This is the recipe I use to make scones. It is from Maida Heatters Book of Great American Desserts, except that over the years I have made a couple of changes: I think they are more tender made with heavy whipping cream instead of milk and I prefer to cut the dough into wedges rather than make as drop biscuits. Also like to sometimes vary the currants with other chopped dried fruit:
Ingredients:
2 cup sifted all-purpose flour
Ingredients:
2 cup sifted all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
scant 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar
6 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter (3/4 stick), diced
1/4 cup currants (or finely chopped pecans, dried cherries or cranberries as a variation)
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (or milk/half and half)
Additional sugar for sprinkling on top
Directions:Heat the oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment. In a 1 cup Pyrex measuring cup, or other small mixing bowl, beat together the egg and egg yolk, then add cream or milk to mix -- set aside. In a medium bowl measure the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar; "whisk" with a pastry blender until combined. Add the butter and cut it in to make rather large crumbs. Add the fruit/nut combination you've chosen, mix. Make a well in the middle. Add the egg, egg yolk, and cream/milk combination, mixing lightly with a fork until the mixture comes together--don't over mix this.
Can make these as drop biscuits, dropping by rounded tablespoonfuls placed an inch apart on your prepared cookie sheet (to make 12). OR what I like to do is -- take all of the dough and gently make it into a ball with your hands and place onto the prepared cookie sheet. Gently pat or roll out to about 10 inches, then with a sharp knife, cut into 8 wedges. Space out a bit on the sheet so they have room to bake.
Sprinkle lightly with the additional sugar and bake for 14-15 minutes, or until nicely golden brown, reversing cookie sheet from front to back halfway through baking time.
Remove scones from baking sheet onto a rack to cool. Can be served right away. Any leftovers can be sliced in half and gently heated in toaster oven for a few minutes to regain fresh baked texture.
Can make these as drop biscuits, dropping by rounded tablespoonfuls placed an inch apart on your prepared cookie sheet (to make 12). OR what I like to do is -- take all of the dough and gently make it into a ball with your hands and place onto the prepared cookie sheet. Gently pat or roll out to about 10 inches, then with a sharp knife, cut into 8 wedges. Space out a bit on the sheet so they have room to bake.
Sprinkle lightly with the additional sugar and bake for 14-15 minutes, or until nicely golden brown, reversing cookie sheet from front to back halfway through baking time.
Remove scones from baking sheet onto a rack to cool. Can be served right away. Any leftovers can be sliced in half and gently heated in toaster oven for a few minutes to regain fresh baked texture.
