My sister insisted I use cold butter for scones and I doubled down

She told me to grate frozen butter into the flour, but I thought room temperature would be fine since it mixes easier. The scones came out flat and greasy instead of flaky, so next time I'm doing it her way. Has anyone else had a family member give baking advice that sounded wrong but actually worked?

2 comments

2 Comments

hunt.quinn1mo ago

Did you ever have one of those baking moments where you realize your grandma was right about something the whole time? My aunt once told me to put the mixing bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes before making pie crust, and I thought she was just being extra. I tried it once and honestly it made the dough so much easier to handle, no sticky mess at all. Now I do it every time even if I feel silly waiting by the freezer with a timer. What other random kitchen tricks have you picked up from family that actually ended up being gold?

elizabethhayes1mo ago

Oh man, I feel this so hard @hunt.quinn. My grandma always insisted on chilling everything before rolling out dough, even the rolling pin... I used to roll my eyes at her but now I do the same thing without even thinking about it. The other trick I finally gave in on is using a fork to mash the butter into the flour instead of my hands, she swore it kept things flakier and she was totally right. Also letting cookie dough sit in the fridge overnight, I thought that was just her being extra but the flavor really does get better. It's funny how we spend years thinking they're just being fussy and then suddenly we're the ones setting timers by the freezer...