Unexpected guests; do not panic!

That’s my first piece of advice.

My second is: Always keep self rising flour and low-fat (2%) evaporated milk on hand. If you do, homemade scones are only 20 minutes away from emerging hot and crusty from your oven. Think:

• Cranberry Eggnog Scones
• Double Chocolate Scones
• Rosemary Herb Scones
• Cheddar Cheese Scones 
• Cornmeal Cracked Pepper Scones

The original recipe for Paisley’s Whipping Cream Biscuits in Relish magazine; it’s just self-raising flour plus cream. That’s it!

I’ve made all the above versions and since I usually add at least one additional ingredient, I call them 3-Ingredient Scones.

Why are they biscuits instead of scones? Because I’ve never had good luck rolling them out and cutting with a biscuit cutter as the original recipe suggests. The dough is just too sticky. Instead, I just plop the big blob of dough onto parchment paper, spread it into a 10-inch round, and score  into eight scone wedges with a serrated knife. Here are the basic ingredients for the five new scone flavors:

• Cranberry Eggnog Scones: Self-rising flour + eggnog + nutmeg + dried cranberries
• Triple Chocolate Scones: Self-rising flour + whole chocolate milk + 1 tablespoon cocoa powder + chocolate chips + turbinado sugar sprinkled on top
• Rosemary Herb Scones: Self-rising flour + 2% evaporated milk + 1/2 tsp dried/fresh rosemary + 1/2 tsp thyme
• Cheddar Cheese Scones: Self-rising flour + 2% evaporated milk + 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• Cornmeal Cracked Pepper Scones: Self-rising flour + 2% evaporated milk + 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper + shredded Parmesan cheese on top; bake on stone-ground cornmeal dusted parchment paper

These recipes are interchangeable too; for example, the Rosemary Herb Scones could be doctored to include the black pepper and the shredded Parmesan from the Cornmeal Cracked Pepper Scones. Oh, and one more thing, you might need this if you find yourself without self-rising flour:

How to Make Self-Rising Flour:  For each cup of all-purpose flour, add 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

Cranberry Eggnog Scones

Just 3 ingredients combine to make scopes in just 20 minutes from the oven: Self-rising flour, evaporated milk, and turbinado sugar for dusting.

• Author: by Serena Ball, RD
• Yield: 8 scones 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup + 2 teaspoons eggnog (I didn’t use low-fat, but you probably could, just NOT fat-free)
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• Optional:
• 1 teaspoon turbinado sugar for sprinkling on top
• 1 teaspoon cornmeal for spreading on parchment

Instructions

1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour and nutmeg. Pour in 1 cup eggnog and mix gently with a fork just until incorporated. Fold in cranberries.
3. Dust parchment paper with cornmeal if desired.
4. Scoop sticky dough onto cornmeal dusted parchment paper. Spread into 10-inch round. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar if desired. Brush with 2 teaspoons eggnog. Spray the blade of a serrated knife with cooking spray and score the dough into 8 wedges.
5. Bake for 20 minutes until top is beginning to turn golden. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to wire rack. Cut into 8 wedges.

Now, please enjoy your guests (and impress the heck out of them) with freshly baked scones.

What do you prepare for last minute guests? Please share…we all need a little help this time of year!