Fig-Vanilla Buttermilk Scones

Golden, craggy and tall, not too sweet, flavored with figs and vanilla, these buttermilk scones are a tasty mash-up of the American and British cousins. It has been one of those frenetic weeks around here, things happening all at once, having to run from one end of town to the other–all because of technology failure and the [broken] promises of the experts who assured us they would be able to fix what needed fixing. Then my husband thought he lost his new phone and in the 16 hours that passed between realizing it was lost then finding it tucked between the passenger seat and center console of our car, we spent a total of four hours on the phone with the wireless company, followed by a fruitless visit to their brick and mortar store to restore his service. And then there was a last-minute trip to book and the delivery of a young oak tree that came in the wrong size but replete with a three-man and two-truck entourage anyway. All first-world problems, yes, but a Friday morning free of the rest of the week’s chaos was a welcome change…never mind that our old cat climbed onto our bed and was in our faces at six am demanding his breakfast. I decided that my husband and I deserved a morning treat, too, so I popped a few frozen scones that I had baked earlier this week into the oven to break from our oatmeal routine. Do you have a favorite type of scone? Are you strictly British or American-style? I consider myself an equal opportunity scone lover and regard both versions with equal affection, though they can be pretty different (there’s even debate about their pronunciation).

British Scones vs American Scones

British scones are more like American biscuits–light, fluffy, not too sweet and, apart from the occasional addition of currants, are traditionally baked without add-ons. They’re not a breakfast food but rather an accompaniment to afternoon tea and served with clotted cream and jam. And they’re round. American Scones tend to be denser, much sweeter, larger, are often embellished with various flavor combinations and/or topped with sugar or glaze. Unlike their British cousins they are meant to be eaten on their own and are typically cut in wedges rather than rounds. I’ve been lucky to have great scones in London but truthfully, my experience with store-bought scones here at home has mostly been disappointing. They’re either too sweet, too dense, too dry and heavy. I’ve tasted some great ones over the years but I don’t come across them very often. My ideal scone is a blend of the two–a craggy, crispy top from a little sugar (sometimes glazed is okay too); it doesn’t need to be feather light, some heft is welcome but it needs to be flaky and most importantly, it can’t be too sweet. I’ll never turn down a plain scone but it’s also fun creating seasonal flavor combinations. I’ve shared some of my favorite scone recipes on this blog over the years but there’s always a part of me that wonders if the best scone experience is still out there waiting to be discovered. These Fig-Vanilla Buttermilk scones might just become my go-to for a while because they have the best qualities of both British and American scones in one. They’ve got a lot of lift, a crispy top, are flaky and studded with dried figs with flecks of vanilla. They are perfect right out of the oven but are equally enjoyable lightly toasted a few days later. The base recipe is from Tartine Bakery with some modifications for the flavor combination I wanted to use but the flour, fat and liquid proportions are spot on for the texture I’m after in a scone. I also elected to prepare the scones by hand, in rounds rather than wedges, halved the recipe and it worked wonderfully. I could have kicked myself for letting this recipe sit on my bookshelf for years without bothering to try it until this week. I’ve got some lost time to make up, for sure. If you’re a scone newbie here are a few useful tips to help you get great scones every time, no matter if you prefer the British or American version.

Scone Baking Tips

1. Keep the butter and liquid chilled
2. Minimal work on or kneading of the dough is key
3. Brush only the tops of the scones with milk or other liquid and not the sides. If you brush the sides this keeps the scones from getting good lift while baking.
4. When pressing the dough together it helps to fold the dough once or twice over itself to form layers
5. If using a cutter, don’t twist it. Just press the cutter into the dough and lift up the cut piece. Twisting the cutter creates a seal on the sides that prevents a good rise.

Here are More Scone Recipes from the Archives

1. Fresh Cherry-Almond Scones
2. Chocolate-Coconut Scones
3. Persimmon Scones
4. Sourdough Scones with Coconut and Chocolate
5. Pumpkin-Cheddar Scones
6. Ham, Cheese and Chive Spelt Scones
7. Vanilla Scones
8. Cranberry-Cinnamon Scones