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Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 10 Minutes |
Ready In: 30 Minutes Servings: 8 |
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(from How to Cook Everything-Mark Bittman) Ingredients:
2 cups flour |
1 teaspoon salt |
4 teaspoons baking powder |
2 tablespoons sugar |
5 tablespoons butter, cold |
3 eggs |
3/4 cup heavy cream |
1/3 cup raisins (optional) |
1 tablespoon water |
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 450.
2. Mix dry ingredients together, reserving 1 Tbsp sugar.
3. Cut butter into bits and rub into dry ingredients until thoroughly blended.
4. (Or pulse in food processor). Beat 2 eggs with cream, and blend into dry ingredients with a few swift strokes.
5. Use only a few more strokes to add raisins.
6. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead 10 times; no more. If it is very sticky, add a little flour, but very little; don't worry if it sticks a bit to your hands.
7. Press the dough into a 3/4 inch rectangle and cut into 2 inch rounds with a biscuit cutter or glass.
8. Place the rounds on an ungreased baking sheet. Gently reshape the leftover dough and cut again; this recipe will produce 10-14 biscuits.
9. Beat the remaining egg with 1 tablespoonful of water and brush the top of each scone; sprinkle each with a little of the remaining sugar.
10. Bake 7-9 minutes, or until the scones are a beautiful golden brown.
11. These keep better than biscuits, but should still be eaten the same day you make them.
12. Seven Easy Additions to Cream Scones:
13. -Stir one-half cup or more chopped nuts into the prepared batter.
14. -Use up to fifty percent whole wheat flour.
15. -Substitute fresh fruit (apples, pears, peaches), whole berries (blueberries, cranberries) or minced dried fruit (figs, apricots) for the raisins.
16. -Add one teaspoonful or more of cinnamon or ginger, or a pinch of nutmeg or allspice to the dried ingredients.
17. -Add one-half cup grated cheese along with the eggs and cream; reduce the sugar to one teaspoon.
18. -Add minced fresh herbs to taste-dill, parsley, and chevril are especially good; reduce the sugar to one teaspoonful.
19. -Add one-half cup or more of minced cooked meat along with the eggs and cream; reduce the sugar to one teaspoon.
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