Utah Buttermilk Scones with Raspberry Honey Butter

If you’re from most places around the country, a piece of fried dough is simply known as fry bread. But if you’re from Utah, fried dough is curiously known as scones. We’re not talking the biscuit-like textured ones you’d find in England. These scones are light and fluffy — a perfectly puffed-up pillow of dough, drenched in honey butter, maple syrup or jam, or sprinkled with powdered sugar. 

What do these scones have to do with Utah? Well, these little pieces of fried, delicious wonder, are also nicknamed “Mormon scones.” For those of you not up to par on your Mormon history, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (nicknamed “Mormons”) is headquartered in Utah, and more than 2 million residents of the Beehive State are members of the “Mormon” religion. As for the term “Mormon scone,” one scholar who researched the topic believes it may come from the fact so many Mormon settlers were from the British isles. Those settlers simply “took a generic term for biscuit and applied it to breads that looked, smelled, felt, tasted or cooked up anything at all like the original British scone.”

Scones are so popular in Utah, there’s even a restaurant called Sconecutter that specializes in these delightful pieces of fried dough. But you don’t have to go to Utah to partake of these wonders. This recipe below is the one frequently served in our own home growing up and we’re happy to share the love… Enjoy! 

 

These scones taste like my childhood. We grew up in the suburbs of Salt Lake City and as with many Utah families, these were a frequent (and very welcomed) item at our breakfast table (and sometimes we had them for dinner). I prefer mine drenched in real maple syrup, but a close runner up is this raspberry honey butter. And it isn’t the same without this honey produced in Logan, Utah. Thank you Cox Honey for producing the best honey on the planet. This isn’t even an ad… I just really love their creamed honey.

These Utah scones with raspberry honey butter are the things my dreams are made of…

Buttermilk Scones

INGREDIENTS

1 quart buttermilk (warmed)

2 TBS yeast

2 TBS sugar

6 TBS shortening

2 eggs

3 TBS baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

6-8 cups flour

DIRECTIONS

Dissolve yeast in warm buttermilk. Then add all ingredients but flour. Once ingredients have been incorporated, stir in flour until consistency is still sticky to the touch but easy to roll.

Let rise about one hour until dough doubles.

Roll very thin, about 1/4″ thick, cut into squares/rectangles (a pizza cutter works well for this) and let stand 10-15 minutes.

Deep fry in canola oil until golden brown.

 

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Raspberry Honey Butter

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup red raspberry preserves (or seedless jam)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS

Beat butter until soft and fluffy; add honey and preserves while mixer is running. Add vanilla and beat several minutes until mixture is very well incorporated. Store refrigerated.