Scones

I feel a bit guilty about posting this recipe because I can't remember where it came from. I'm all about giving credit where it's due, but instead of bookmarking this recipe, I put it into an MS Word file in 2008 and didn't type in the url. (I'm also feeling guilty about not having pictures for this post (or my last or my next), but I'm a horrible photographer anyway, so you're really not missing that much... even though these and the chocoflan both looked beautiful).

I love these scones... and these scones make my love our pastry blender... that little tool with curved wires that blends butter into flour like magic and makes making these managable in the morning WHILE drinking my first cup of coffee. I think that I first made these during the summer when we were part of the CSA at Greensgrow Farms... an amazing urban farm that is about a five minute drive from our house. I'm remembering raspberries, though it may have been blueberries that inspired my first attempt at these. I've since made them with chocolate chips and cinnamon chips as well. They're delicious and turn out perfectly every time.

Yesterday, I made these for Veronica to take to her morning rehearsal. Well... I made these for me, too. I'm not completely selfless. This was the second time that I've made these with cinnamon chips, called Cinnamon Flav-R Bites from King Arthur Flour. When I saw these online, I KNEW they would be perfect in these scones. They're dry and crunchy, so I measure out the milk for the recipe and add 1/4 c. of the chips to soak while I blend the other ingredients together (in a moister batter, I think they could just sit for a few minutes after being mixed into the recipe). Yesterday, I also made a batch with chocolate chips (chopped up a bit) AND chopped pecans. I'm not sure why I hadn't put pecans in them before. It was Veronica's suggestion and they turned out great. You can really throw in anything. With fruit additions, they're best eaten in the first day or two as the moisture from the fruit softens the scone over time.

Also, I've tried these with just all-purpose flour once or twice when I ran out of whole wheat flour. They're still good, but the whole wheat flour really adds a nice nutty note. Also, the turbinado sugar is great in them and especially on top. I love the extra crunch.


Scones

Preheat oven to 500 degrees (preheat pan as well).

Sift together:
1 1/2 cups white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. sugar, preferably turbinado

Cut in:
1/4 cup very cold butter

Lightly toss in:
1 cup frozen raspberries (or blueberries or chocolate chips)

Moisten with (don’t overmix):
1 partially beaten egg
1/2 cup milk

Round up on a floured surface.
Knead very lightly.
Pat out to about 1/2 inch thick.

Brush with:
2-3 Tbs of milk

Sprinkle with:
1 Tbs sugar

Cut into wedges. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes until golden brown.