On our way back from Aspen, I plotted another chowhound stop (ok, this one was thanks to Roadfood). Mom’s Cafe, write Gourmet’s Jane and Michael Stern, is famous for its “scones,” discs of fried yeasted dough that are kissing cousins of the sopaipillas you’d find just one state south, in Arizona.

Although the Sterns advise getting to Mom’s at breakfast for fresh, hot scones, the truth is that scones are always made to order. Who wants fried dough that’s been sitting around? I had mine with a “side” of chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and green beans. The steak wasn’t as crisp or spicy of crust as I’d like, but it was all good, homey stuff. The scone was appealing in the way that fried dough always is, and there was a haunting sweetness to the dough. But while Mom’s touts its honey butter as a topping, the bottle of honey butter on our table had a list of ingredients that was mostly artificial. Not so the original recipe for honey butter, which was displayed on the wall in an article about the restaurant from the Salt Lake City Tribune.

There was also pie — this is pie country, seemingly — and it was good.

Renee Baker’s Scones
From the Salt Lake City Tribune

7 cups flour, plus extra for kneading
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 TB salt
1 1/2 packages (1 1/2 TB) yeast
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted margarine or vegetable oil

Combine flour in a large bowl with salt and sugar, reserving a tablespoon of the sugar to proof yeast. Make a well in center of the dry ingredients.

Dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup warm water with 1 tablespoon sugar. When dissolved, stir in 2 1/4 cups warm water and melted margarine or oil. Slowly pour yeast mixture into flour mixture, mixing well.

Knead dough until smooth and satiny on a floured surface, using extra flour (up to 1 cup) as needed.

Place dough in a greased bowl and brush top with melted butter. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk. Punch down.

Pinch off pieces of dough and roll in hands to make little biscuits. Place on lightly greased pan and let rise until doubled.

Pick up each “biscuit” and stretch to flatten. Heat oil or fat to 375 degrees and fry the scones until golden on both sides. Serve with honey butter.

Honey Butter

2 sticks (1 cup) butter or margarine
1 1/4 cups honey
1 egg yolk

Combine and beat with electric mixer 10 minutes.

Mom’s Cafe
10 E. Main Street
Salina, UT 84654
(435) 529-3921