Scones

There are several takes on scones. Some are almost cakelike, others are dense and crumbly shortbread, and some are cousins of biscuits. I prefer the last. They're easiest to spread with cream and preserves. I've sprung for the double Devon cream a few times. That stuff is more fatty than butter. Most often, I use unsweetened whipped cream with preserves.

This recipe is adapted from "The Book of Afternoon Tea"

2 C flour, plus extra for flouring the board
1 Tb baking powder
1/4 C butter
2 Tb sugar
2/3 C milk

1. Preheat oven to 425º. Into a bowl, sift flour and baking powder. Cut in butter until flour is almost the consistency of dry oatmeal. Stir in sugar.

2. Make a well in the center and pour in milk. Stir together until just moist. Do not overmix. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead lightly.

3. For individual scones, pat dough to 1/2" thick, then use a 2" round cookie cutter to cut them out and place a little apart on a cookie sheet. For moister scones, make two large rounds 1/2" thick, then cut each into quarters, but leave them touching. You can break them apart after baking and end up with less crust.

4. Bake 10-12 minutes, until risen and lightly brown. There isn't much sugar in the dough, so they should not be dark. Cool on a rack, then keep covered with a towel until ready to serve.

Difficulty rating  π