Cream Scones

While most scones are made with cream, the secret to this version is whipping the cream to soft peaks before folding it with the dry ingredients. The air trapped in the cream helps the scones rise, making them extra soft and light. Brushing the scones with a little extra cream and sprinkling them with sugar adds crunch and makes the tops sparkle a bit. If you prefer to skip that step, you’ll get more rustic-looking but equally tasty scones.

• 1 cup plus 2 tsp. chilled heavy cream
• 10-5/8 oz. (2-1/3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more as needed
• 3 Tbs. granulated sugar
• 1 Tbs. baking powder (preferably aluminum-free)
• 3/8 tsp. fine sea salt or table salt
• 5 oz. (10 Tbs.) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. honey
• 1 Tbs. turbinado sugar (such as Sugar in the Raw) or granulated sugar

Chill a medium metal mixing bowl and the beaters of an electric hand mixer (or the bowl and whisk attachment of a stand mixer) in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment.

Beat 1 cup of the cream in the chilled bowl on medium-high speed just until soft peaks form, 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 minutes; refrigerate while you mix the other ingredients.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and toss with your fingers to coat. Press the butter between your fingers to form very thin flakes, tossing them back in the flour mixture between passes until all of the butter is pressed into dime-size flakes.

Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the whipped cream and honey. Use a silicone spatula to fold the ingredients together until incorporated.

Lightly knead the dough in the bowl just until it holds together. Turn it out onto a lightly floured counter. Gently knead it a few more times, then transfer it to a 9-inch cake pan lined with plastic wrap and pat it into a flat disk (or shape it by hand on a cutting board into a 9 x 3/4-inch disk). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

If the dough was shaped in a cake pan, invert it onto a cutting board. Remove the plastic.

With a sharp knife, cut the dough into 8 even wedges. Arrange the wedges 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Brush the scones with the remaining 2 tsp. cream and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.

Bake the scones until lightly browned on top, 15 to 20 minutes.

Spread an unscented, lint-free linen or cotton towel on a large wire rack and put the baked scones on top. Fold the towel over loosely and allow the scones to cool until warm or at room temperature before serving.