Butterscotch Drop Scones

I am not a fan of the butterscotch morsel. In fact, with the exception of South Pole Cookies (that really are delicious, you should definitely try them), I find no other agreeable uses for them. This is why I found it most unusual that I had not one, but two full packages of them in the cabinet.  Unbeknownst to me, one had developed a small split, causing the morsels to shower down on me, and bounce off the top of my startled head when I reached for the oatmeal this morning. That was it, I said to myself (well, that is not exactly what I said, but you get my drift), they have to go!  Not being one to waste a thing, I sought to find a recipe that I thought I might enjoy. Thank goodness for epicurious.com. I plugged in my search term and up popped a recipe for Butterscotch Drop Scones that originally appeared in an October 2004 issue of Bon Appétit. The reviews were stellar, so I thought I'd give them a try.

As with all scones, I make them in the food processor. I find I get a far better crumb doing it using this method than trying to mix things together with my hot little hands. I mixed the first four ingredients in the processor until blended, then pulsed in the butter until coarse crumbs formed. I turned this into a large bowl and stirred in the morsels, and then the egg/cream mixture. I found that I needed about 2-3 Tablespoons more cream than the recipe called for. The mixture seemed rather crumbly and heavy, but I persevered, dropping them with a clunk onto a Silpat, then brushing lightly with cream, and sprinkling with a bit of sanding sugar. The cookie sheet seemed to weigh a ton as I slid it into the oven, and I was convinced that this was a total waste of my time and ingredients. Boy, was I wrong. They may not be the prettiest scones I've ever made, but they were so good as to be addicting. Am I ever glad I have more of those butterscotch morsels in the cabinet. I'll be making these again!

Butterscotch Drop Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, diced
1 cup butterscotch chips (about 6 ounces)
1/2 cup (or more) chilled whipping cream
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 400°F. Sift all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Add chilled butter; using fingertips, rub in until coarse meal forms. Mix in chips. Whisk 1/2 cup cream and egg in small bowl to blend. Gradually add cream mixture to dry ingredients, tossing with fork until dough comes together in moist clumps. Add more cream by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls onto large rimmed baking sheet, spacing apart. Bake scones until golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This post is linked to:

Be Inspired Friday

Foodie Friday

Sweets for a Saturday

Sugar and Spice

Sunday Sweeties