Reading: buttery scones + london calling

buttery scones + london calling

Buttery scones made with Finlandia butter

So we’ve had big happenings in our lives lately, and I figured the best way to announce it is with a recipe for buttery scones: we’re moving to London!

This move has actually been in the works for months. The hubby’s work is transferring him there, and so we decided that moving overseas and living in England would be a grand adventure for everyone. For the last several months, I’ve been embarking on an epic adventure of my own, purging our American-sized, gigantic house into (more) meager belongings fit for a flat (!) in central London.

To commemorate the occasion, before our movers arrived I made these buttery scones with creamy Finlandia butter.

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Buttery scones made with Finlandia butter

I recently discovered Finlandia butter, an all-natural and hormone-free butter with an incredible flavor. Imported from Finland, Finlandia Butter is rich and creamy, made from pure, hormone-free milk, which comes from happy cows that live on family-owned farms in Finland. No hidden chemicals, no factory farms—just pure, creamy goodness perfect for making the most buttery English scones.

Buttery scones made with Finlandia butter

Scones are actually an incredibly easy breakfast bread to make, so much so that I’ve actually made a star-shaped version with my kids before. There’s no time needed for rising unlike yeast-based breads, which can be finicky depending on humidity, the flour, the quality of your yeast, and the alignment of the moons. Since I really wanted to feature the creaminess of Finlandia butter, I found this Epicurious buttery scone recipe to be just what the doctor ordered.

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In the meantime, this is what our house looks like now. Empty. I’m much sadder than I thought I would be. This isn’t our first move, and it won’t be our last, but this house has felt the most like home for us. We bought this house with the hope that our kids will grow up in it for at least part of their childhood, and we’ve been overjoyed to discover a tribe in our neighborhood. The other day, one of the other kids told Ge Ge that she would make friends for him at the elementary school they were both due to start at in the fall.

“That way,” she said, “when you get back you’ll already have your new friends.”

AGH. My heart. I’m sure that once we arrive in London we’ll have a whole new world of fun in front of us. But for now, we need to mourn a little and say goodbye. We’re going to miss being here.

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buttery scones

Time40

CourseBreakfast

CuisineBritish

Servings8

Inspired by this recipe from Epicurious

Ingredients

1 cup cold milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
7 ounces cold unsalted Finlandia butter (divided)
1/2 cup raisins
Flaky sea salt (for sprinkling)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicon mat or parchment paper.
Whisk milk, sugar, and kosher salt in a medium bowl until sugar and salt dissolve. Whisk flour and baking powder in a large bowl. Cut 10 Tbsp. butter into 1/2″ cubes, add to flour mixture, and blend with your fingertips until pea-size pieces form with some larger chunks remaining.
Add milk mixture and stir with a fork until large clumps form. Gently knead in the bowl until dough just comes together. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface.
With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out dough to a 14×8″ rectangle, with long side facing you. Heat 2 Tbsp. butter in a small, microwave-proof bowl in the microwave until softened but not melted, about 20 seconds. Spread evenly over dough with fingertips, then sprinkle currants evenly on top and press to adhere. Fold up bottom third of dough over center, then fold down top third to meet bottom edge, as if folding a letter. Fold in half crosswise, then, using a rolling pin, gently flatten into an 8×4″ rectangle.
Cut dough in half lengthwise and in quarters crosswise to form 8 even squares. Transfer to prepared pan, spacing 2″ apart. Sprinkle tops lightly with flaky sea salt.
Bake until scones are golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Meanwhile, melt remaining 2 Tbsp. butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat (or microwave in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds or so). When butter bubbles, remove from heat and skim off foam from surface. As soon as the scones come out of the oven, lightly brush tops with clarified butter, leaving behind white solids in bottom of saucepan. Cool scones on sheet on a wire rack and serve hot, warm, or room temperature.

Print Recipe

Disclosure: I received Finlandia products to sample in connection with preparing this post, but I was not otherwise paid or compensated. Thanks, Finlandia!