Basic Scones (and Happy New Year!)

We spent it in Costa Rica, hence the lack of posting.  Phil’s going to do a recap on the trip and the many delicious things we ate, but I bring you a recipe for scones as it is freezing outside and we needed something to go with hot tea.

Basic Scones

Ingredients:

• 2 cups AP flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 5 tablespoons butter (the colder the better, we usually keep a stick in the freezer)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream or milk (we had some half and half from a houseguest that we used, came out fine)
• ADD INS: crystallized ginger, toasted coconut and currants (feel free to use any nuts or dried fruit you like)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• sugar

To Do:

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Mix all of the dried ingredients and scatter bits of butter over all of it.  Use your hands and blend the butter into the dry mixture until it comes together in pea sized crumbles.  Alternatively, and the $30/Week method, pulse the dry ingredients in a food processor, scatter the butter and pulse until just combined.
3. Lightly beat the egg and cream together and mix into the dry mixture.  Use a spoon for this and don’t overmix.  If the mixture is too dry, add a bit more cream.
4. Stir in the add-ins.  I split up the dough and used crystallized ginger and coconut (in honor of Costa Rica) in one batch and plain currants in the other.
5. Knead the dough (if you make different scones, place the dough your not using under a dishcloth) a few times on a lightly floured surface and then roll out to about an inch thick.  Stamp out rounds with a large cookie cutter or use a knife to cut into triangles.  Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Repeat with remaining dough.
6. Brush the top of the scones with the egg and sprinkle some sugar on top.  Place in the oven for about 8-10 minutes or until tops are golden brown.
7. Serve with tea and clotted cream or jam if you have them around.