Nothing spells Christmas like eggnog and cinnamon spice. A warm scone by the fireplace, away from the blistering cold as you slowly sip your favourite cup of coffee… Who am I kidding; it’s Singapore and it’s 28°C (82°F) here. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I am starting to miss the snow! I’m waiting for the day it starts pouring heavily so I can wear my boots again, without looking absolutely bizarre. Because, obviously, I can’t find a better reason to wear my boots. #firstworldproblems.

Can you believe it’s almost Christmas again? I find myself having this annual revelation when the year is drawing to an end. Once again, this year has gone by even quicker than I realize. We will soon be entering 2015 and I can’t even recall the goals I had set out to achieve in 2014 yet. Oops..

Update: Okay, so I was not too satisfied with my first batch of scones. Because I felt like I had overworked the dough! I did not get the rough texture characteristic of a scone. Hence, being super anal, I decided to make a 2nd batch, with some adjustments to the recipe.

So what exactly makes the perfect scone? To me, it should have the rough exterior texture and a fluffy interior. The rough exterior is crispy when hot out the oven. Super yummy! I was so much more satisfied with my second batch of scones in terms of taste and texture!

Eggnog Scones

Makes 8 Scones

• 1 3/4 cups flour (packed)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup cold butter (cut in small cubes)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• zest of 1 orange
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup eggnog
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt

1. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda.
2. Cut in the butter to the mixture. You can either use a pastry blender or your fingers. When cutting in the butter, it is fine to leave some of the butter in small chunks.
3. Stir in sifted sugar and orange peel.
4. Beat the egg and mix half of it with the eggnog and yogurt. Save the other half of the beaten egg for egg wash later on.
5. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir until mixture forms a dough. This step is critical: Do NOT overwork the dough or you’ll get a dense and “un-fluffy” scone. If your end product turns out smooth, you know that you have overworked the dough! It is okay to have an slightly undermixed dough with some dry bits. By the next couple steps it will automatically come together.
6. Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Form an 8-inch circle and use a sharp knife to divide it into 8 equal pieces.
7. Brush the remaining beaten egg on the top of each piece as egg wash.
8. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Ensure that the scones are not touching each other when placed in the oven! Give them room to rise!

Eggnog Glaze

• 1/3 cup confectionary sugar
• 1 tsp + few drops eggnog

For the glaze, mix the eggnog with the sugar with a fork. The amount of eggnog mixed in is slightly more than 1 tsp. You will need to slowly add the eggnog a couple drops at a time to get the consistency you want. I like to have a thicker consistency for mine. When the scones have cooled sufficiently, pipe them on in a zig-zag fashion.

That’s it! Enjoy!