I’m in mourning … over the end of the Olympics and the start of school. So to make myself feel better, I made these “Back to School Scones.” They’re a taste of England and they “say love” to the two big kids that left the house this morning in the rain. They loved them and requested them weekly. Glad to … as long as they keep getting up on time 😉

Last night the 4 of us chatted about our “sweet moments of the summer,” including times like eating scones together in England. When I was feeling sad, the kids reminded me of Dr. Seuss’ words, quoted by Olympian Michael Phelps, “Don’t be sad because it’s over. Be happy that it happened.”

I made a chocolate chip version and a dried blueberry version of this slightly sweet, very light scone. You mix in any “add-ins” you want right after you stir in the wet ingredients. This is based on a recipe at Allrecipes.com, but I found the original way too sticky & with a completely wrong bake time, so I’m giving you my version with a handful of adjustments to make the most awesome scone.

Back to School Scones

• 3 c. + 2 T. flour
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 5 t. baking powder (yes, it’s a lot, but it will be so light)
• 1/2 t. salt (I use Salt Sense)
• 3/4 c. butter (works best at room temp)
• 1 egg
• 1 c. half n half (+ a little more to brush on top)
• raw sugar to sprinkle on top
• 1/4 c. of dried fruit, chocolate chips, nuts, or a combo (optional – fruit is traditional, especially raisins)

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the dry ingredients. Use a pastry cutter or 2 knives to cut the butter into the dry mix, until it’s in pea-sized pieces. In a bowl, mix the egg and half n half together, then stir it into the dry mixture. Don’t overstir it; your scones will be tough if you do. (What IS a tough scone??)

If it still seems sticky, add in 1 T. flour at a time until it’s smooth. NOW stir in something yummy like dried blueberries or chocolate chips. On a floured surface you should knead the dough just a little (Again, over-kneading will = tough scone).
Pat the dough into a circle 1/2 inch thick and place it on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. Use a pizza roller to gently cut it into 8-10 wedges. Brush the tops with a little half n half, and sprinkle raw sugar over the top. Bake it for 25 minutes.

These are heavenly fresh out of the oven with butter, jam, or cream. If you want to save them for another school morning, wrap individually in clear plastic, and freeze them all in a ziploc bag. Heat them up on a day when your future Olympian needs a breakfast of champions …. or at least a taste of love.