Yield: 8 scones
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp sugar for dough 2 tsp more for sprinkling
- 2.5 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup cold butter or margarine cut into pieces
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 large egg, with the yolk and the white separated
- 2 tsp sugar for sprinkling
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large bowl, mix the first four ingredients.
- Add the butter and cut it in with your fingers or with two forks until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a separate bowl mix the milk and egg yolk until blended.
- Make a well in the middle of the flour, add the milk mixture, and stir until just combined. (Don't overmix. Working the flour too much will make the scones tough.)
- Turn the dough onto lightly floured surface and knead 5 to 6 times, just so the dough all sticks together. Shape the dough into a round shape about 7.5 inches in diameter and put it on an ungreased cookie sheet. With a lightly floured knife, cut the dough into 8 wedges, but do not separate the wedges.
- Lightly beat the egg white, spread it over the dough, and then sprinkle the 2 tsp sugar on top.
- Bake until golden brown, about 22 to 25 minutes. Separate the wedges and serve.
Notes: You can add different flavors and ingredients to the scones. Some ideas:
- Toss frozen blueberries in a little flour, and add them in step 4, and replace a tsp of milk with 1 tsp of lemon juice.
- For savory scones, add 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup chopped bacon in step 4, and do not sprinkle the scones with sugar.