I enjoy cooking from scratch and I have chronicled many of my kitchen adventures making cultured butter, pasta, ricotta cheese, and ice cream.  However, there are times when the convenience and ease of “semi-homemade” cooking results in something just as good, or even better.  Cooking from scratch tends to take longer and I don’t always have the time or the energy, especially after my long commute.  Also, once in a while, I get lucky and discover the perfect pre-packaged mix that is both delicious and easy to make.  Such is the case with King Arthur Flour Company’s pre-packaged scone mixes.  They come in a huge variety of flavors and convenient to make.  The mixes are a bit pricey at $7 each, but King Arthur Flour often offers discounts.

My favorite is the Cream Tea Scone Mix, which produces the best scones I have eaten on this side of the pond.  These scones are the closest to those I’ve had in London. Since I’ve discovered this mix, I am not going to even bother trying to figure out how to make my own.  I might be able to save a little money and maybe come close to the flavor of these scones, but for about $0.75/each (after adding the other ingredients), it’s very much worth it.

Daisy’s Semi-Homemade Cream Tea Scones
Yields about 12 scones

Ingredients:
1 box King Arthur Flour Cream Tea Scone Mix
1 large egg
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts
to taste, dried cranberries, raisins, or orange zest (optional)

Method:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line a sheet pan with parchment or Silpat liner.

In a big bowl, whisk the egg, cream, and vanilla extract together.  Add the mix and walnuts (and any other ingredient you choose) and mix until the dough is formed.

Place the dough on the kitchen counter and knead slightly to incorporate the all the flour into the dough.  Do not overwork the dough or the scones will be tough.

Shape the dough into an even square and cut rounds of dough using a biscuit cutter.  Alternatively, shape the dough into an 8” circle on the baking sheet and cut into wedges, separating them slightly.  Bake the scones for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown.  Serve with clotted cream, butter, and/or jam.

Even semi-homemade, these scones are fabulous with coffee for breakfast or with a pot of tea in the afternoon.