Recipe Friday: Scones

It's hard not to love a scone. Or two. This is a good basic recipe, and so easy. You don't even want to work hard at it because if you overwork the dough, you will have yourself a pan full of tough scones--a gang or a military unit so to speak. While we like our heroes tough, you just don't want that in a scone. You can leave the currants out if you don't like them. Throw in a few nuts if you've a mind to. I have used dried cranberries instead of the currants and added a little orange zest. I don't believe I have ever had to throw away a scone. Enjoy!

Scones

Ingredients

• 2 cups plain flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup currants
• 1 cup heavy cream

Instructions

1.    Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.

2.    Place flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in large bowl or workbowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Whisk together or pulse six times.

3.   If making by hand, use two knives, a pastry blender, or your fingertips and quickly cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few slightly larger butter lumps. Stir in currants. If using food processor, remove cover and distribute butter evenly over dry ingredients. Cover and pulse 12 times, each pulse lasting 1 second. Add currants and pulse one more time. Transfer dough to large bowl.

4.   Stir in heavy cream with rubber spatula or fork until dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.

5.   Transfer dough and all dry, floury bits to countertop and knead dough by hand just until it comes together into a rough, slightly sticky ball, 5 to 10 seconds. Using a sharp knife, cut scones into 8 wedges. Place wedges on ungreased baking sheet. (Baking sheet can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 hours.)

6.    Bake until scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.