Scones: A brunch make-ahead

It’s almost Easter. Are you planning a big get-together?

Scones are a perfect addition to coffee and tea or a full-on brunch. Easy to make, low in calories (at least before the pats of butter are slathered on) and deliciously filling, scones can be made in just about any flavor combination you want. They take very little time to make and bake. You don’t even need a rolling pin, yeast or a long rising time. You can even make them in advance and reheat them from the freezer, leaving plenty of time for an Easter egg hunt. Here are a few of my favorites to try.

Simple sweet scones

This basic recipe, which has only six ingredients, can be “customized” by adding lemon peel and juice or lavender (directions follow). Recipe from “Biscuits and Scones” by Elizabeth Alston; makes 12 to 16 scones.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter cut up

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 425 F. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt; stir well. Add butter and cut in with a pastry blender or rub in with your fingers until mixture looks like fine granules. Add sugar; toss to mix. Add milk; stir with a fork until soft dough forms. Shape dough into a ball, put on a lightly floured board, and knead 10 to 12 times. Cut dough in half; knead each half lightly into a ball and turn smooth side up. Pat or roll each ball into a 6-inch circle. Cut each circle into six or eight wedges. Place wedges on an ungreased cookie sheet (slightly apart) and bake about 10-12 minutes or until medium brown on top. Put a linen or cotton dish towel on a wire rack; put scones on top and cover loosely with the cloth to cool a bit before serving.

Lemon Scones: Add a tablespoon of freshly grated lemon peel to flour mixture. In a small bowl, mix 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice with 2 tablespoons sugar; top each scone with 1/4 teaspoon before baking. Lavender Scones: In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring milk and a tablespoon dried lavender flowers just to a boil. Cool to lukewarm; strain into a measuring cup and add more milk if needed to measure 2/3 cup. Substitute for the liquid in the basic scone recipe above.

Coriander-orange scones

Buy your coriander seeds whole and grind them in a spice mill or blender just before using. Recipe from “The Herbfarm Cookbook” by Jerry Traunfeld; makes 12 scones.

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon fresh ground dried coriander seeds (not toasted)

5 tablespoons sugar, plus 2 teaspoons for topping

Finely chopped zest of one orange

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, slightly softened and cut into ½-inch cubes

3/4 cup dried currants or raisins

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk

Egg wash (1 large egg mixed with 1 tablespoon milk)

Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a medium mixing bowl. Stir in coriander, 5 tablespoons sugar and orange zest. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the largest pieces are smaller than a pea. Stir in currants; add milk and stir until a firm dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide in half and dust with a little flour. Pat each piece into a circle 6 inches in diameter and ¾ inch thick. Cut each circle into six wedges with a large knife. Transfer scones to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing 1 inch apart. (Cover and refrigerate overnight at this point, or wrap individually and freeze until ready to bake.) Brush scones with the egg wash; sprinkle with additional sugar. Bake in preheated 425 degree oven until scones are a deep golden brown, 16 to 18 minutes. Lift one to check that the underside is browned before removing from oven. Transfer to a cooling rack. Serve warm.

Whole wheat scones with raisins or dried cranberries

Because my sister sends me a large bag of dried Montmorency cherries at Christmastime, I sometimes use dried cherries instead or the raisins or cranberries; it’s all good! This dough can be made in large batches, cut out and frozen for weeks. Recipe from “Breakfast in Bed” by Jesse Ziff Cool; makes 24 scones.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

5 cups unbleached white flour

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries

1/4 cup sugar

3 eggs

2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly oil baking sheets. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; set aside. In a medium bowl, stir both flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda and raisins or dried cranberries. In a separate large bowl, beat sugar with the eggs and buttermilk. Add about two-thirds of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients; mix just until blended. Add melted butter and remainder of dry ingredients; mix lightly. Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead by flattening and folding dough about 10 times, until it no longer sticks. Let dough rest about five minutes, then roll or pat out to a thickness of about 1 1/2 inches. Cut into 2-inch rounds with a cookie cutter or glass. Place desired number of scones an inch apart on baking sheets; bake until lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Freeze remaining rounds in an airtight container. When ready to bake, place them on baking sheets, stand at room temperature for 10 minutes, then bake.