friends—or just to keep on hand for a special morning treat.
Until next time, happy cooking!
Kendell
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